Review: RING OF FIRE - THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH indulges fans, demonstrates essence of Cash

I'm Johnny Cash...

A recording of the late singer's voice rang out to kick off the perfornance in the small and intimate Studio Theater 2 of the Riffe Theater on Thursday Night. The five cast members then followed up one by one with same statement, "I'm Johnny Cash."

For the closer of CATCO's 31st season, "Ring of Fire - The Music of Johnny Cash," no one person portrayed the singer. In fact, none of the cast members had Cash's distinct deep and raspy voice. Instead, they aimed to capture the essence of his music.

Rather than tell Cash's story more specifically, the play utilized short and general ancedotes to introduce the songs, which could be lost on those unfamiliar with Cash's life story. But the larger themes of Cash's life including hard work and economic struggles as a young person, and struggling with relationships and drugs as an adult shone through. Even still, there were still plenty of lighthearted moments to offset the seriousness of some of the subjects, especially in the songs "Dirty Old...Dog," and using "Delia's Gone" to refer to a cow.

The play definitely catered most to Cash's superfans, as it attracted an audience with the majority in his generation. One would have to be a big fan of Cash's to recognize all 30 plus songs used in the play, which spanned his entire career and dug deep into his song catalog. Still, even if unfamiliar with the music, attendees could appreciate the live musicianship of the cast, with each playing multiple instruments including double bass, banjo, piano, guitar and even washboard and spoons. And there's a good chance everyone would know at least one of Cash's songs, even if only "Ring of Fire" and "Walk the Line."

One of the shining moments of the play was the performance of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken," which started out a capella and then transitioned into an upbeat toe-tapping version. The play was well suited to the venue, as the intricacies in the music were able to stand out more.

The sole female castmember Amy Fritsche was a stand-out in the cast with her effortless singing and cheerful and engaging stage presence. All of the cast members were clearly enjoying themselves, inviting the audience in to their "jam session." Overall, each cast member got to have an equal portion of the songs presented, giving them a chance to display their musicianship and singing voices.

The audience responded positively, often ensuing in head-nodding, toe-tapping and some clapping. By popular demand, Catco has added four extra shows from June 23-26.

If you simply couldn't get enough of the show, it will be continued at Kent State University-based Porthouse Theatre, who put together this show in collaboration with CATCO, on July 7-23.

It could be seen as a weakness that none of the cast members sounded like Cash, but it ended up being a strength that the play did not strive to imitate exactly what Cash did.

In the end, "Ring of Fire - The Music of Johnny Cash" was able to capture the essence of Cash without trying to exactly impersonate him. Furthermore, It shows that there is still a place for the persona and musical contributions of the artist, even 12 years since he's been gone.

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