‘Million Dollar Quartet’ – Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutux. Directed and choreographed by Greg Santos. Music Director Sam Sherwood. Scenic Design by Kyle Dixon. Original Costume Design by Travis M. Grant. Lighting Design by Jose Santiago. Sound Design by Alex Berg. Hair and Wig Design by Rachel Padilla-Shufelt. Through October 6, 2024, at North Shore Music Theatre, 64 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA.
By Linda Chin
A million shout-outs to the uber-talented cast of the Tony Award-winning musical Million Dollar Quartet at Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre. For about a hundred minutes, actor-musicians Sam Sherwood (Carl Perkins), Blake Burgess ( Johnny Cash), Brandon Fillette (Jerry Lee Lewis), Noah Barnes (Elvis Presley), Joe Bentley (Brother Joy), Stephen Blauch (Fluke), Zach Cossman (Sam Phillips), and Hailie Lucille (Dyanne, the lone female character) teach us some history and gift us with a whole lot of musical magic.
Similarly, the creative team is in fine form, helping us appreciate their important roles in making a musical theatre production – or recording session – seamless and successful. Directors and choreographers (Greg Santos) and music directors (Sam Sherwood, who also does double duty as Carl Perkins) usually get their well-deserved top billing, but sound designers (Alex Berg) are less seen.
Million Dollar Quartet transports us to Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 4, 1956. Young musicians from locales in the US other than New England or New York City are gathered for a recording session. Sun Records manager Sam Phillips has gathered guitarist Perkins, Perkins’ brother on standup bass, and Fluke, a drummer, to record a hoped-for-hit and added a young unknown piano player named Jerry Lee Lewis to the mix. Johnny Cash is there too, and Elvis Presley and his blonde girlfriend Dyanne make a surprise visit. Besides being the owner-manager and businessman, Phillips is also a mentor, trusted advisor, and father figure of sorts to the young men. There’s a whole lot more competition than collaboration and sass than sweet talk going on. We also learn about growing up in rural parts of the country and the social changes occurring in the ‘50s, in simpler but possibly rougher times. We hear stories of their struggles and dreams. By a surprising coincidence, each of the four young men has lost a brother.
An impromptu jam session of the four musicians who are now icons of the rock and roll era emerges, a magical experience when they sing together in one room for the first and only time. This spontaneous and stunning moment is documented in an iconic black-and-white photograph. Also, thanks to a quick-thinking sound engineer who was working in the studio at the time and pressed the ‘record’ button, we also have the opportunity to re-imagine what was happening that night.
This musical is testosterone-heavy, and all the actor-musicians (yes, they are playing LIVE) are strong. You do have to suspend your disbelief in terms of physical likenesses/resemblances for some of the musical legends, but these performers dazzle with their musicality – and stamina. Hailie Lucille has a stunning soprano as well as a powerful belt. Her rendition of “Fever” was a favorite. My advice: head on over, baby, and if you are lucky enough to snag tickets, stay for the finale. For tickets and information, go to: https://www.nsmt.org/milliondollarquartet.html
