MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET to Raise the Curtain on Season 34 at Roxy Regional Theatre

On December 4, 1956, an extraordinary twist of fate brought music icons Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever.

This fall, the Roxy Regional Theatre offers a glimpse inside the recording studio on that legendary night with an unforgettable evening of red-hot rock 'n' roll hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Walk the Line," "Sixteen Tons," "Who Do You Love?," "Great Balls of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog" and more.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session, raises the curtain on Season 34 at the Roxy Regional Theatre on Friday, September 16, at 8pm.

Starring Stephen Shore as Johnny Cash, Marek Sapieyevski as Jerry Lee Lewis, Nick Abbott as Carl Perkins and Oliver Pierce as Elvis Presley, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET features Lawrence Lesher as Sam Phillips, Samantha Stoltzfus as Dyanne (loosely based on a short-term girlfriend of Elvis Presley who has since been identified as Marilyn Evans), Colin Mai as Brother Jay Perkins on bass, Bernard Lott as W.S. "Fluke" Holland on drums, and Thad Wallus on guitar.

Directed by Ryan Bowie and choreographed by Emily Rourke, with musical direction by Marek Sapieyevski, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET was written by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, and originally conceived and directed by Floyd Mutrux.

Considered a seminal moment in rock and roll history, the recording on which the musical is based was first released in Europe in 1981 as The Million Dollar Quartet, featuring seventeen tracks. A few years later, more tracks were discovered and released as The Complete Million Dollar Session, and, in 1990, the recordings were released in the United States as Elvis Presley: The Million Dollar Quartet.

Opening on Broadway in 2010, the Tony Award-winning musical has since spawned an upcoming American drama event television series of the same name, set to be broadcast on CMT in November 2016.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is made possible in part through the generous support of James G. Holleman. Additional funding support has been provided by Larry & Barbara Goolsby and Walter & Cindy Marczak.

Friday, September 16, is the theatre's traditional pay-what-you-can preview. All tickets not pre-sold at the regular ticket price will go on sale at 7:30pm that evening for a $5 minimum donation.

On Saturday, September 24, selections from MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET will be presented as part of GALA 34, the Roxy Regional Theatre's annual fall fundraiser.

Performances run September 16 through October 15 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00pm and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, with a 2:00pm matinee on Saturday, October 1

Tickets are $25 (adults) and $15 (ages 13 and under) and may be reserved online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org, by phone at (931) 645-7699, or at the theatre during regular box office hours (9:00am to 2:00pm, Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to curtain). Military, APSU students and CitySaver coupon holders can receive two tickets for the price of one to Wednesday and Thursday performances.

Photo (clockwise from top left): Stephen Shore, Marek Sapieyevski, Oliver Pierce and Nick Abbott star as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at the Roxy Regional Theatre.

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