Million Dollar Quartet (musical)
Encyclopedia
Million Dollar Quartet is a jukebox musical
written by Floyd Mutrux
and Colin Escott. It dramatizes the Million Dollar Quartet
recording session of December 4, 1956, among early Rock and roll
stars Elvis Presley
, Johnny Cash
and Carl Perkins
, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis
. The musical opened on Broadway
in 2010, after several tryouts and regional productions, and spawned a 2011 West End
production.
's Seaside Music Theatre in 2006 and was then staged at the Village Theatre
in Issaquah, Washington
in September through October 2007, and Everett, Washington
, in January 2008, breaking box office records.
, opening on September 27, 2008. Mutrux co-directed the Chicago production with Eric D. Schaeffer
, Artistic Director of Virginia
's Signature Theatre. The show transferred to Chicago's Apollo Theater
where it opened on October 31, 2008, and is still running.
production premiered at the Nederlander Theatre
on April 11, 2010, with a cast featuring Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley
, Lance Guest
as Johnny Cash
, Levi Kreis
as Jerry Lee Lewis
, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins
and Hunter Foster
as Sam Phillips
. The Broadway cast also included Elizabeth Stanley as "Dyanne", who in the show accompanies Elvis Presley to the Sun Records studio and sings "Fever
" and "I Hear You Knocking
," as well as provides back-up vocals. Again directed by Eric Schaeffer, the scenic design is by Derek McLane
, costume design is by Jane Greenwood
, and lighting design by Howell Binkley
.
The musical was nominated for three 2010 Tony Awards
: Best Musical
, Best Book of a Musical
and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
for Levi Kreis. Kreis won the award for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis.
The original cast recording
was released in 2010.
The musical closed on June 12, 2011 after having played 489 performances and 34 previews. The production opened Off-Broadway
at the New World Stages
in July 2011.
at the Noël Coward Theatre
on February 28, 2011, with previews from February 8.
The original cast featured Bill Ward
as Sam Phillips, Ben Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis, Derek Hagen as Johnny Cash, Francesca Jackson
as Dyanne, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, and Michael Malarkey as Elvis Presley. This production is again directed by Schaeffer with orchestrations and arrangements by Chuck Mead.
The show will close in London on January 14, 2012. It had previously been booking to October 27, 2012.
in July 2011. The show had struggled at the box office in final months of the Broadway production, taking in $242,786 out of a potential $1,109,700 and playing to 36.76% of capacity for the week ending June 5, 2011. The cast for Million Dollar Quartet at New World Stages
features David Abeles (Jerry Lee Lewis), Eddie Clendening (Elvis Presley), Lance Guest
(Johnny Cash), Robert Britton Lyons (Carl Perkins), Victoria Matlock
(Dyanne), and James Moye (Sam Phillips).
national tour of the musical began in October 2011 at the Palace Theater at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio
. The tour cast features Derek Keeling as Johnny Cash, Cody Slaughter as Elvis Presley, Martin Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis, Lee Ferris as Carl Perkins, Christopher Ryan Grant as Sam Phillips, and Kelly Lamont as Dyanne. The national tour will hit Appleton Fox Cities
, Portland
, Miami
, Houston
, Indianapolis
, Memphis
, Las Vegas
, Los Angeles
, Tempe
, Salt Lake City, Seattle
, San Jose
, and many more.
.
Established performer Carl Perkins was to record songs with a new performer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley stops by the studio along with his girlfriend, a singer named Dyanne (at the real session, Elvis' girlfriend was a dancer named Marilyn).. Johnny Cash has stopped by to talk to recording impresario Sam Philips. They soon have a jam session together. Philips attempts to sign Johnny Cash to a contract, unaware he has already signed elsewhere. Typically, as a member from the Quartet enters for the first time, he sings a verse of one of his most famous songs, followed by an onstage freeze of all actors. During this time Sam Philips relates to the audience how he first discovered the boy, and a brief, few line scene of that moment occurs between Philips and the musician, followed by Sam Phillips asking the boy to play something for him, which is the next verse of the song, and everyone unfreezes.
on June 23, 2010, Jerry Lee Lewis
on September 10, 2010, Lesley Gore
on October 28, 2010, and Ray Benson
on November 16, 2010.
The New York Times reviewer wrote that "There’s a lot to like about this relatively scrappy variation on a familiar theme. “Million Dollar Quartet” has a pleasing modesty, taking place as it does on a single afternoon, Dec. 4, 1956, in the rattletrap recording studio of Sun Records in Memphis...The actors portraying these pioneers...don’t just play the roles but play the music too. Gifted musicians and likable performers, they tackle with no apparent discomfort the unenviable chore of impersonating some of the most revered names in pop music, from their slick pompadours right down to their frisky, agile fingertips."
