Rock and roll originated along racial lines. Rhythm and blues, or “black music” as it was called way back then, was imitated by Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. The mass popularity of such music came when it was made “acceptable” to white people who discovered this music on radio and television when white artists began singing black artists’ songs, like Pat Boone’s pallid and flabby imitation of Fats Domino’s “Blueberry Hill” or Little Richard’s “Tooti Fruiti.”

White teenagers began embracing this music, thanks to white radio DJs spinning R&B records. Things really got shaken up in the 1950s when one brave DJ in Memphis, Dewey Philips, started playing for white listeners music that was written and recorded by black artists. The stage production of “Memphis” at 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle is a fictionalized account of Philips’ impact on popular music and on American society at large.

In “Memphis,” music loving, late-late night radio DJ Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball), is passing the Delray, an underground bar, and hears the music. He goes downstairs and finds he is the only white person in the bar. He earns his way into the club because he so apparently is enjoying the music. There Calhoun meets the owner Delray Jones (J. Bernard Calloway) and his sister, chanteuse Felicia Farrell (Montego Glover), who is beautiful, sexy, provocative and has a really great set of pipes. He also meets Gater (Derrick Baskin) the bartender, mute ever since his family was lynched.

Although raised by racist, poor people, Huey’s love for the music transcends his upbringing and he decides the tale of white superiority is a lie. His hard-living, chain-smoking mama (Cass Morgan) tries to tell him of the troubles he is going to heap on himself, a boy with no discernable talents, but he has to follow his soul as in the definitive, throw-your-heart-over-the-rainbow song, “The Music of My Soul.”

The rest of the play is the story of Huey and Felicia’s bittersweet and hidden love. Felicia tries to get Huey to move to New York so they can live openly but Huey has Memphis in his blood and cannot imagine living anywhere else. His fatal flaw is that he cannot believe a racist will not be changed by the music, as he was. The cultural racism, and its consequences for Felicia and Huey, is moving and life changing. Ultimately, she leaves the South so she can live and sing safely.

David Bryan’s music is marvelous. Bon Jovi fans may recognize his name, as Bryan is a founding member and keyboard player for the band. His compositions for “Memphis” are soulful, moving and rock out. The lyrics by David and Joe DiPietro, who also wrote the book, are wonderful. I am sorry there is not a cast recording yet, although it is being reported that one will be made after the show’s Broadway debut. This is an energetic, lively production. The choreography by Sergio Trujillo is flagrantly sexy; it is everything my mother warned me against and it is irresistible.

“Memphis” runs through Feb. 15, not much time to get tickets, but definitely worth it - this show is Broadway bound. Tickets $22-$81, available by calling (888) 5TH-4TIX (584-4849), visiting www.5thavenue.org, or in person at the box office at 1308 Fifth Ave. in Seattle.