Today is Sunday, April 11, marking the official opening of yet another Chicago hit-turned-Broadway transfer in MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, at the Nederlander Theatre following previews that began March 13.
Eddie Clendening (Elvis Presley), Lance Guest (Johnny Cash), Levi Kreis (Jerry Lee Lewis) and Rob Lyons (Carl Perkins), who all appeared in the Chicago cast, reprise their work for the NY incarnation. All four are making their Broadway debuts.
The foursome is joined onstage by Hunter Foster as legendary music producer Sam Phillips, and Elizabeth Stanley as Dyanne, a woman who arrives at Sun Records with Elvis on the night of the recording session.
Eric Schaeffer directs, which features a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux; the latter conceived and originally directed the musical.
"On Dec. 4, 1956," press notes state, "an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records' storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the 'Father of Rock 'n' Roll,' who discovered them all. The four legends-to-be united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording that has come to be known as one of the greatest rock jam sessions of all time. . . . Million Dollar Quartet captures the infectious spirit, freewheeling excitement and thrilling sounds of a singular moment when four of the music industry's most extraordinary talents, all in their creative prime, came together for one of the most memorable nights in music history."
"Floyd Mutrux; the latter conceived and originally directed the musical."
And had to sue for his cut...
"TheatreDiva90016 - another good reason to frequent these boards less."<<>>
“I hesitate to give this line of discussion the validation it so desperately craves by perpetuating it, but the light from logic is getting further and further away with your every successive post.” <<>>
-whatever2
I really didn't think the show worked, in spite of some very obvious talent on stage, so the Mixed and Mixed-To-Negative reviews seem on target to me.
I'm pleased to see that Levi is getting substantial praise - it's a knockout performance!
2016 These Paper Bullets (1/02) Our Mother's Brief Affair (1/06), Dragon Boat Racing (1/08), Howard - reading (1/28), Shear Madness (2/10), Fun Home (2/17), Women Without Men (2/18), Trip Of Love (2/21), The First Gentleman -reading (2/22), Southern Comfort (2/23), The Robber Bridegroom (2/24), She Loves Me (3/11), Shuffle Along (4/12), Shear Madness (4/14), Dear Evan Hansen (4/16), American Psycho (4/23), Tuck Everlasting (5/10), Indian Summer (5/15), Peer Gynt (5/18), Broadway's Rising Stars (7/11), Trip of Love (7/27), CATS (7/31), The Layover (8/17), An Act Of God (8/31), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (8/24), Heisenberg (10/12), Fiddler On The Roof (11/02), Othello (11/23), Dear Evan Hansen (11/26), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (12/21) 2017 In Transit (2/01), Groundhog Day (4/04), Ring Twice For Miranda (4/07), Church And State (4/10), The Lucky One (4/19), Ernest Shackleton Loves Me (5/16), Building The Wall (5/19), Indecent (6/01), Six Degrees of Separation (6/09), Marvin's Room (6/28), A Doll's House Pt 2 (7/25) Curvy Widow (8/01)
In this case, I think Murray's dead on. This show is just embarrassing. Nice to see Elizabeth Stanley getting positive notices, though. She's the only person on stage who walks away looking good.
Where is the crack that Isherwood has been on recently, because it seems like it's some good stuff.
"Oh look at the time, three more intelligent plays just closed and THE ADDAMS FAMILY made another million dollars" -Jackie Hoffman, Broadway.com Audience Awards
I am shocked by Isherwood's review...Brantley would have ripped it to shreds.
"We don't value the lily less for not being made of flint and built to last. Life's bounty is in it's flow, later is too late. Where is the song when it's been sung, the dance when it's been danced? It's only we humans who want to own the future too."
- Tom Stoppard, Shipwreck