In a summary of the Broadway reviews, the Back Stage
reviewer noted: "When the curtain call is the most exciting part of a show, it's definitely a problem. Such is the case with "Million Dollar Quartet," the latest attempt to turn pop nostalgia into Broadway box-office gold." The New York Magazine reviewer commented "The actors—all four of them crackerjack singers and musicians—distill the essence of their real-life counterparts without succumbing to excessive caricature."
Audiences felt that the show was "fun and upbeat" but that it was "little more than a dinner theatre-level entry designed to fill time." One audience member noted that they were "partially impressed with the librettist's ability to turn this conceit into an actual story" although the introductions to some of the songs were "mostly groan-worthy."
Jukebox musical
A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
written by Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux
Floyd Mutrux is an American stage and film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter.- Career :He began his work in Hollywood as an uncredited writer for Two-Lane Blacktop...
and Colin Escott. It dramatizes the Million Dollar Quartet
Million Dollar Quartet
"Million Dollar Quartet" is the name given to recordings made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. The recordings were of an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash. It was arguably the first...
recording session of December 4, 1956, among early Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
stars Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
and Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
. The musical opened on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2010, after several tryouts and regional productions, and spawned a 2011 West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production.
Florida and Washington (2006-2008)
The musical premiered at FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Seaside Music Theatre in 2006 and was then staged at the Village Theatre
Village Theatre
Village Theatre is a 5013 non-profit professional producing musical theatre company founded in 1979. Village Theatre is based out of Issaquah and Everett, Washington, both near Seattle...
in Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah, Washington
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 30,434 at the 2010 census.Based on per capita income, Issaquah ranks 25th of 522 areas in the State of Washington to be ranked....
in September through October 2007, and Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
, in January 2008, breaking box office records.
Chicago (2008-)
The musical had a limited run at Chicago's Goodman TheatreGoodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
, opening on September 27, 2008. Mutrux co-directed the Chicago production with Eric D. Schaeffer
Eric D. Schaeffer
Eric D. Schaeffer is a theater director and producer based in Arlington, Virginia.He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Signature Theatre., and is well known nationally for his re-invention of large American musicals for small black box venues...
, Artistic Director of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's Signature Theatre. The show transferred to Chicago's Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater Chicago
The Apollo Theater Chicago was built in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in 1978. Located at 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., the Apollo has 440 seats and a lobby featuring art exhibits and a full bar...
where it opened on October 31, 2008, and is still running.
Broadway (2010-2011)
The BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production premiered at the Nederlander Theatre
Nederlander Theatre
David T. Nederlander Theatre is a 1,232-seat Broadway theatre located at 208 West 41st Street, in New York City . One of the Nederlander Organization's nine Broadway theatres, the legacy of the theatre began with David Tobias Nederlander, for whom the theatre is named.Built by Walter C...
on April 11, 2010, with a cast featuring Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Lance Guest
Lance Guest
Lance R. Guest is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Guest developed a serious interest in acting in the ninth grade, and he majored in theater while attending UCLA. He has starred in many theatrical films including his role as Jimmy alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween...
as Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Levi Kreis
Levi Kreis
Levi Kreis is an American recording artist and actor from Oliver Springs, Tennessee.-Music career:His debut album was released on November 17, 2005, accompanied by an appearance on a special XM radio edition of NBC's The Apprentice. Four hopefuls were chosen from thousands of submissions...
as Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
and Hunter Foster
Hunter Foster
Hunter Foster is an American musical theatre actor/singer, librettist and playwright.-Early life:Foster was born in Lumberton, North Carolina, but raised in Augusta, Georgia and Troy, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Studies from the University of Michigan in 1992...
as Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
. The Broadway cast also included Elizabeth Stanley as "Dyanne", who in the show accompanies Elvis Presley to the Sun Records studio and sings "Fever
Fever (1956 song)
"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
" and "I Hear You Knocking
I Hear You Knocking
"I Hear You Knocking" is a popular rhythm and blues song with emphatic syncopation, written by Dave Bartholomew and Pearl King and published in 1955. The original recording was made by Smiley Lewis, reaching #2 on the Billboard R&B singles chart.The lyrics concern a former lover whose knocking at...
," as well as provides back-up vocals. Again directed by Eric Schaeffer, the scenic design is by Derek McLane
Derek McLane
Derek McLane is an American set designer for theatre, opera, and musical theatre). He graduated with a BA from Harvard College and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama....
