Just imagine the thrill of what it would be like to be a fly on the wall when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins had an impromptu jam session at the dawn of rock and roll.
Those enormous talents and personalities all together at a moment of revolution doing the thing that made them them, firing off “the devil’s music” back when it was dangerous and new.
Or, just get a ticket to “Million Dollar Quartet” at Saugatuck Center for the Arts and enjoy a close-up experience of the incredibly fateful day in December 1956 when those four budding musicians came together by chance in Memphis for what turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime historic event.
Directed with aplomb by Trey Compton with exceptional music direction by Chris Blisset (who also plays stand-up bass as Brother Jay on stage), this production brings together a phenomenal cast of actors who are all brilliant musicians who not only sing but play their instruments live, creating distinct characters effectively reminiscent of the men they portray physically, vocally, and energetically.
Several of these performers are reprising their roles from the 2016 SCA production of this show and their exceptional mastery of these characters and the material is profound though also feels fresh. Rather than a group of dead ringers for the long-gone stars, the cast members embody the spirit of each character and their unique plights.
Kyle Southern captures the gestures, physicality, and especially the sound of Elvis beautifully without ever slipping into caricature; Owen Harrison effortlessly hits those iconic bass notes and the timber of Johnny Cash as well as his look and almost bashful gentlemanliness; Jeremy Sevelovitz plays a killer rockabilly guitar as a righteously angry Carl Perkins; and James Scheider plays the boyishness, ebullience, and irritating cockiness of Jerry Lee Lewis as well as his acrobatic piano playing but with a confidence that doesn’t require the kind of over-the-top upstaging that often overwhelms performers in this role. He’s a knockout.
But this is a true ensemble that makes space also for the tremendous talents of Chris Blisset on bass and Alex Hamel on drums as well as Jennifer Brett as Dyanne, Elvis’s girlfriend, who brings needed femininity to the stage as well as smokin’ hot renditions of “Fever” and “I Hear You Knockin’”.
And in many ways the star of this show is Dan Fenaughty who is absolutely fantastic as Sun Records producer Sam Phillips, known as the “father of rock and roll”, who gave all these poor white boys their start because he saw something in them no one else did, and narrates this tale. Fenaughty plays Phillips like an evangelist and while he oozes Southern charm, he also communicates the central tension of the show with terrific strength: the industry is changing and he’s fighting for his life not to lose everything to the big labels who are stealing what he started.
This seismic shift mirrors that of rock and roll (and mid century American culture itself)—taken from an African American tradition and mashed up with hillbilly roots, it was repurposed as something wild and sexy for a population of agitated, moneyed white youth and sparked a revolution.
“Million Dollar Quartet” captures all that energy and makes it enjoyable as all get out—for those who lived through it as well as those who didn’t. Having premiered in 2006 with a Broadway opening in 2010, it has just enough storytelling and variation to link the beloved early rock songs in an engaging way that takes the show beyond a mere hit parade. Part jukebox musical, part fictionalized documentary—a history with narrative, and part intimate rock and roll concert with the energy of a big stadium show, there’s a little something for everyone.
And this production is technically spectacular. Tania Barrenechea’s set is beautiful and feels real, putting the audience in the recording studio with these guys but with a bird’s eye view of every detail, from the working clock and rotating tape in the recording booth to the exposed brick exteriors for intimate smoke-break conversations to the neon signs that capture place and time. It’s lit boldly by Jennifer Kules to show shifts in each song’s mood but also create the experience of a rock show. And Marley Boone’s costumes, from Elvis’s wide-leg purple pants to enhance his moves to Dyanne’s sexy red dress to Johnny Cash’s trademark black Western wear, perfectly enhance character as well as time and place.
The music includes recognizable hits such as “I Walk the Line,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “That’s Alright Mama,” and “Great Balls of Fire,” as well as beautiful renditions of lesser known country and gospel tunes, most notably “Peace in the Valley” with gorgeous harmonies, and a super-cool mash-up of “Sixteen Tons and My Babe”, creating a balanced set of highs and lows that reflect the mood of the background including each character’s humble beginnings, where they’re headed, and the ostensible fate of Sun Studios.
To book authors Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux’s credit, the show acknowledges not only the tensions between these musicians with a nod to their struggles in life beyond music and the under-appreciated historic role of Sam Phillips, but also hints at the ugly racist underbelly of rock and roll’s origins.
But “Million Dollar Quartet” is ultimately about putting on a thrilling show of feel good music played with tremendous skill and energy with just enough history and narrative to make it a story well worth telling.
And in this fine production there’s a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. Not just on stage, where there’s plenty of surprisingly fun choreography to complement the hits; but by the end of the show, the audience can’t help but spring to their feet to move and groove like it’s 1956.
Million Dollar Quartet
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Aug. 10-Sept. 1
https://sc4a.org/event/million-dollar/
