Brian Richmond remembers being in the front yard listening to rock B次元官网网址榥B次元官网网址� roll on the transistor radio when he heard the tragic news.

It was 1959 when Buddy Holly and music stars died in a plane crash, later dubbed as the day the music died.

B次元官网网址淚 was 12 years old,B次元官网网址� recalls the artistic director of the Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. B次元官网网址淚 remember it coming over the news and how sad I felt and how everyone felt at the time B次元官网网址� Buddy Holly was phenomenal. He was so seminal to a form of pop-rock in the 1950s. B次元官网网址�

RichmondB次元官网网址檚 fondness for HollyB次元官网网址檚 music, however, wasnB次元官网网址檛 the driver behind his decision to bring in a touring production about the musician.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think I would have brought the production here, had I not gone over to Vancouver to see the Buddy Holly Story B次元官网网址� It is not an exaggeration to say the audience was up dancing in the aisles B次元官网网址� The music was phenomenal.B次元官网网址�

Richmond attended the show on a casting search. Zachery Stevenson, who plays Holly, was one of RichmondB次元官网网址檚 students around the turn of the millenium, back when Richmond was chair of the department of theatre at the University of Victoria.

Victorians have come to know Stevenson in several professional acting roles, including Hank Williams, as well as through his pop-folk duo, called the Human Statues.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story premiered in 1989. This production was produced by VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Arts Club.

ItB次元官网网址檚 the first time VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, launched in 2008, has brought in a show by another theatre company.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an experiment for us,B次元官网网址� said Richmond. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a little bit scary because you have to make a fairly large financial commitment to doing this kind of thing. You have to just hope that people will like it.B次元官网网址�

The venture seems to be going well. As of Nov. 4, 2,000 tickets had been sold, representing 60 per cent of seats available for the three-performance run. Already, Blue Bridge has broken even on its investment.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 getting up to being one of our highest pre-sells,B次元官网网址� he said.

Success could mean Blue Bridge starts presenting more outside productions, alongside the three they produce each year.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 more than happy to say this is a phenomenally entertaining show,B次元官网网址� said Richmond.

The year 1959 marked the end of a decade B次元官网网址渨e view as our childhood, and one of the happiest periods in our culture,B次元官网网址� he explained. B次元官网网址淗olly represented this aspect of B次元官网网址�50s life. B次元官网网址� Given our rather tumultuous and uncertain times, itB次元官网网址檚 nice to remind ourselves of this kind of youthful joy.B次元官网网址�

rholmen@vicnews.com

Mark your calendar

B次元官网网址� What: Buddy B次元官网网址� The Buddy Holly Story

B次元官网网址� Where: Royal Theatre

B次元官网网址� When: Nov. 15 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 16 at 2 and 8 p.m.

B次元官网网址� Tickets: Evening performances B次元官网网址� $53.25 for adults, $48 for students and seniors. Matinees are $48.25 for adults and $40 for students and seniors, at rmts.bc.ca or 250-386-6121.