Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at Casa Manana, Fort Worth TX

Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on a true story.  This award-winning production is a jukebox musical with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux.   It dramatizes the Million Dollar Quartet  recording session of December 4, 1956, among early rock and roll/country stars, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and new comer Jerry Lee Lewis. The musical opened on Broadway in 2010, after several tryouts and regional productions, and spawned a 2011 West End  production.

Fate brought these four together one day in a jam session like no other.  A recording session where a newspaper reporter happens to be present  dubbing the group “The Million Dollar Quartet” as he jokingly guessed what the combined salaries of these rocker would have been…and the  name stuck. Based around that historical event, the musical recounts how the legends ended up in the same room at Sun Records in Memphis for one of the greatest impromptu rock 'n' roll jam sessions in history. It brings to light the extraordinary story of broken promises, secrets, and the once-in-a-lifetime celebration of four friends that is both poignant and heartwarming. Featuring talented, charismatic actors and singers, relive the era with the show's incredible score of rock 'n' roll, gospel, R&B and country hits. Showcased hit songs include everything from "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Walk the Line" to "Ghost Riders"," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Fever," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog," and more.

Casa’s Million Dollar Quartet stars Matt Cusack as Johnny Cash, Taylor Isaac Gray as Jerry Lee Lewis, Armando Gutierrez as Carl Perkins and John Rochette as Elvis Presley. Additional cast includes Emmie Kivell as Dyanne, Bart Shatto as Sam Phillips, Jon Rossi as Fluke, Benjamin Taylor Brown as Jay Perkins and Travis Murad Leland as Understudy. Cast members in Million Dollar Quartet play their own instruments to bring these electrifying hits to life. There’s so much non-stop action, music, gyration and a bit of dancin’ & drinkin’ with a great mix of legendary songs…over 20 songs. Each actor adds his special touch of capturing the ‘real’ stars glory. Elvis is accompanied by his #1 squeeze Dyanne played seductively (of course), by Emmie Kivell, who can shimmy a song quite well! Radio host Sam Phillips played wonderfully by Broadway’s Bart Shatto, colors the plot nicely with his insight on ‘the boys’ as he tries to keep them in his corral of talent, well knowing they will likely rise to great things on their own. All in all, an entertaining 2 hours of amazing talent as each actor sings and plays his heart out.  

Million Dollar Quartet plays at Casa Manana through  Sept. 15. Tickets are available at the Casa Manana Theater Box Office, 3101 West Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth TX 76107  call 817.332.2272 or visit www.casamanana.org

Productions Photos by Nicki Behem

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