, costume design is by Jane Greenwood
Jane Greenwood
Jane Greenwood is a costume designer for the stage, television, film, opera, and dance. Born in Liverpool, England, she works both in England and the United States. She has been nominated for the Tony Award for costume design seventeen times.-Biography:Greenwood attended Liverpool Art School and...
, and lighting design by Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley
Howell Binkley is a professional lighting designer in New York City. He received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a musical for Jersey Boys....
.
The musical was nominated for three 2010 Tony Awards
64th Tony Awards
The 64th Annual Tony Awards took place on Sunday, June 13, 2010, held again at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The host was Sean Hayes. These awards recognize Broadway productions during the 2009–2010 season. The cut off-date for Tony eligibility was April 29, 2010, and the nominations...
: Best Musical
Tony Award for Best Musical
This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack...
, Best Book of a Musical
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible...
and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947...
for Levi Kreis. Kreis won the award for Best Featured Actor for his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis.
The original cast recording
Cast recording
A cast recording is a recording of a musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast...
was released in 2010.
The musical closed on June 12, 2011 after having played 489 performances and 34 previews. The production opened Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
at the New World Stages
New World Stages
New World Stages, originally Dodger Stages, is an Off-Broadway venue. The architects were Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova.It is currently home to 6 shows:* Rent...
in July 2011.
West End (2011-2012)
Million Dollar Quartet: The Musical opened in the West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Noël Coward Theatre
Noël Coward Theatre
The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre on St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's Theatre which was completed in 1899. The building was designed by...
on February 28, 2011, with previews from February 8.
The original cast featured Bill Ward
Bill Ward (actor)
Bill Ward is an English actor who played Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street.-Biography:He completed a degree in History at Bristol University. He is a former advertising executive. After Coronation Street, he had a role in the ITV series Cold Blood with Pauline Quirke...
as Sam Phillips, Ben Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis, Derek Hagen as Johnny Cash, Francesca Jackson
Francesca Jackson
Francesca Jackson is a musical theatre actress. She took part in the Reality television show I'd Do Anything and lost out the role of Nancy to Jodie Prenger.-Background:...
as Dyanne, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, and Michael Malarkey as Elvis Presley. This production is again directed by Schaeffer with orchestrations and arrangements by Chuck Mead.
The show will close in London on January 14, 2012. It had previously been booking to October 27, 2012.
Off-Broadway (2011-)
The musical transfered to New World StagesNew World Stages
New World Stages, originally Dodger Stages, is an Off-Broadway venue. The architects were Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova.It is currently home to 6 shows:* Rent...
in July 2011. The show had struggled at the box office in final months of the Broadway production, taking in $242,786 out of a potential $1,109,700 and playing to 36.76% of capacity for the week ending June 5, 2011. The cast for Million Dollar Quartet at New World Stages
New World Stages
New World Stages, originally Dodger Stages, is an Off-Broadway venue. The architects were Beyer, Blinder, and Belle. The theatre designers were Sachs Morgan, and the interior designer was Klara Zieglerova.It is currently home to 6 shows:* Rent...
features David Abeles (Jerry Lee Lewis), Eddie Clendening (Elvis Presley), Lance Guest
Lance Guest
Lance R. Guest is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Guest developed a serious interest in acting in the ninth grade, and he majored in theater while attending UCLA. He has starred in many theatrical films including his role as Jimmy alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween...
(Johnny Cash), Robert Britton Lyons (Carl Perkins), Victoria Matlock
Victoria Matlock
Victoria Matlock is an American musical theatre actress. She appeared in the Broadway production of Million Dollar Quartet in the role of Dyanne..She has been involved in several regional theatre productions including Godspell and The Sound of Music...
(Dyanne), and James Moye (Sam Phillips).
U.S. tour (2011-)
A United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national tour of the musical began in October 2011 at the Palace Theater at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The tour cast features Derek Keeling as Johnny Cash, Cody Slaughter as Elvis Presley, Martin Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis, Lee Ferris as Carl Perkins, Christopher Ryan Grant as Sam Phillips, and Kelly Lamont as Dyanne. The national tour will hit Appleton Fox Cities
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Miami
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...
, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, Salt Lake City, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, and many more.
Synopsis
On December 4, 1956, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley assemble at the Sun Record recording studio in Memphis, TennesseeMemphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.
