MEMPHIS on the Big Screen

Thanks, Jan, for the drop on this article from LiveBWAY.

If you missed seeing "Memphis" at La Jolla Playhouse in 2008 before it headed east to become the toast of Broadway, you're in luck.

A filmed version of the rock 'n' roll musical ---- featuring the original La Jolla/Broadway cast ---- will hit local movie screens this week for a limited, four-show engagement.

On a recent break at his New Jersey home from Bon Jovi's world tour (ranked last week by pollstar.com as the No. 1-grossing tour in America), the Juilliard-trained Bryan talked about the big-screen version of "Memphis," along with his work in musicals and the famous band he co-founded more than 20 years (and 130 million albums) ago with some fellow Jersey musicians.

Question: How did this big-screen version of "Memphis" come about?
This company came to us that had done recordings of Broadway shows. In the past, they'd captured the shows just before they closed and then released them on screens afterward. This was the first time they were doing it for a show that was still running. Some people think it's a mistake, that it will hurt the Broadway production ---- that people won't want to go see it in New York if they've already seen it onscreen, but we don't believe that theory. The live experience is something that can't be duplicated. This just gets the word out. We're not based on any kind of brand, so we have to create our own brand. Also, this is only for four nights in 530 theaters across America, so it's not oversaturating the market. Plus we get a DVD out of it, so it will be memorialized for all of us.

Q: Have you seen the finished product and are you happy with it?
Yes, it's great. I was very involved. The thing about my work in "Memphis" is that I don't visit my shows, I live my shows. Every inch of it, every decision that's made, every single step of the way I've been the master of my own destiny. I'm really proud of the fact that I started this project and followed it every step of the way to Broadway. I carved every inch.

Q: Do you have a preference between doing musicals and Bon Jovi?

They both bring me a lot of great things. Broadway brings me the creative process and I don't have to work eight times a week, so it's good that way. But the band gives me the satisfaction of live performance. I get to get out there every night and play in front of anywhere from 20,000 to 90,000 people, and you can't match that. I am so fortunate to keep walking onstage and experiencing that. It makes me the everlasting kid.

You can read the rest of the Q&A here.

For information on where/how to get tickets for this movie event, visit FathomEvents.

~ Hath