In Memphis Tennessee, on the 4th day of December in 1956, four rock and roll stars came together at Sun Records’ studios. Jerry Lee Lewis wasn’t a star yet, and Sun Records was taking a risk on him. Carl Perkins was there to work on some songs and Elvis Presley along with Johnny Cash stopped in for the jam session. This gathering never happened again. It was said to be a million dollar quartet.
This chance meeting of these musicians and the music that was explored that day is what Theatre Calgary’s production of Million Dollar Quartet is about. The production is based on the book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux.
Theatre Calgary’s production has some powerhouse musical talent, especially in Cash and Presley, but the fun and energy is not as off the charts as it could be. The set up is there, but the performance falls just short of a rocking good time. It’s like the bottom line vibe is just a little more sullen than it needs to be. That being said, the talent is immense, the staging is grand and the music is energetic. Million Dollar Quartet is a nice little mini concert on stage.
Sam Phillips (Stafford Perry) at Sun Records is the one who discovered Elvis Presley (Michael Vanhevel) and Johnny Cash (Devon Brayne). He is trying to get another hit song for Carl Perkins (Kale Penny) and has just signed on Jerry Lee Lewis (Steven Greenfield). He wants to bring Cash in to sign a new contract and celebrate the record label’s success. Little does he know that Cash feels differently about signing a new contract, therefore Philips in is for a bit of a rude awakening.
The afternoon sees the musical artists playing some of their big hits, with Elvis’s girlfriend Dyanne (Samantha Currie) singing some tunes of her own. The audience gets to rock to Blue Suede Shoes, heat up with Fever, sway to I Walk the Line, and dance to Great Balls of Fire.
Brayne’s Cash is so accurate and solid and Vanhevel’s Presley has a vulnerability that is fresh. Every time I see Perry on stage, he is something different, and his steadiness in guiding the story forward is a wonder. I’d like to see him as the main character on a stage, because the nuance he brings to every role he plays is outstanding. Currie can sing so well, but her energy in her numbers could be elevated and Greenfield’s Lewis could have gone up a notch or two. Penny’s Perkins is a great voice on stage and hats off to Steven Jackson Jr. as Fluke on the drums and Eric Wigston as Brother Jay on the double bass, as they are outstanding musicians.
Scott Reid’s set design puts the little recording studio of Sun Records in the 50s, with it’s yellow and green paint. Reid’s projection design gives energy and spark to the production, though his spotlight projections are confusing upon first glance, as they look like records. The original writers and performers of the songs are also projected on the backdrop of the stage and this is a nice touch. Deitra Kalyn’s costume design pulls out all the stops for the final numbers and Jason Hand’s lighting design highlights Kalyn’s shimmery fabric for these tunes. Joshua D. Reid’s sound design assists in building the tension in the play.
Thom Allison’s direction keeps the fun rolling in this production, but he could have turned the dial up a little to get more energy out of his cast. But otherwise, this look back to the past is a whole lot of fun.
You can rock out to the classic rock and roll from these 4 stars at Theatre Calgary until May 22nd. More information is available online.