Established performer Carl Perkins was to record songs with a new performer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley stops by the studio along with his girlfriend, a singer named Dyanne (at the real session, Elvis' girlfriend was a dancer named Marilyn).. Johnny Cash has stopped by to talk to recording impresario Sam Philips. They soon have a jam session together. Philips attempts to sign Johnny Cash to a contract, unaware he has already signed elsewhere. Typically, as a member from the Quartet enters for the first time, he sings a verse of one of his most famous songs, followed by an onstage freeze of all actors. During this time Sam Philips relates to the audience how he first discovered the boy, and a brief, few line scene of that moment occurs between Philips and the musician, followed by Sam Phillips asking the boy to play something for him, which is the next verse of the song, and everyone unfreezes.
Musical numbers
- Blue Suede ShoesBlue Suede Shoes"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
(Music and Lyrics By Carl L. Perkins) – Company - Real Wild Child (Music and Lyrics By John O'Keefe, John Greenan and Dave Owens) – Jerry Lee Lewis
- MatchboxMatchbox (song)"Matchbox" is a rock and roll and rockabilly song written by Carl Perkins and first recorded by him at Sun Records in December 1956 and released on February 11, 1957 as a 45 single on Sun Records. It has become one of Perkins' best-known recordings...
(Music and Lyrics By Carl L. Perkins) – Carl Perkins - Who Do You Love?Who Do You Love?"Who Do You Love?" is a song written and recorded in 1956 by Bo Diddley. The record features Jody Williams, then a member of Bo Diddley's band, on lead guitar.-Legacy:...
(Music and Lyrics By Ellas McDaniel) – Carl Perkins - Folsom Prison BluesFolsom Prison Blues"Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career...
(Music and Lyrics By John R. Cash) – Johnny Cash - Fever (Music and Lyrics By Eddie Cooley and Johnny Davenport) – Dyanne
- Memories Are Made of ThisMemories Are Made of This"Memories Are Made of This" is a popular song written by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr, and Frank Miller in 1955.-History:The most popular version of the song was recorded by Dean Martin. It reached #1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks in 1956, and became his biggest hit...
(Music and Lyrics By Terry Gilkyson,Richard Dehr and Frank Miller) – Elvis Presley - That's All Right (Music and Lyrics By Arthur Crudup) – Elvis Presley
- Brown Eyed Handsome ManBrown Eyed Handsome Man"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song by Chuck Berry, which was originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side to "Too Much Monkey Business". It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album After School Session...
(Music and Lyrics By Chuck Berry) – Company - Down by the RiversideDown by the Riverside"Down by the Riverside" is a traditional gospel song. It was first published in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag and there are at least 14 black gospel recordings before World War II."Down by the Riverside" has a long history and was known in Civil War times. It was sung by blacks...
– Company - Sixteen TonsSixteen Tons"Sixteen Tons" is a song about the life of a coal miner, first recorded in 1946 by American country singer Merle Travis and released on his box set album Folk Songs of the Hills the following year...
(Music and Lyrics By Merle Travis) – Johnny Cash - My BabeMy Babe"My Babe" is a blues song and a blues standard written by Willie Dixon for Little Walter. Released in 1955 on Checker Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, the song was the only Dixon composition ever to become a no...
(Music and Lyrics By Willie Dixon) – Carl Perkins - Long Tall SallyLong Tall Sally"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman , recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label....
(Music and Lyrics By Robert Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman) – Elvis Presley - Peace in the ValleyPeace in the Valley"Peace in the Valley" is a 1937 song written by Thomas A. Dorsey, originally for Mahalia Jackson. The song became a hit in 1951 for Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys, reaching No. 7 on the Country & Western Best Seller chart. It was among the first gospel recordings to sell one million copies...
(Music and Lyrics By Thomas A. Dorsey) – Company - I Walk the LineI Walk the Line"I Walk the Line" is a song written by Johnny Cash and recorded in 1956. It was performed with the help of Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, two mechanics that his brother introduced him to following his discharge from the Air Force. Cash and his wife, Vivian, were living in Memphis, Tennessee,...
(Music and Lyrics By John R. Cash) – Johnny Cash - I Hear You Knockin (Music and Lyrics By Dave Bartholomewand Pearl King) – Dyanne
- Party (Music and Lyrics By Jessie Mae Robinson) – Carl Perkins and Company
- Great Balls of FireGreat Balls of Fire"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer...
(Music and Lyrics By Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer) – Jerry Lee Lewis - Down by the Riverside (Reprise) – Company
- Hound DogHound Dog (song)"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
(Music and Lyrics By Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller) – Elvis Presley - Ghost Riders (Music and Lyrics By Stan Jones) – Johnny Cash
- See You Later AlligatorSee You Later Alligator"See You Later, Alligator" is the title of an iconic rock and roll song of the 1950s.Originally entitled "Later Alligator", the song, based on a 12-bar blues chord structure , was written by Louisiana songwriter Robert Charles Guidry and first recorded by him under his professional name "Bobby...
