STAGE NORTH THEATRE SOCIETY, Fort St. John, British Columbia

The North Peace Cultural Center in northeastern British Columbia was home to a record-breaking run of Buddy over eight performances in fall, 2016!
Testimonial:

Buddy is the No. 1 show for ticket sales in Stage North’s 39-year-history. We have had many people come to the show twice. Overall it has been a ride I don't want to end! I think it may have created a whole new following for Stage North”
— Blair Scott, Vice President, Stage North Theatre Society
Fort St John, BC, Canada



Review:

The Buddy Holly Story a delight from start to finish

“It’s a pretty amazing thing when a play can actually make you forget you’re watching a play.

“For those that have already seen Stage North’s production of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, you’ll know what I mean. There are literally points in the show where you actually forget that there’s a play going on and not just a really fun, upbeat rock concert.

“Upbeat is a key word here; for what is ultimately a sad story, Buddy is energetic and uplifting. It’s hard not to smile for most of the show.

“Everyone knows how Buddy Holly’s story ended: in a plane crash not even two years after he broke into the rock music scene in the late 1950s. His death, along with that of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, came to be known as The Day The Music Died. While that is of course part of Buddy’s story, it’s not the whole story—his contributions to modern music have never been forgotten, and they are all brought to life on stage at the North Peace Cultural Centre.

“The cast and crew should be immensely proud of themselves—the sheer scale of this production was no small feat to pull off. The stage crew worked like a well-oiled machine during scene changes, which is just as important for a successful show as an excellent cast.

“The local music and theatre communities come together in a way that you’d think they did shows like this all the time. Along with guitars, bass, drums, you get piano and a horn section, which adds a greater depth to the already excellent music.

“Everyone in the cast was wonderful in their role, but Mike Sowers Jr. was Buddy Holly. He took that part and made it his, in the best possible way.

“The standing ovation from the audience was well deserved; there wasn’t a single bad word from anyone as they left the theatre.”

- Aleisha Hendry, The Alaska Highway News





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