I'm sorry, "happy ending"? Anyone who has seen 'Memphis' knows that at heart, it is a tragedy, which is in fact, wholly appropriate and respectful to the subject matter.
The last rousing song is obviously there to give the main character a last, hopeful redemption for his past, well-intentioned misdeeds. And sure, it's a "pro rock-and-roll" song, because by the end of the musical, rock-and-roll as we know it is supposed to have been invented. We've watched it evolve from blues in the underground bar to the main stage. As Felicia spells out: "All rock-and-roll is, is Negro blues, sped up!"
And by the way, the fabulous chemistry between the two main leads is the main reason I liked this musical. Though a great presence, Montego Glover (Felicia) is not 'amazonian,' she is in fact, shorter than Chad Kimball (Huey); and the two DO make an odd couple, as it should be for the story line, but the great thing about it is that their relationship is so believable that everyone roots for them until the very end.

I wouldn't characterize the ending as "happy" (SPOILER) -

- Felicia leaves the increasingly out-of-control Dewey to head to NYC and eventual success, leaving him behind in Memphis to wallow in drunken, self-destructive obscurity until their "reunion" 15 years later - -

- so much as I would "hopeful", as the previous commenter observes. By the play's conclusion, we've jump-cut from the late 1950's to presumably the early 1970's, by which time mostly white created rock had all but supplanted both middle-of-the-road white-bread standards AND black R&B as the major musical force in American pop culture, leaving Dewey as little more than a broken down anachronism. His rapprochement with Felicia in the final scene is supposed to offer him some small measure of redemption, but instead it feels tacked-on, almost an afterthought, as though book writer Joe DiPietro ("I Love You. You're Perfect. Now, Change") simply ran out of story before reaching any sort of dramatic conclusion. But, as a denouement it's weak, although the musical finale does gives the ending a bit of punch along with providing a bridge from the play's past-to-present; while African American R&B may no longer be the dominant musical form, its influence on and contribution to the contemporary popular music of the era is undeniable.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one that thought James Monroe Iglehart stole the show.

I enjoyed the show immensely.

ddv

Going tomorrow - have a dozen friends who have seen it, all rave.

In sum, something is working very well for most audiences.

Paul, go back to sci-fi and horror video.

It is a hit. Flawed in places, so what?

A hit.

Saw the show tonight and loved it. The second act loses a little steam compared to the first, but overall this is a show that is going places.

And BTW why does every review of this musical state that David Bryan is 'formerly' of Bon Jovi? When did he leave? Peace out---