MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET National Tour Stops in Providence at PPAC, Now thru 1/20

The national tour of the Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, inspired by the electrifying true story, will make its Providence premiere tonight, January 15 - 20, 2013 at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) as part of theTaco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series.

The international Tony Award Winning musical, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is set on December 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll" who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, brought the four legendary musicians together at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions in history.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring an eclectic score of rock, gospel, R&B and country hits including; "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Sixteen Tons," "Who Do You Love?," "Great Balls of Fire," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog," and more.

Portraying these icons are James Barry as Carl Perkins, David Elkins as Johnny Cash, Benjamin Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis, and Billy Woodward as Elvis Presley. Vince Nappo plays the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," Sam Phillips. The cast also features Kelly Lamont as Dyanne, and musicians Billy Shaffer (Fluke, drums), and Corey Kaiser (Jay Perkins, bass). Rounding out the company are: Katie Barton, Steve Benoit, Austin Cook, Scott Moreau, John Michael Presney, and David Sonneborn.

Benjamin Goddard is appearing with the permission of Actors' Equity Association. The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors' Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

The show is directed by Eric Schaeffer and features a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. The design team includes: Derek McLane (scenic design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Jane Greenwood (costume design),Kai Harada (sound design), and Chuck Mead (musical arrangements and supervision).

When the Broadway production opened in April 2010, critics and audiences leapt to their feet in unanimous praise. The New York Times called the show, "a buoyant new musical that whips the crowd into a frenzy," New York Magazine labeled it, "a dazzling raucous spectacle that sounds like a million bucks," and NY1 called it, "90 minutes of platinum grade entertainment." The musical continued its successful New York engagement at New World Stages through June 2012.

The Chicago production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET opened in 2008 and is still playing to packed houses at the Apollo Theatre. The West End production played at the Noël Coward Theatre in London in 2011.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Levi Kreis) and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical (Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux). The show received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Levi Kreis), a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Musical Revue, and three Drama League nominations including Distinguished Production of a Musical and Distinguished Performance.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is produced by Relevant Theatricals, James L. Nederlander, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology, and Broadway Across America.

Visit www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com or www.ppacri.org for additional information.

The performance schedule for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is:

Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 7P
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 7P
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 7:30P
Friday, January 18, 2013 at 7:30P
Saturday, January 19, 2013 at 2P & 8P
Sunday, January 20, 2013 at 1P & 6:30P

Tickets for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET are $63 - $36 and are on sale NOW at the PPAC Box Office at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, online at www.ppacri.org and by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787). All ticket prices include a $3 per ticket restoration charge and are subject to change without notice. Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 10A to 5P; Saturday, 10A to 2P; and through curtain time(s) on performance days.

Discounted admission is available for groups of 20 or more; for more information and to order, contact Group Sales Representative Paul Hiatt at phiatt@ppacri.org or (401) 574-3162.

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