by Melissa De La Vega
The Cape Cod Chronicles
June 10, 2025
Dennis Village was rockin’ last week with the opening of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” at the iconic Cape Playhouse, kicking off the legendary summer theater’s 99th season.
Everything from the casting to the nostalgic music and even the picture-perfect vinyl record-shaped stage was masterfully crafted and produced. The jukebox musical style show is filled with countless memorable songs and tunes from an era gone by.
“Buddy” follows the heartbreaking true story behind Buddy Holly’s short rise to rock stardom and his untimely death alongside two other music legends at the dawn of rock and roll, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper.
The show transports audiences from small-town Lubbock, Texas, to Decca Recording Studios in Nashville, then on to Clovis, N.M. and the Apollo Theater in New York City where Buddy Holly and the Crickets made history as the first white band to play there. With every song, we witness rock history unfolding before our eyes, and by the end of the show we are only left with the lingering memory of the “Day the Music Died.”
“Buddy” is jam packed with over two dozen songs including favorites like “That’ll Be the Day,” Everyday,” “La Bamba,” and “Oh Boy.” The audience also learns how the iconic tune “Peggy Sue” came to be.
The title role of Buddy Holly is played by the fiercely charming Andy Christopher, a native Texan like Holly. In fact, Christopher learned to play guitar in Lubbock bars with Buddy Holly’s nephew.
Christopher Alvarado portrays the youthful Richie Valens to perfection alongside Matt Cusack as the Big Bopper. Cusack is also the music director for this Playhouse production. Legna Cedillo portrays Holly’s wife Maria Elena quite tenderly, and David Bonanno plays music executive Murray Deutch, who helps Holly rise to fame.
The talent in “Buddy” was second to none, proving that the Cape Playhouse and artistic Director Eric Rosen know how to cast a show. Rounding out this spectacular cast are Gian Raffaele Diconstanzo, Ta’nika Gibson, Katie Horner, Jeffrey Thomas Kelly and Isaiah Reynolds.
The Cape Playhouse production of “Buddy” is directed by Meredith McDonough with choreography by Felicity Stiverson and set design by Lex Liang.
This is one of the most hoppin’ fun times you’ll have at the theater this summer. “Buddy” will have you on your feet dancing by the end of the night. The show runs through June 21, so be sure to score tickets soon.
