“Million Dollar Quartet” worth every penny

Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre continues its wide-ranging season with Million Dollar Quartet, the very musical story of the historic meeting of four rock giants – Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley – at Sun Studios in Memphis, the company run by Sam Phillips where they all recorded their first successful tracks.

The show is a catalogue of ‘50s rock music, performed by a highly skilled cast of musicians and vocalists. Cody Craven (Perkins), Sam C. Jones (Cash), Brian Michael Henry (Lewis), and Jesse Plourde (Presley) combine talents, along with Justin Bendel (as bassist Brother Jay) and Michael McCoy Reilly (as drummer Fluke), to fashion a sometimes blazing, sometimes sedate array of performances. Hannah Embree adds a fine portrayal as Presley’s girlfriend Dyanne to the mix, while Eddie Curry is a stand-out as recording pioneer Phillips.

(From left) Brian Michael Henry as Jerry Lee Lewis, Hannah Embree as Dyanne, Cody Craven as Carl Perkins, Jesse Plourde as Elvis Presley, and Sam C. Jones as Johnny Cash. (Photo provided by Rob Slaven / IndyGhostLight.com)

Dressed up with a storyline about Phillips suddenly losing his charges to bigger record companies, the music is the main course here. Everyone gets a chance to shine, and shine they do – individually and as an ensemble. Some favorites of mine include Jones’ “Folsom Prison Blues,” Craven’s “Who Do You Love?,” Henry’s “Great Balls of Fire,” Plourde’s “Long Tall Sally,” and Ms. Embree’s sultry “Fever.” An encore section provides an exciting finish to the show, ending with a rousing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” Note: be ready to get up and move those feet!

Jeff Stockberger directs the energetic festivities with deft support by Daniel Hesselbrock’s sound design and Kathy Henry’s colorful costuming. Ryan Koharchik designed the lighting, and I wish to give a special shoutout to stage manager Kevin Casey, whose precise lightboard operation makes the visual impact of the show come shining through.

Get your tickets quickly because these shows are selling out! Go to BeefAndBoards.com right away. (Reporter photo)

Bottom line: It’s great fun to look back and celebrate the innovative songs that changed the course of music in the world. It’s a bit nostalgic for someone my age, a bit educational for those who came after, and shows like this stand as a great and important preservation of music history.

Million Dollar Quartet continues through Oct. 6. Show times and reservation availability can be viewed at BeefAndBoards.com or by calling the box office at (317) 872-9664. And don’t forget – Fiddler on the Roof is up next beginning Oct. 10.

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