Million Dollar Quartet 1st Preview

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 3:49pm

Anyone going? I hear the lotto will be easy.

[Upland]

Posted: 3/13/10 at 4:22pm

Considering the weather it seems there will likely be plenty of tickets. Have you been outside today? Argh.

[pacificnorthwest]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 10:18am

Has anyone seen it yet? Was hoping for some feedback as I make my spring ticket-buying plans.

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 10:41am

I was there last night. I won lotto. There were legit 6 other people there. Here's my rundown:

Honestly, it's not a GREAT show, but it is entertaining. Musically the guys are all fantastic. Levi Kreis is the standout as Johnny Lee Lewis. I really loathed Hunter Foster, but other than that the performances were all strong. I don't usually love Elizabeth Stanley, but she surprised me (granted, she doesn't have a ton to do).

The show's main flaw is the book. It's trying to be Jersey Boys, but it's just not as well written. That being said, I have seen many terrible shows lately and haven't left a theatre in as good a mood as I did last night in a few weeks. I would put it in a category somewhere between Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia!. Not as good of a story as Jersey Boys, but a better story and better performances than Mamma Mia! It's really fun, but don't expect to see it pick up any Tonys (though I wouldn't be surprised a few nominations). I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 2:26pm

How many people won the lotto and how much were tickets?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 6:33pm

Tickets were $30. Two per ID, cash only. They give away the entire front row, but only 6 people showed up for lotto. We took 2 each, so only 12 of the 14 front row center seats were sold during lotto. This one is a cinch to win. You basically just show up and get front row for $30.

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 7:07pm

It's a good view? Also, this may seem too early to ask, but what types of merchandise did they have?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/15/10 at 7:14pm

I didn't pay attention to the merch table. The view was totally fine. The whole show is basically downstage center.

[maxximumvolume]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 2:46am

I won lotto as well, definitely really easy. It seemed like there were a few more than 6 people there, maybe 9 haha.

I liked the show. The book isn't great, but it's enough for an audience to grasp on to and I learned a lot about the performers that I didn't know. The show is really all about the music, though, and the performances are just terrific. They're amazing musicians, but bring great depth to the characters as well. They are not impersonators, they are actors. There was a great moment where Eddie (Elvis) broke his guitar string during the song, continued to play, and then managed to re-string the guitar and tune it on stage in character while another character, I believe it was Johnny Cash, was singing. It was a beautiful in-character moment and pointed to the fact that this could be a really special show once things get going. For a first preview they're in terrific shape, though. Levi Kreis is definitely the standout and deserves a Tony nomination at least.

I never much cared for Jersey Boys and have never seen Mamma Mia, so I definitely like this better. It almost plays like a Rock of Ages for the older set, with Hunter Foster serving as narrator. I definitely don't agree with bjh... I liked him a lot. He's a strong center for the show and gives a good performance.

The end is a kind of gratuitous 15 minute concert, which was fun but also ruined the really poignant and theatrical moment that seemingly closed the show before it.

The theatre seemed really full, though, and the audience was really into it.

As for merch... they had a grey hoodie, a handful of t-shirts (one really nice yellow one that had a picture of each of the 4 guys instruments on it), a magnet, and a window card. I may be missing something.

[DryMartini]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 8:12am

I'd see this for Hunter Foster alone. He is one of my favorite performers and I can listen to him sing all day long.

That said, does he get to sing much as the narrator?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 9:13am

Hunter doesn't sing at all. He has a speaking part only. And for those of you who HAVE seen Mamma Mia!, the curtain call is basically the same idea. After the show ends, they showcase each of the performers by letting them perform one of the singer's famous songs. That way the audience members leave with smiles on their faces and tunes to hum in their heads.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 9:37am

Is there choreography or is it just like a concert?

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 9:59am

I saw the show as well, and I can't say it was very good.

bjh is right in that they are definitely, desperately trying to be the next Jersey Boys. Don't go expecting any camp or cringeworthy antics like in Good Vibrations. This one is playing it straight to the point of boredom in some of the book scenes. This may be a jukebox musical, but it's serious, goddamnit!

DryMartini- If the only reason you're going is to see Hunter sing, then stay home because he doesn't warble a note (except maybe in the finale?).

The four leads all play their instruments very well. Levi Kreis probably brings the most to his character, but the other three are lacking in charm and stage presence. It's hard to believe that any of them are the superstars they are supposed to be.

