About the work
Memphis is a musical by David Bryan (music) and Joe DiPietro (lyrics and book), premiered on Broadway in 2009. Inspired by real 1950s radio DJs, it won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Plot
In 1950s Memphis, the white, unconventional radio DJ Huey Calhoun falls in love with the Black singer Felicia and with her music. Against the bitter resistance of a society shaped by racial segregation, Huey brings "Black" rhythm-and-blues music into white mainstream broadcasting and helps Felicia to a career. But their love and shared success meet violent resistance and confront both with painful choices between love, ambition, and social reality.
Cultural significance
Memphis tells of the roots of rock'n'roll and the role Black music played in its emergence, combining this with a powerful reckoning with racism. David Bryan's score, steeped in rhythm and blues and gospel, gives the work authentic energy. It celebrates the liberating, boundary-crossing power of music and at the same time the people who took risks for it.