"All I know is Memphis lives in me."

“There’s a town where I call home. Where all the streets are paved with soul.” –Huey Calhoun

 

Very rarely will a piece of artwork bring me to tears. This weekend alone, Memphis brought me to tears, twice.

I have a deep love for music. Possibly an even deeper love for musicals. Something about the music, the dancing, the raw talent, the entire production of a well done musical just speaks to me. Cheesy as it sounds, I have unique experiences when I watch musicals. It is some kind of spiritual. 

 I first saw Memphis about a year ago on Broadway. It was the twelfth show I’d seen on Broadway and it instantly became one of my favorites. There are only 3 shows that I can say that about. I found out that they had done a recording of a live performance of the original cast {whom I had already seen and fell in love with} and were showing that performance it in movie theatres this weekend only. I instantly bought some tickets. I went to it and instantly fell in love with the show again. I was so moved that I did start to cry in Huey’s final number: “Memphis Lives in Me” My poor date probably thought I was a little bit crazy. {I was not sobbing, just want to clear that up.}

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it just one more time this weekend so I went the following day. I again was brought to tears with the brilliance that is Chad Kimball. I do not think I have ever believed a performance in my life as strongly as I believed his performance. You could just see it in his eyes. Memphis, Felicia, the music truly did live in his soul. Chad’s soul, not just Huey’s.  

This musical meant so much more to me this time seeing it than it did a year ago. I know it is because of the stage of my life I am in. I saw it in his eyes. It is the most powerful love story I have ever seen. I related to the music of his soul. I related to the unrequited love. There is just something about this particular story of unrequited love that speaks to me. There is no pain quite like unrequited love. Huey and I both get that.

Not only the love he has for her but for the music. I must have been born with different DNA than most people I know because music seems to speak to me deeper than anyone else I have ever met in my life. But I think Huey really has that in common with me. She gave up love for her career. He gave up love for the music. I am not sure that I would ever give up love for the music, but the mere fact that he did says something about the music in his soul.

Musicals are such a surreal part of my life. I find a passion that I was born to have.

The music lives in me too Huey. Memphis lives in me too.

Huckadoo.