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| National Tour of Million Dollar Quartet. |
Million Dollar Quartet
Book by Colin Escott and Floyd
Mutrux
Original Concept and Direction by
Floyd Mutrux
Directed by Eric Schaeffer
Reviewed by Rachel White
Entire contents are copyright © 2013 Rachel White. All rights reserved.
Million Dollar Quartet is the latest
rock musical to appear at The Kentucky Center's Whitney Hall. It’s told from the
perspective of producer Sam Phillips (Vince Nappo) who, incredibly, brought
Jerry Lee Lewis (Ben Goddard), Elvis (Cody Slaughter), Johnny Cash (David
Elkins) and Carl Perkins (James Barry) together in his studio at Sun Records in
1956. What followed was a history-making rockabilly jam session.
The actors actually play
instruments in this one. Yeah, they do, and it’s quite thrilling! The theatricality is heightened
exponentially when Jerry Lee’s hands go ripping down the piano keys. I can
understand why he became famous, as there is something mesmerizing about that
style of playing, like he’s just on the brink of barely losing control. It’s exciting.
It left me wondering where the man came up with all those piano gimmicks. He
must have been absolutely insane.
As the play begins, Phillips is
recording Carl Perkins, trying to get him a new hit. When Jerry lets it rip on
Perkins’ recording, playing with his feet and knees, the gloves start to come
off. Then, of course Johnny Cash shows up, and then Elvis. Elvis is in the
throes of stardom, and Johnny’s career has just begun to take off in earnest.
This show was clearly created as a
vehicle for the hit music ("Blue Suede
Shoes," "That’s Alright"), and it fits
in well within the recent jukebox musical tradition. The dialogue and story are
secondary. In the case of this show, the writers execute the plot rather
halfheartedly. It’s kind of a shame that the plot is so scrappy, because the
personalities in question are so fascinating and to see them all together in a
more realistic way would have been really interesting. Still, there is an
attempt to represent the stoic Johnny, the over-the-top Jerry Lee, and the
melancholy yet charming Elvis – all poor Southern boys, all struggling to keep
steady in the face of wild success.
The music and musicianship in this
show is fantastic, and there is a lot of flash to keep the audience’s
attention. You can hear why these songs were hits; they have a pull, an energy; songs like "Real
Wild Child" make you want to move.
The singers are believable,
particularly Cody Slaughter, who looked and sounded remarkably like Elvis without turning the role into an impersonation. Elkins as Johnny Cash was a
good sell too. He got Cash’s deep rough bass voice. In songs like "Walk the Line" and "Folsom Prison Blues" Elkins found the right timber. As a trained
singer, though, his voice is far more polished than Johnny’s, and you miss the
rough edge a little.
At one point Samuel Phillips notes
regrettably that he wished these men had experienced more happiness in their
lives. That theme could have been pulled through the script a little
more carefully, as it is the sad reality for many young singers.
Million Dollar Quartet is a fun flashy
show and a great night out for people who love rock music – and the era when it
all began.
Million Dollar Quartet
Tuesday, February 12 - Sunday,
February 17, 2013
PNC Broadway in Louisville
The Kentucky Center for the Arts
Whitney Hall
501 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Tickets 1.800.775.777 or online
kentuckycenter.org
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