(Music and Lyrics By Robert Guidry) – Carl Perkins - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Music and Lyrics By Curly Williams) – Jerry Lee Lewis
Notable celebrity performers
Several notable performers have joined the cast of the show for the encore, including: Melissa EtheridgeMelissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
on June 23, 2010, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
on September 10, 2010, Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in...
on October 28, 2010, and Ray Benson
Ray Benson
Ray Benson is the front man of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel.In 1970, Benson, a Jewish native of Philadelphia, formed Asleep at the Wheel with friends Lucky Oceans and Leroy Preston. The group relocated to Austin in 1973 after a suggestion from Willie Nelson .Since then, the group has...
on November 16, 2010.
Reception
Million Dollar Quartet received mixed reviews from critics (the average grade of 28 major reviews was a "B").The New York Times reviewer wrote that "There’s a lot to like about this relatively scrappy variation on a familiar theme. “Million Dollar Quartet” has a pleasing modesty, taking place as it does on a single afternoon, Dec. 4, 1956, in the rattletrap recording studio of Sun Records in Memphis...The actors portraying these pioneers...don’t just play the roles but play the music too. Gifted musicians and likable performers, they tackle with no apparent discomfort the unenviable chore of impersonating some of the most revered names in pop music, from their slick pompadours right down to their frisky, agile fingertips."
In a summary of the Broadway reviews, the Back Stage
Back Stage
Back Stage is an entertainment-industry brand aimed at people working in film and the performing arts, with a special focus on casting, job opportunities, and career advice.Back Stage publishes a weekly tabloid-sized trade magazine in the U.S...
reviewer noted: "When the curtain call is the most exciting part of a show, it's definitely a problem. Such is the case with "Million Dollar Quartet," the latest attempt to turn pop nostalgia into Broadway box-office gold." The New York Magazine reviewer commented "The actors—all four of them crackerjack singers and musicians—distill the essence of their real-life counterparts without succumbing to excessive caricature."
Audiences felt that the show was "fun and upbeat" but that it was "little more than a dinner theatre-level entry designed to fill time." One audience member noted that they were "partially impressed with the librettist's ability to turn this conceit into an actual story" although the introductions to some of the songs were "mostly groan-worthy."
Original Broadway production
| Year | Award Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Drama Desk Award Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category... |
Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since. Before the 21st Drama Desk Awards, acting awards were given without making distinctions between roles in straight dramas as opposed to musicals, nor were there... |
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| Drama League Award Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1935, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing... |
Distinguished Production of a Musical | |||
| Distinguished Performance | Levi Kreis Levi Kreis Levi Kreis is an American recording artist and actor from Oliver Springs, Tennessee.-Music career:His debut album was released on November 17, 2005, accompanied by an appearance on a special XM radio edition of NBC's The Apprentice. Four hopefuls were chosen from thousands of submissions... |
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| Lance Guest Lance Guest Lance R. Guest is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Guest developed a serious interest in acting in the ninth grade, and he majored in theater while attending UCLA. He has starred in many theatrical films including his role as Jimmy alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween... |
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| Outer Critics Circle Award Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets... |
Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Levi Kreis Levi Kreis Levi Kreis is an American recording artist and actor from Oliver Springs, Tennessee.-Music career:His debut album was released on November 17, 2005, accompanied by an appearance on a special XM radio edition of NBC's The Apprentice. Four hopefuls were chosen from thousands of submissions... |
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| Tony Award Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway... |
Best Musical Tony Award for Best Musical This is a list of winners and nominations for the Tony Award for Best Musical, first awarded in 1949. This award is presented to the producers of the musical.-1940s:* 1949: Kiss Me, Kate – Music and lyrics by Cole Porter, book by Samuel and Bella Spewack... |
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| Best Book of a Musical Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical The Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical is awarded to librettists of the spoken, non-sung dialogue, and storyline of a musical play. Eligibility is restricted to works with original narrative framework; plotless revues and revivals are ineligible... |
Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux Floyd Mutrux Floyd Mutrux is an American stage and film director, writer, producer, and screenwriter.- Career :He began his work in Hollywood as an uncredited writer for Two-Lane Blacktop... |
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| Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical. The award has been presented since 1947... |
Levi Kreis Levi Kreis Levi Kreis is an American recording artist and actor from Oliver Springs, Tennessee.-Music career:His debut album was released on November 17, 2005, accompanied by an appearance on a special XM radio edition of NBC's The Apprentice. Four hopefuls were chosen from thousands of submissions... |
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