Palo Alto Players presents MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 16, 2017
Palo Alto Players opens its 2017-18 season with the South Bay regional premiere of Million Dollar Quartet, the high voltage Broadway musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night of musical magic. Million Dollar Quartet is directed by Jeffrey Bracco, musically directed by Katie Coleman, and features a cast of local Bay Area actors and musicians playing instruments live on stage as their iconic characters. Million Dollar Quartet runs September 15 - October 1 at the Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. For information or tickets, visit paplayers.org or call 650.329.0891.
Million Dollar Quartet is inspired by the incredible true events of December 4, 1956 when Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins at the famed Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee for the first and only time. These four legendary musicians created an impromptu recording that will forever live on as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions in musical history. Now this unforgettable night of rockabilly ruckus explodes off the stage in the Tony-Award winning musical, Million Dollar Quartet, featuring an incredible score of rock 'n' roll, gospel, R&B, and country hits that are still popular today, including: "Blue Suede Shoes," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Fever," and "Hound Dog."
"I've always been a huge fan of rock 'n' roll and this show is about some of the greatest pioneers of rock," says Director Jeffrey Bracco. "Million Dollar Quartet takes you into the studio and lets you see the creative process of true genius at work through some of the best and most exciting music you'll ever hear! And there aren't a lot of shows like Million Dollar Quartet where you have the actors not only singing but playing their own instruments for an entire show. We've got an immensely talented group of local actors who are really going to amaze people with their musicianship and how much fun they have with these songs and this great story."
Jeffrey Bracco makes his Palo Alto Players' directorial debut with Million Dollar Quartet. Currently on faculty with the Santa Clara University Theatre and Dance Department, Bracco has worked as a director, actor, teacher, and playwright in both the United States and Europe. Bay Area directing credits include: Oliver! and A Chorus Line at Broadway By the Bay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses at Dragon Theatre, and Green Day's American Idiot, M. Butterfly, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Santaland Diaries, The Three Musketeers, and NINE, at City Lights Theater Company. For his direction of NINE, Jeffrey was nominated for Best Director (Bay Area Theatre Critics).
Bracco directs a cast of six local Bay Area actors and musicians. The Million Dollar Quartet cast features:
Johnny Cash: Greg Zema
Jerry Lee Lewis: Nick Kenrick
Elvis Presley: Jaake Margo
Sam Phillips: Jeremy Ryan
Dyanne: Jessica LaFever
The creative team also includes scenic design by Nikolaj Sorensen, lighting design by Edward Hunter, costume design by Pat Tyler, properties design by Scott Ludwig, sound design by Jeff Grafton, and stage management by Lauren Howry.
Tickets for Million Dollar Quartet can be purchased online at paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or by visiting the Box Office (Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am - 4 pm) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Performances at the Lucie Stern Theater begin on September 16 and continue through October 1, with a preview performance on September 15. Performance times are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Ticket prices range from $25 to $55. Discounts for seniors, educators, patrons under 30 (including students), and military are available for all performances except preview night. Special discounts of 20-25% for groups of 10 or more are also available.
Events taking place during the run of Million Dollar Quartet include:
Opening Night AfterGlow Party
Saturday, September 16
Enjoy a post-show champagne reception with drinks and appetizers while meeting the cast, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for that evening's performance.
Post-Show Talkback
Thursday, September 21
Enjoy our Talkback series with Director Jeffrey Bracco and members of the cast following this performance, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.
Post-Show Designer Talkback
Sunday, September 24
Enjoy our Talkback series with Technical Director Nikolaj Sorensen and members of the design team of the show following this performance, FREE with the purchase of a ticket for any performance during the run.
In cooperation with The City of Palo Alto, Million Dollar Quartet and the shows of the 87th Season of Palo Alto Players are produced at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California. Use of this facility is made possible through support from The City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences, and from our patrons.
About Palo Alto Players
Founded in 1931, Palo Alto Players is the San Francisco Peninsula's first theatre company. Based at the Lucie Stern Theater, built explicitly for Palo Alto Players in 1933, Palo Alto Players produces a season of comedies, dramas, classics, and musicals from September to June. Audiences and participants come from all over the Bay Area to be a part of Palo Alto Players' productions. Palo Alto Players is committed to providing a meaningful theatre experience for both audience and production participants. Intrinsic in this is the belief that theatre benefits the community-at-large and enhances the quality of life of those who are touched by it through education, enlightenment, and enrichment. Palo Alto Players is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for public benefit.
For more information about Palo Alto Players and upcoming shows, please visit www.paplayers.org or call the box office at 650.329.0891. Follow Palo Alto Players on Twitter @PaloAltoPlayers or twitter.com/PaloAltoPlayers, on Instagram @PaloAltoPlayers, and on Facebook at facebook.com/PaloAltoPlayers.
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