Class act: Al Delvecchio in The Class of ’59.
By Cherie Donnellan
ON DECEMBER 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash had an impromptu jam session in a Memphis recording studio.
But what if Buddy Holly and other ’50s rock ‘n’ roll stars had been present too?
That was the question Mario Agius pondered before creating stage show The Class of ’59.
“In the old days you’d have one of the big names like Elvis play on a bill as the main act but I thought ‘What if we had the big names play in a super band?’” Agius told the Independent.
The show is set in Australia in January, 1959 as eight legends of music tour the countryside while battling each other for the title of rock ‘n’ roll king.
An all-Australian cast features in the roles of Elvis, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran and The Big Bopper.
Some of the troupe has previous experience with their characters. Scott Cameron appeared as Buddy Holly in London’s West End, Anthony Petrucci won 2005 talent competition Star Struck for his Elvis impersonations and Daniel Thompson has played Johnny Cash in a concert series last year.
Agius said the cast came across in character “very convincingly”.
“Cassidy (Wilson) is great as his character, Jerry Lee Lewis. He’s actually a school theatre teacher by day, so he understands the art of performance.
“Grant (Carruthers who plays the Bill Haley) is an accomplished musician who plays the saxophone, guitar, keyboard, upright bass and he sings. It’s incredible to watch.
“Then we’ve got the baby of the band, Simon (O’Connor). He fits playing the Big Bopper so well.
“He’s a great drummer and a music technician – he’s actually looked after some great Australian touring bands – and he’s a bit of a character (in real life).”
Agius said Carruthers was well-versed in the persona of “rebel rocker” Eddie Cochran.
“(Carruthers) looks after our ambulances in Queensland. He’s played Cochran many times and it’s like he just becomes his character.”
Agius said Geelong Performing Arts Centre would host one of the casts’ 32 shows on tour.
“Geelong is actually a crazy place for us. They (crowds) don’t let us go home and ask for encore after encore, it’s great.
“After the show we do a meet-and-greet with the audience and we always have some really great people. People even dress up as Elvis or the others and we’ve had a few people bring in photos of them with the characters we’re playing.
“The boys just think their rock stars because of the positive audience responses we always get.
“What I love the most though is that it’s a show everyone can enjoy. We’ve had three generations in one family come to see the show and they all loved it.”
The performing arts centre will host The Class of 59 next Friday.
