Like many musicians, Orlando singer, songwriter and bandleader Andy Matchett has spent time searching for chords and melodies that no one has ever heard.
In his latest project, however, Matchett — known for his work in such highly regarded Orlando bands as the Minks and the Continentals — has discovered a new appreciation for simplicity. Starting this weekend, Matchett will be starring in the lead role of "Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story," a rock 'n' roll musical that runs through Feb. 17 at the IceHouse Theatre in Mount Dora.
To prepare, Matchett has immersed himself in Holly's seminal music, a catalog of 1950s classics such as "That'll be the Day," "Oh, Boy," "Peggy Sue" and other songs that would turn Holly into a legend after his death in a 1959 plane crash.
"The simpler songs are the more challenging ones," Matchett says. "'Peggy Sue' is one of hardest songs to learn to perform, because it's back and forth between two chords all the time. It's really about the lyrical sentiment. He was writing about universal sentiments that always feel very personal."
In addition to being a bona fide rocker, Matchett also brings some theater training to the role. He's a 1998 graduate of Orlando's Dr. Phillips High School, where he participated in the school's visual performing arts magnet.
And Matchett has incorporated theatrical flair into his performances with the Minks, productions that combine exuberant songs with massive balloon drops, confetti and cardboard robot characters. Alas, none of that prepared him for the more structured world of theater production.
"This is completely different," says Matchett, 32. "For one thing, I'm being a different person, trying to get into this man's head and what he was thinking when he created the legendary stuff that he created."
Matchett had to learn Holly's distinctive, if slightly awkward mannerisms, including how the icon stood, held a guitar and moved to the beat. There are additional technical adjustments for a musician used to high-powered amplifiers and electronic gadgets.
"It has made me think differently about how I approach music onstage," says Matchett, whose Minks bandmate Abe Couch also is in the production as an upright bassist. "I don't have an electronic tuner on stage, so we have to tune to each other by ear."
Matchett also is at work on a show for the Orlando International Fringe Festival, a post-apocalyptic musical "Key of E."
"It's a really nice marriage," Matchett says of theater and music. "The two universes are melding."
Actomatics release new CD
There's a trace of Southern Rock in "Summer Is Risky," the new album from the Actomatics, but the Orlando band layers it with enough moody melodicism to make the sound into something all its own.
The 10-song album, to be celebrated at a CD release show Saturday at Cafe DaVinci in DeLand, relies on the force of lead singer Shadow Pearson. Her voice shifts from pensive to defiant on "Truly," one of several rockers propelled by a wall of keyboards, guitars and drums.
Crafted by the band with producer Mark Mason and engineer Tim Kelliher at Kelliher's Hippie House studio, the album packs a big punch with an ear for melodies. Doors: 8 p.m. No cover.
jcabbott@tribune.com or 407-420-6213
'Buddy! The Buddy Holly Story'
What: Musical based on the songs of Buddy Holly, starring Orlando musician Andy Matchett
When: Friday, Jan. 18-Feb. 17
Where: Sonnentag Theatre at IceHouse Theatre, 1100 N. Unser St., Mount Dora
Cost: $20 adults; $18 ages 65 and above; $10 students
Call: : 352-383-4616
Online: icehousetheatre.com
