Today, Monday, October 3rd, the Memphis National Tour Huey Company, begins their journey.

After four weeks of pre-production and rehearsal in NYC, the company is meeting at the airport and traveling down to Memphis, Tennessee where they will tech and open the National Tour at the famed Orpheum Theatre, which, yes, is on the corner of Main and BEALE Streets.

The technical staff has been down at the Orpheum hanging out on Beale Street, I mean eating BBQ I mean getting the theatre ready for the actors arrival and then it is a fast and furious two weeks before audiences get a chance to look at this truly stellar company.

Having seen the last rehearsal/final run thru in New York City on Saturday, 10/1, I can tell you that this is an extremely strong touring company cast. Many of you know that the Broadway cast saw the run thru last Thursday and have been extolling their praises on social media, well, I am here to confirm that they are not blowing smoke.

I could write 30 different blog entry/love letters to each of the touring company members. Really I could. I need to learn all of their names first as this was the first time I’ve met many of them, but, then, the love would just come pouring out of me.

So what do you need to know before you see it on tour?

The vocals are incredible, even in that rehearsal room, I can’t wait to hear them mixed and balanced- should be amazing.

The dancing is at the same level of fierceness as we have on Broadway for sure.

And our principals? Get out of town. First of all, it helps that the leads playing Huey, Felicia, Gator, and Bobby have all done so on the Broadway stage. But now, having worked with Christopher Ashley the director, the performances are really coming alive and are full of detail. Bryan Fenkart as “Huey”, has found new things in the last three weeks, even after two years on Broadway.

And our new Mama, Delray and Mr. Simmons? Soooooo good. I can’t wait to tell you more about them, but this post is about wishing the Huey Company well on their journey.

What did we give them to start the tour out right?

Custom luggage tags of course.

They’ll never steal your rock ‘n’ roll and now, hopefully, they never steal your luggage.