Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at TheatreZone

TheatreZone's production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, directed by Mark Danni, is based on an iconic night in rock-and-roll history in which Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis came together for a jam session. The four of them comprise the "Million Dollar Quartet" that occurred that 1956 night. 

This is such a fun show that features many popular songs by these 4 iconic artists, such as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Great Balls of Fire," "Hound Dog," and many more. 

The cast includes Jim Ballard as Sam Phillips, Chris Dieman as Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam C. Jones as Carl Perkins, Jesse Plourde as Elvis Presley, Cody Taylor as Johnny Cash, and Jennifer Wingerter as Dyanne, along with Scott Crawford as Fluke (drums) and Hunter Dahlen as Jay (bass). I think each did a good job with these roles, and they all were wonderful singers. Music Director Sam C. Jones (who also starred as Carl Perkins) did a lovely job with the music in this production.

I appreciated the way TheatreZone staged the show - their stage is not too large, so they had to get creative with their use of space. Scenic Designer Startlet Jacobs did a great job with this, as did Karen Molnar, who was the Assistant Director and also did Musical Staging.  All of the creative team members did great work in bringing this production to their stage.

This is the third production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET I have seen, and it's always a fun show. The audience loved this production, and the cast was so evidently having fun, which makes it even more enjoyable to watch. I did find it a bit awkward at the end when they all took a bow, then sang a few more songs, then took another bow, and then did another encore. The audience kept going back and forth between standing and sitting, which was confusing for many of them. As a whole, it was still fun to see. This show does have a little bit of a plot, with some conflict, which I really enjoy. 

TheatreZone's run of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is sold out, but I recommend checking out their upcoming work. For more information and for tickets, click the link below.

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