Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Marriott Theatre
Director Amber Mak and actor Kieran McCabe (‘Buddy Holly’), from Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Marriott Theatre, joined me via Zoom to discuss the show.
The interviews are below.
Amber Mak has directed and/or choreographed shows at theatres across the Chicagoland area.
She serves as both the director and choreographer for Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Marriott Theatre.
To listen to the interview with Amber Mak, click the play button below (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
Kieran McCabe is a Chicago area actor and musician whose previous credits include Million Dollar Quartet at the the Marriott Theatre and Rock of Ages at the Paramount Theatre.
He is currently performing as "Buddy Holly" in Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story at the Marriott Theatre.
To listen to the interview with Kieran McCabe, click the play button below \ (or click here to open the audio player in a new tab/window).
Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story is on the Mainstage at the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Ill. The show runs through August 13, 2023.
Tickets and more information are available on the Marriott Theatre website.
Mike Reflects
As those of you who know me know, there are a lot of things I can write here.
What you may not know, however, is that sometimes having a lot of options makes things like this harder, not easier.
When author Gary W. Moore came to my high school way back when and mentioned that his next book was going to be about people’s connections with Buddy Holly, I was known to be one of the few students who knew what he was talking about.
When he asked me to expand on mine, I clammed up.
I didn’t know what to share, what to keep to myself, or, most importantly, how to put any of it into words that accurately conveyed anything.
He gave me his card, to reach out when I figured out how to answer any of those 3 questions. I spent a lot of time thinking on it, but I ended up doing nothing more than adding him on Facebook.
When he made a post announcing that the book, entitled Hey Buddy: In Pursuit of Buddy Holly, My New Buddy John, and My Lost Decade of Music, had gone to print, he also mentioned that review galleys were available to any interested media entities on his friend list.
I was on my high school newspaper staff, and I’d intended on reviewing the book when it came out, so I reached to ask if I, as a reporter for a high school newspaper, qualified for one of those free review copies.
I didn’t know what answer to expect, but I know I didn’t expect the answer I got, which was not only an enthusiastic “yes”, but that he’d remembered our interaction and it ended up in the book, despite me having very little to say.
During my interview with Amber Mak, linked and embedded above, she mentioned that memory can be a funny thing, as it’s not just a camera, continuously and objectively capturing everything. Instead, it’s shaped by our emotions, and our experiences.
When Gary sat down to write up our encounter, he did so through his lens, just as I’m using mine to do the same here and now.
So I can’t say one way or the other if the quote he attributes to me is actually me or if it was him, seeking (even subconsciously) to help me out as he told his story.
But I can say that, as I sat in the Marriott Theatre, watching this production— with tears welling up in my eyes at the end—it’s probably the best descriptor I can offer for what this story, this show, and this music mean to me.
”His music speaks to me in ways no other music does.”
On that note, all I can say is that, if you can make it, I highly recommend this show. Even if you don’t know the story or the songs, this cast brings it all to life in a way that you can’t help but feel.