Buddy, the Buddy Holly musical, ends its tour stop in Texas, the state that gave the world the rock 'n' roll singer, Aug. 20. Performances began at Houston's Brown Theatre in the Wortham Center Aug. 8. Theatre Under the Stars presents the engagement.

First mounted on Broadway in 1990, Buddy tells the true story of a country-singing boy from Lubbock's rise to pop stardom. Tragically, Holly's career was cut short by an airplane crash following a 1959 concert. Alan Janes wrote the musical, mixing in Holly hits like "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby," "That'll Be The Day" and "Oh Boy."

Val Zeiler stars as Buddy Holly. Zeiler was the alternate Holly in the still-running London company. Other credits include Lincoln Center Director's Lab pieces, Container and A Perfect Analysis Given by A Parrot and regional productions of The Illusion, Hamlet, Midsummer Night's Dream and Pump Boys and Dinettes.

Tickets are $74.50-$16. The Wortham Center is located at 500 Texas Avenue. For reservations, call (800) 678-5440 or contact TUTS on the web at http://www.tuts.com.

* This tour of Buddy has been traveling since Dec. 1999 and will complete its run Sept. 3, 2000 at Minnesota's Ordway Center, the theatre that first spanned the revival.

-- By Christine Ehren