by Sarah Wright
Photo by Kit Noble
Proving once again the two most beautiful words in the English language are “musical theater,” Million Dollar Quartet opened a charged six-week run at the Theatre Workshop of Nantucket last week. Do. Not. Miss. It.
Elvis fan that I am, easy for me to say. But Million Dollar Quartet depicts one of the most fateful nights in jam session history. Based on the eponymous book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, the story begins December 4, 1956: the night Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley all find themselves at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
Set nearly 70 years ago, MDQ depicts a meteoric event, as several cultural shifts occurred at once. By then, the Golden Age of Television had already superseded the Golden Age of Radio. And a blossoming youth culture in postwar America gave way to distinctly new styles in fashion, music, and social behavior.
To wit, Perkins and Cash were 24 years old, Presley and Lewis just 21 that December night. Onstage however, the actors portraying this youthful group bring ageless vitality to director Hunter Foster’s fresh production. That they also perform all their own music and vocals makes for a high-octane, remarkably entertaining show.
It all begins with the spotlight on Mr. Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio. Played by Ross Griffin, Phillips affably offers opening context, then switches into full character.
With a clear eye for talent, Mr. Phillips charts the course of the legendary evening as much as everyone else. Meanwhile, Griffin reflects the record producer’s sunny demeanor with brio, reinforced by a dimpled, dapper look.
Of course, the quartet addresses him as “Sir,” while he often calls each of them “Boy.” Their respect for his position and authority is a reminder of midcentury social norms, while his word choice was not uncommon in the Jim Crow era.
Although no one in the quartet is Black, both Perkins and Cash were born into sharecropping families. Not to mention the influence of rhythm and blues and gospel music on Phillips and the young men. In other words, Phillips uses the word “Boy” to assert a certain power over his musicians. Fame and fortune come with contractual obligations, that’s all.
At the same time, the rockabilly genre Carl Perkins established so well with “Blue Suede Shoes” was still dawning across America. Played by Christopher Wren, who also provides musical direction in this production, Perkins dons a pair of (dark) blue suede shoes. His guitar-strumming leg kicks? Utterly adorable homage to Chuck Berry’s duckwalk.
Naturally, his “See You Later Alligator” is the show’s penultimate tune and by then, I felt I knew Perkins a little bit more.
From the King of Rockabilly to the King of Rock and Roll, along comes Elvis Presley, hip-swiveling, lip-snarling, and owning the stage. Joe Hebel’s Presley has all the King’s swagger and knows just how to grab an Elvis mic to boot.
Arriving at the studio with his girlfriend Dyanne (Mia Massaro), Elvis is as pouty and boyish as the young Elvis probably was. Admittedly, I had momentary flashbacks to the two most recent movies of the Elvis-sphere: 2022s “Elvis” and 2023s “Priscilla.” However, Hebel’s performance snapped me right out it. His high energy and musical focus are pure refreshment.
Speaking of Dyanne, let history show she was no fifth wheel. A supporting character, yes, but one who lends maturity to the boy wonders. Interestingly, while she appears on Elvis’s arm, she seems to have an eye for the Man in Black. Then again, Cash’s smoldering good looks and deep voice could have induced Massaro’s sultry rendition of Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” Bring a small handheld fan for this.
Right on cue, monochrome Mr. Johnny Cash saunters in to Sun Studio and time just stands still. Michael Potter’s clean-cut country music Cash is a study in walking a straight line. He is not alone in figuring out how to disclose important information to Mr. Phillips about his own ambitions either.
Furthermore, synthesizing spirituals and gospel hymns with rockabilly to create an entirely new sound, Cash’s conscience also struggles to contain his crossover appeal.
On the other hand, Jerry Lee Lewis’s maniacal energy at the piano reminds me the piano is both a string and a percussion instrument. The way Sean McGibbon plays Lewis, the ivory keys are like a prop in an acrobatic vaudeville act. He is a one-man freak show with a twinkle in his eye.
In fact, when Perkins disparagingly compares Lewis to Liberace in the first act, it rolls right off him. Born in the Bayou Country of Louisiana, Lewis was deeply influenced by preachers all his life.
His lip-smacking, tongue-thrusting goofiness aside, Lewis toiled to square the fire-and-brimstone sermons of his youth with exhortations against “temptation, fornication, and damnation.” Lucky for us, one result was “Great Balls of Fire.”
Of course TWN’s Million Dollar Quartet is backed by a million dollar duo: Isaac Foley as Brother Jay on bass and Michael Lucchetti as Fluke on drums. In real life, Brother Jay was Perkins’s sibling. Fluke played mainly with Perkins and Cash throughout his career.
Lucchetti’s tremendous drumstick-twirling fixed my gaze right away; his dexterity will capture your immediate attention, too. Similarly, the intensity of Foley’s non-stop upright bass-playing packs a wallop the entire show, as well.
Million Dollar Quartet offers theater lovers a foottapping, knee-slapping, night-capping great time. The entire cast puts its all into every number. When they’re not singing, they’re zinging, flinging, and clinging to their shared passion for musical expression and personal freedom.
There are tender moments, too, like when each performer discloses a significant personal loss of someone close to him. This conversation hints at their coping styles, resilience, and family support systems. As each adjusts to incredible fame and fortune, they also form a family of musical pioneers and industry stalwarts.
Transforming culture requires enthusiasm, a word that comes from Greek and essentially means “God within.” And the finale of Million Dollar Quartet is an aisle-dancing party that adds fodder to the old saying, “He who sings, prays twice.”
Sarah Wright embraces theater for its live performance art, storytelling, & shared experience.
Million Dollar Quartet is on the TWN stage through August 23. Full schedule and ticket at theatrenantucket.org
