BWW Reviews: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Rocks the Fabulous Fox Theatre

While it is certainly a fact that on December 4, 1956, Sun Records was host to an incredible gathering of talent (Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis), a listen to the actual recordings made that day were more along the lines of favorite folk and gospel numbers that the four shared in common. And though some of that does come through, the stage musical, Million Dollar Quartet, utilizes this historic meeting as a jumping off point for an evening of truly classic rock and roll, with some other more reverent material sprinkled in for good measure. But honestly, a faithful recreation of the truth would be a bit of a letdown to most fans, so instead we're treated to a re-imagining that might bend the truth a bit (book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux), but only in the quest to give audiences a glimpse at what could have been.

In reality, the show is really more of a tribute to the late Sam Phillips and Sun Records. Phillips had an undeniable knack for discovering and nurturing talent. Million Dollar Quartet mixes in a lot of other factual information in order to bring a bit of tension to the proceedings. The truth is that this get-together was organized so that Sam could present Johnny Cash with a new 3-year contract, even though Johnny had already committed to Columbia Records. It's also true that Carl Perkins resented Elvis Presley's recording of "Blue Suede Shoes", since he wrote the song and was banking on his own version becoming a monster hit. And it's been said that Sam Phillips was actually being courted by RCA as a consultant to Elvis after his dismal failure in Las Vegas, which simply wasn't the appropriate venue, at least at that time, for the man later dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll".

Gabe Bowling unleashes an arsenal of catchy and fiery rockabilly licks as Carl Perkins on his Les Paul gold top and wine red ES-335. And, while he may not bear much resemblance to Perkins, he's got the chops musically and acting-wise to carry the role. Scott Moreau is excellent as Johnny Cash, capturing the man's deep and powerful voice and personality with just the right kind of laid back manner one would expect. Colte Julian brilliantly tickles the ivories while delivering a brash and cocky portrayal of the always outspoken Jerry Lee Lewis. Jacob Rowley both looks and sounds an awful lot like Elvis, displaying the leg shaking moves that would lead to him being photographed from the waist up on national television. Bryan Langlitz is exceptional as Sam Phillips, carrying a chip on his shoulder for the acts he's seen take off without him, but still firmly determined to move forward with his operation. Laura Obenauf contributes nicely as Elvis' girlfriend, Dyanne, doing splendid work on "Fever" and "I Hear You Knockin'", and Chuck Zayas (bass) and Patrick Morrow (drums) keep the rhythms rock solid throughout.

Eric Schaeffer's direction is very well done, and he keeps the pace moving briskly as the tale plays out. Chuck Mead's arrangements are faithful to the original spirit of the songs, and Jane Greenwood's costumes are good character fits. Derek McLane's scenic design is eye-catching, with the converted auto parts store that became Sun Studios never looking better. Howell Brinkley's lighting captures it all with little flash, at least until the house rockin' encore that officially ends the show. Kai Harada's sound design leaves some of the vocals a bit light in the mix, but that's a minor complaint.

It's a shame the run for this show is so short (the show plays at the Fabulous Fox only through March 1, 2015), but those who get the opportunity to see it will certainly not be disappointed. It was a magical moment in musical history that, even with a bit of embellishment, was truly memorable and never repeated.

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