The direction certainly doesn't help anyone out here. The set is the recording studio, which is fine, but it forces the men to simply step up to one of the microphones lined up across the front of the stage, stand there, and sing. Song after song, and it's exactly the same thing. There's very little excitement behind some the other numbers. This was supposed to be an important, magical night, right? Then where is all the magic?

The standout for me was Elizabeth Stanley. She looks great and sounds even better. She only has two songs, but she sells them well.

I didn't walk out hating the show, but didn't love it either. It's just kind of there and rather pointless. Was this event really important enough to create a musical around or did the authors/producers simply want to put on a rock n roll revue? Quite frankly the latter would have been better.

Gator- There isn't really choreography until the final "megamix" sequence. (It's not really a megamix, because it's not made of songs already sung in the show, but it feels like one anyway.)

Updated On: 3/16/10 at 09:59 AM

[DryMartini]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 10:48am

No songs for Hunter? Boo!

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 11:13am

What is the running time?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 11:16am

This may be a jukebox musical, but it's serious, goddamnit!

I never considered catalog shows to be jukebox musicals. "Jukebox musicals" (Return to the Forbidden Planet, Play On, Mamma Mia, All Shook Up, Rock of Ages) is a term coined for shows that shoehorn the lyrics of previously existing songs (popularized outside the world of musical theatre) directly into the story line. The term was popularized after the enormous success of Mamma Mia, though Mamma Mia was hardly the first show to use this device.

Catalog musicals (Buddy, Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet) feature the songs (usually of a particular artist or group) only in a concert or performance format framed outside the narrative. Occasionally, a catalog show may place one or two numbers into the story, but the bulk of the music does not attempt to use the lyrics as narrative.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 11:40am

Mister Matt- Your definition makes sense to me. I guess I just always threw everything that didn't have an original score and wasn't strictly a review into the Jukebox catagory. Even things like The Happiest Girl in the World I consider a classical Jukebox musical. (In that case I suppose the lyrics are original, but the music is not.)

Ed- The show ran a bit under 2hrs with no intermission.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 12:51pm

Yeah, once the term "Jukebox Musical" started getting bandied about in the press, most people started generically using it for any show using previously existing popular music, but it's a little more specific than that. Otherwise, many revues could be considered "Jukebox Musicals" as well.

One particularly good British jukebox musical was Our House, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical. It featured the music of Madness and an interesting narrative device much like the film, Sliding Doors. A DVD of the show was released in the UK and it is quite delightful, though the show just never caught on with audiences and ultimately closed at a loss.

[rmusic11322]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 4:03pm

If you all don't mind, can you give me some over all ratings? (our of 5 stars). I feel like seeing the show this weekend and want to know if it's worth trying any type of lotto for.

[Stage Door Sally]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 4:08pm

Thanks for the heads up that Hunter doesn't sing. I think I'll skip it.

[Fanb]

Posted: 3/16/10 at 6:29pm

Doesn't Hunter Foster play a manager or agent or something? Does the rest of the cast only sing songs as if they are performing them? Meaning there are no songs incorporated into the book? In that case I guess it would make sense for Foster not to sing - although if I were going to see him in any musical I'd rather hear him sing.

[Papacusco]

Posted: 3/21/10 at 11:20am

I saw the show on Saturday night
There are very talented performers in this production However the story line is just so boring Everyone sings wonderful songs but it just doesnt make much for the plot development
I really enjoyed the Jerry Lee Lewis , Elvis and Johnny Cash songs but it didnt make up for the drab story I sat in the third row orchesta on a TKTS ticket and still felt it was way over priced Upon leaving I noticed the price chart and for Saturday night it was $136 Thats insane
The show was about 90 minutes no intermission and Hunter doesnt even sing

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 3/21/10 at 11:31am

It is such a waste not to have Hunter sing. I was going to go see this purely because he and Elizabeth are two of my favorite performers, but now I'm rethinking that.

[Papacusco]

Posted: 3/21/10 at 11:36am

If you can get a rush ticket you may like it a little I have seen your comments for years and you wont enjoy this show

[massofmen]

Posted: 3/21/10 at 11:39am

can someone enlighten me on why someone would give a directing job to a man who directed and brought "Glory Day" to broadway? with so many other young and talented directors out there slaving away as "associates" or "assistants" why this man would get another chance so quickly?