BWW Reviews: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is Worth Every Penny

Million Dollar Quartet is difficult to categorize. Billed as a musical, it is unlike almost any musical playing because it takes place over an extremely short time span and features a small cast of characters. The show, which tells of a recording session at Sam Phillips' Sun Records featuring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins, feels more like a concert because the musical numbers do not comment on the plot or characters. One thing is certain, when Million Dollar Quartet stopped in Des Moines last week, audiences were dancing in the aisles.

Million Dollar Quartet is the rare show that does not span great lengths of time or follow a character as they grow despite adversity; Million Dollar Quartet takes place over the course of just one evening. There are a couple of flashbacks to illuminate how each of the men came to Sun Records. At the point the show takes place, December of 1956, all of the men involved are in a state of flux regarding their future with Sun Records, Phillips included. At the culmination of the show, their plans are revealed. What happens in between is a showcase for great rock and roll music and the talent of the performers.

Surely it is no easy task to step into the shoes of Cash, Lewis, Perkins, or Presley, and if those men are looked on as kings, fathers, and gods of rock and roll, the performers in Million Dollar Quartet are not close behind. Ben Goddard and James Barry as Lewis and Perkins have the more musically difficult roles and both are up to the task. Never have fingers slid, slammed, and danced across keys and strings faster than you will see in this show. On the other hand, Cody Slaughter and Scott Moreau (understudy) must be up to the task of mimicking the distinctive tone of voice and hip shaking moves of Cash and Presley. Slaughter, who has a background as an Elvis impersonator, has facial features that are uncannily similar to the king himself and he has also mastered the moves and vocal intonation of Presley.

The design of the show is simple, in large part because of the restriction in the show itself. The one-evening, one-locale setting requires no costume changes. In addition, the designers simply use lighting to indicate when a conversation is taking place outside of the confines of the recording booth; thus there is no switching to exterior sets. An example of Broadway spectacle it is not.

There are few faults in Million Dollar Quartet, but there are components of the show that are imperfect. The most egregious error comes in the form of the token female character Dyanne. Reportedly, Presley came to Sun Records that evening with a Vegas showgirl and the character Dyanne was created to fill out the storyline. Unfortunately, it ends up feeling like the writers felt the need to add a female in a show that would otherwise be dominated by males. It also must be noted that this is a show with essentially no forward plot movement. There is essentially no action, which can be considered a minor fault because the fact of it is so well hidden by the fantastic music and the talent of the performers.

One could argue that the real stars of Million Dollar Quartet are the talented men who inspired the show and the songs they made famous. Upbeat songs like "Blue Suede Shoes," "Great Balls of Fire," and "See You Later, Alligator" bring down the house. Quieter numbers such as "Peace in the Valley" allow audiences to reflect on a bygone era in which a future king of rock and roll also showcased gospel. The show closes with a mini concert of high profile hits, ensuring that audiences will leave the theater with their heads bobbing and their toes tapping.

Million Dollar Quartet purports to tell the story of a famed recording session at Sun Records that included Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley, but what the show turns out to be is something entirely different. Million Dollar Quartet is a sure fire hit whose longevity can be predicted based on the staying power of the men that inspired it in the first place.

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