Newsday from New York, New York • B11

rang i BTI The birth of rock and toll WHAT "Memphis" WHERE Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St 212-239-6200; memphisthemusical.com BOTTOM UNE A smash Before Elvis, there was the story of Memphis BYUNMWKR finda.wtnflrneuitday.carn Broadway has been eerily quiet about new rmnriraU rhi season. That just changed in a very big way with "Memphis," arguably the best black musical written by white guys since "Dreamgirls." The extraordinary show, which crept into town with little fanfare and nonstop talent, tells the high-stakes story of Huey Calhoun, an irrepressible poor-white DJ hipster (Chad Kimball) who popularizes "race music" in "SOs Tennessee in the years before Elvis made it safe for America's children. Imagine if "Jersey Boys" had new music to go with its cultural history, or if "Hairspray" were not a happy cartoon about race See photos of recent discoveries peel off one another at a pace breathless and disciplined, original and aiithnrir. When a singer lets loose and, eventually, they all do the vocal pyrotechnics come from deep within the storytelling.

We first meet Huey in 1951, when he bursts into an all-black club in the basement of what his song calls "the dark side of town." Nobody not the gorgeous dancers with the tafry-pulling limbs nor the wary owner (the formidable J. Bernard Calloway) wants him there stealing what he declares as "the music of my souL" Huey falls for the owner's sister (Mon-tego Glover, a revelation of intelligent sensuality), but an interracial couple is big trouble. Kimball with his porkpie hat, bitter-lemon voice and motor-mouth patter makes us believe that Huey is inventing himself right along with shock-jock radio, early TV and seismic racial change. After a riwvlring weekend when a justice of the peace refused to marry an interracial couple in Louisiana, "Memphis" is not just Broadway's news." relations. "Memphis" has a passionate, exuberantly believable book by Joe DiPietro (best known, oddly enough, for the light crowd pleaser "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now The remarkably rich and raucous character-driven songs, by Bon Jovi cofbunder Davia Bryan, lovingly capture the inafmmring, earthy authenticity of rhythm and blues, gospel and early rock and roU without sounding derivative.

The moody and inventive production has been put together with down-and-dirty elegance by director Christopher Ashley, choreographer Sergio Trujillo, set designer David Gallo and costume designer Paul Tazewell, who let the musical and dramatic and pop-up scenic Broadway plays Felicia Farrell stars as Mont ego Glover in the Broadway production of "Memphis" at the Shubert Theatre. theater WWUXI POST $545 TOTAL iLASIK I1M1DBLI Advanced Laser Vision Correction 3SO urJZZl. torWMtMlBg iBwimtmmumKl CASTLM CONNOLLY 1 TOP DOCTORS New York Metro Area Always Blade-Free Always Customized Safer with Superior Results Top Doctors New York Metro Area" By "Quae CormoBy Medical Ltd" j.Pi.B.u.a.ij.i.i JaBnllaiBii CaUUsfora FREE Evaluation! Are you hiding out because of ACNE? If you are 140 jean of age and have aene, you may be able to participate In a nttninl manamh indy tinting an InTriitigarlnnal fnl imntif rlrm QnaHfled participanta will raeeiTB at no eost: SkinEvahuitioni An 4w Hytinwi gri madltiatlnn ftw i jrvw Tb qualify yon should: North Shore Eye Care We Build Reladowhlr For life. (631) 2658780 260 Middle Countty Roadf Sniirtitown Visit us at www.nseye.com Have aene on the faee Be in good health 689-1900 I CD ro ro iV lbSl Omtact the ttmdy center lifted belaufbrwioreinfbnmat 2500-22A Route 847, Stony Brook, NY 11790 (681) 689-1900.