PBS to Broadcast Oradell Native's Award Winning Musical

Kick off your shoes and hop on the couch with the family tonight for a rock 'n' rolling good time as PBS' Great Performances will present the Tony award-winning musical "Memphis" with book and lyrics by Oradell native Joe DiPietro. The performance will be aired at 9pm.

Born in neighboring Teaneck, DiPietro grew up in Oradell and graduated from Oradell Public School and the River Dell Regional district. The future playwright inked his first piece in seventh grade under the direction of English teacher Sharon Milch. The 1980 graduate won a Scholastic Writing Award for Drama with his play “Dream Stealer” during the seventh grade.

"Memphis" as the title indicates takes place in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1950's where Jim Crow laws were still in place and interracial relationships were outlawed. But illiterate DJ Huey Calhoun begins to break boundaries with this love of African-American rock and roll and singer Felicia Farrell. Together they question the status-quo and shake up the deep south over a period of four years.

The show was first produced on Broadway in 2009 winning the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical. "Memphis" recently began a national tour this past fall and will come to the tri-state area April 17-22 at Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, NY and June 5-10 at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, NY. 

Along with his work on"Memphis", DiPietro also wrote “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” the longest running musical revue in off-Broadway history -- twelve years. He has also added his name to “All Shook Up,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” “The Thing About Men,” “Babes in Arms” (Goodspeed Musicals), “Damn Yankees (North Shore Music Theatre), and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Allegro.”