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Being of the generation of children raised on the epic rise of Grunge rock music I find myself nostalgic of the days when the music was new, Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were filling the airwaves with a new sound a revolution of your mother’s Rock n’ Roll. Now take it back about 40 years before grunge, before rock and roll was well… Rock n’ Roll. Back to Memphis Tennessee and a little company with big dreams, welcome to SUN Studios.
“Million Dollar Quartet” is the incredible, rare and brilliant story finally told from the recordings and history behind the meteoric rise of rock music back in the early days of vinyl LPs and hill-billy-honky-tonk- rock. The remarkable story takes you on a 90 minute journey which comes from the recordings made at SUN records back in December1956 when Sam Phillips was the just ushering in the talent of a few new names in the music industry who would later become legends.
In these rare freestyle jam session recordings, Sam Phillips brought together a small group of stars you may recognize, Elvis Presley played so accurately by Cody Slaughter you would think the King was on the stage again, Johnny Cash played by Derek Keeling who has a baritone voice which rattles the walls just as the original Man in Black, Jerry Lee Lewis played by Martin Kaye who takes on the HUGE persona of the iconic last man standing and who, quite frankly, in true Jerry Lee Lewis style, steals the show, and Carl Perkins played by Lee Ferris who portrays one of the fathers of rock music brilliantly. The supporting cast of two also shines brightly, the iconic Sam Phillips played by Christopher Ryan Grant and Kelly Lamont as Dyanne the mystery woman who happened to be Elvis’ guest that faithful day. “Million Dollar Quartet” gives you an intimate view of the story behind that remarkable day when, unbeknownst to them all, they made history.
The Segerstrom Center for performing arts brings you this incredible musical set inside SUN Studios and transports you back to December 1956, with the incredible acting and musical talents of an incredible cast that bring the musical legends to life. With songs such as “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Matchbox”, and “Walk the Line” this show is like being at the most incredible concert ever conceived; and the most amazing thing of all? All the music is live, nothing is prerecorded! With an epic story to accompany the music this is sure to become a family favorite!
Being a lover of history and rock music this touched an extra heartstring for me. This show made me laugh and made me cry, frankly I tear up a bit just writing the review thinking about what I saw. The sheer talent brought together that day back in 1956 by almost accident is something only a few could ever imagine and experience. The brilliant staging, performances, set, and music takes you to a place you may not know and lets you enjoy it. Thanks to this show, you got the overwhelming feeling that you were included in something spectacular and rare. This show took my breath away, on a rollercoaster ride of music, talent, fun and the love of music! A sincere thank you to Mr. Sam Phillips… without you, where would we be! Go see “Million Dollar Quartet” in its one week engagement at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts you won’t regret it! And remember… The most brilliant art happens when no one is looking!
