Million Dollar Quartet, the smash-hit musical with productions in Chicago, New York, London, and a national tour to start this fall, announces "Do You Have What It Takes?," an online casting contest to find musician/singer/actors for the roles of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. "Do You Have What It Takes?" will launch Tuesday, May 17 at www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com/casting.
The grand prize winner will receive roundtrip airfare to New York to audition for the Million Dollar Quartet team including a representative from Telsey + Co, the show's casting company. In addition, the winner will receive hotel accommodations at Flatotel, tickets to the Broadway production of Million Dollar Quartet, and other prizes.
Interested parties can submit video files of themselves performing one of the song titles listed on the Million Dollar Quartet original cast recording - smash hit singles include, "Blue Suede Shoes," "I Walk the Line," "Great Balls of Fire," "Hound Dog," and many more. A full song list from the cast recording can be found on www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com/casting. Era-inspired clothing is also encouraged for video submissions, but not required.
Voting and video submissions begin May 17, 2011 and end on July 1, 2011. Fans will be able to vote for their favorite video submission. The submission with the most votes at the end of the voting period will win the grand prize package. This winner will be announced on July 5, 2011.
For additional information, contest rules, prize packages and submission details please log onto www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com/casting.
The Chicago production of Million Dollar Quartet opened in 2008 and is still playing to packed houses at the Apollo Theatre. The Broadway production opened in spring 2010 and received a Tony nomination for Best Musical. A West End production opened winter 2011 to rave reviews and is currently playing at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. An upcoming national tour will launch this October in Cleveland.
On December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records' storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock and Roll," who discovered them all. The four young musicians united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording that has come to be known as one of the greatest rock jam sessions of all time.
Inspired by the actual event, Million Dollar Quartet features a treasure trove of the greatest rock and roll, gospel, R&B and country hits from these musicians, including such iconic songs as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Sixteen Tons," "Who Do You Love?," "Great Balls of Fire," "Riders in the Sky," "I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues," and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Million Dollar Quartet captures the infectious spirit, freewheeling excitement and thrilling sounds of a singular moment when four of the music industry's most extraordinary talents, all in their creative prime, came together for one of the most memorable nights in music history.
Million Dollar Quartet won a Tony Award and Outer Critics Circle Award and received Tony nominations for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical (Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux), a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Musical Revue and three Drama League nominations including Distinguished Production of a Musical and Distinguished Performance (Lance Guest).
Million Dollar Quartet is directed by Eric Schaeffer and features a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. The design team for Broadway includes: Derek McLane (scenic design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Kai Harada (sound design) and Chuck Mead (musical arrangements and supervision).
