Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at NCPA- The Best of Broadway Comes to Mumbai

The mesmerizing NCPA venue, the holiday season, the best of rock and roll and Broadway put together- surely makes for a million dollar quartet. This Christmas, Mumbai was host to a touring Broadway production of the Million Dollar Quartet, written and created by Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux and Ian Talbot. India's fascination for the west and its long withstanding history of rock and roll were optimized to the maximum as full house weekends and roaring crowds embraced the musical.

The obvious fascination for that one mysterious night that supposedly brought together the giants of American rockabilly- Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, finds the most entertaining exhibit in the two hours of this jukebox narration. A young band of frivolous musicians unconsciously create a genre of their own amidst giant ego clashes, artistic temptations, monetary cacophony and the lure of young love- all bound by the strength of their epicenter- Sam Phillips. The story is that of a Memphis record label that gave birth to idols and created music unlike any other, a story fed with liberal doses of music that'll put you off your seat.

This one's a crowd-pleaser and it does so unabashedly. It takes and builds from everything that fascinates the retro enthusiast, the making of a great album being a loud enough plot center. What's more, a young Presley (Rhys Whitfield) is seen with the entirety of everything that was speculated about him; from his romances to his Hollywood endeavors, grinding against the mike in his full glory, punctuated by other legendary musicians of his time- there is singing and dancing and recklessness- lots of it.

Jerry Lee Lewis (Martin Kaye) at the keys with his abandoned likability becomes the ultimate gag character and augments it. The creators invest in creating a Dyanne that matches the musical charisma of the men with her vivid presence in Presley's life and decisions.??

Tracks "Down by the Riverside" and "Blue Suede Shoes" are among the other country and rock hits in the composite soundtrack of 20 songs, all performed with delicate imitation and innovation. Presley stands out, as he is intended to, amidst the raw and competitive Perkins. Jerry Lee Lewis takes all the artistic license there is to create a zesty presence, welcomed by an encore till the very end. The Broadway proscenium and the ever present fog add to the charm as even the corniest, laziest of Mumbai rise and shake a leg. It's as if Sam's speaking to the crowds when he diligently gets Presley to "sing like he'd sing to Jesus". The men arguing with their cigarettes, a dancing Dyanne on top of the piano- all only add to the crazy climax, one devoid of resolution or any promise of the greatness that was to follow the lives of the nonchalant million dollar quartet. The play is temporal, momentary and celebrates uncertainty just like that December night of '56 when the four met and in its effect, the play is allegorical of the triumphant impact the night had on music. Its warm reception only goes on to show that we, the preoccupied urban trash, need to rock and roll once in a while.