Million Dollar Quartet is a rollicking, tuneful jukebox musical. The show, receiving a well-played production at Playhouse on Park, features actors/musicians portraying four legendary rock ‘n roll pioneers at the dawn of the rock era. Based on a true snapshot in history, the foursome - Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins – gathered for an evening at the renowned Sun Records. With specifics about the get-together sparse, book writers Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux are afforded creative license in crafting a story with some dramatic tension, but, more importantly, a show that incorporates almost two-dozen hit songs associated with each individual.
The cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Meredith Longo.
Director Alessandro Gian Viviano effectively shepherds the acting ensemble between the good-humored banter and artistic flare-ups with the high-powered tunes. The thrust of Million Dollar Quartet is the music, and the goal for the director is to move the dialogue-laden scenes as swiftly, but not hurriedly, as possible. Viviano accomplishes this requisite with a sure and straightforward hand.
Brian Steinberg (Elvis) and the cast of Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Meredith Longo.
The plot, as stated, brings the four musicians to Sun Studio at the behest of owner Sam Phillips, played by John Elliott, with a combined ebullience and simmering intensity. The Scenic Design by Suzu Sakai aptly renders a second-rate recording studio, which is fitting for what Phillips terms a former auto parts store. The actor continually shifts from narrator to the character of Phillips throughout the show. One by one, each of the four artists enters the studio. In between songs, as soloists and as a quartet, we learn their back story of how they were discovered and signed to the Sun label. Money, loyalty, and friendship are the forces that drive the show beyond the music. The fictionalized accounts provide a satisfying, appealing linear structure to the musical, which ends, at first, with a rancorous confrontation, and then concludes with an amicable rapprochement among the five main players.
Chris Coffey (Jerry Lee Lewis) in Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Meredith Longo.
The four actors/musicians tackle their respective characters with self-confidence and a swaggering temperament. Chris Coffey’s portrayal of Carl Perkins is tinged with melancholy, bitterness, but also an exuberance for making rock ‘n roll. Kendall McShane has the quiet demeanor and deep singing voice to render a very credible Johnny Cash. Brian Steinberg layers his Elvis with vulnerability and high-powered performances. Jerry Lee Lewis, the wild man of rock ‘n roll, is the centerpiece of Million Dollar Quartet. With his non-stop wagging of the tongue to his outrageous antics, banging away on the piano, the role is a crowd favorite. Alex Burnette, who has played the character in numerous productions of the show, does not disappoint.
Chris Coffey (Jerry Lee Lewis) and Paloma D'Auria (Dyann) in Million Dollar Quartet. Photo by Meredith Longo.
Adding rhythm lines to the songs, along with the occasional wisecracks, are Jeffrey Kelly as drummer W.S. Holland, and Joey Nuhfer as bassist Jay Perkins. I was very impressed with the performance of Paloma D’Auria as Elvis’ girlfriend Dyanne. Even though the character has a couple of solo numbers and interacts with the others throughout the show, the role can come across as an afterthought. In Ms. D’Auria’s performance, she brings a vibrancy that more than stands up to the Quartet, without shifting the focus too much on her role.
As with any jukebox musical, the show isn’t concluded until the encore finale. Here, the entire acting ensemble delivers full-throttled entertainment under the glittering, multi-colored lighting provided by Lighting Designer Kyle Stamm.
Million Dollar Quartet, at Playhouse on Park through October 19. Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.
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