Denver's First Lady Mary Louise Lee to Join MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Jam Session on Opening Night, 2/25

By: Feb. 24, 2014
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

For opening night only, Denver's First Lady Mary Louise Lee will join the cast of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET on stage for a special encore jam session. The national tour of the Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, inspired by an electrifying true story, makes its Denver premiere at The Buell Theatre February 25 through March 9 only. Tickets are on sale now at Denvercenter.org.

Ms. Lee joins the cast as part of "Sittin' in with the Band," where following select performances of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET a special guest musician joins the cast onstage for an encore jam session. Since its inception, "Sittin' in with the Band" has invited musical greats such as: Darlene Love, Jerry Lee Lewis and Melissa Etheridge among others to share the stage with the cast of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET during the final, encore song of the show. The song selection is chosen by the guest and the entire cast joins in as they blow the lid off the theatre in celebration of 1950's inspired music. This will be the only "Sittin' in with the Band" for the Denver engagement of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET.

Singing and performing since the age of three, Denver's First Lady Mary Louise Lee has become a well-known staple throughout Denver's music and performing arts landscape. As Denver's First Lady, she combines her passion for the arts and dedication youth through her "Bringing Back the Arts Foundation. From students to senior citizens, Ms. Lee is committed to being an ambassador for the arts to help expose and expand access to Denver's vibrant arts and cultural community.

The international Tony Award-Winning musical, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is set on December 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll" who was responsible for launching the careers of each icon, gathered the four legendary musicians at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time. The resulting evening became known as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions in history.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring timeless hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Ring of Fire," "That's All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "See Ya Later, Alligator," "Fever," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Hound Dog" and more.

Portraying these icons are, John Countryman as Jerry Lee Lewis, Lee Ferris as Carl Perkins, Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash, and Cody Ray Slaughter as Elvis Presley. Vince Nappo plays the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," Sam Phillips. The cast also features Kelly Lamont (February 25-March 2) and Katie Barton (March 4-9)as Dyanne, and musicians Patrick Morrow (Fluke, drums) and Corey Kaiser (Jay Perkins, bass). Rounding out the company are: Andrew Frace, Robby Kipferl, Stephanie Lynne Mason, Sean McGibbon, David Sonneborn and H. Bradley Waters.

The show is directed by Eric Schaeffer and features a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. The design team includes: Derek McLane (scenic design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Kai Harada (sound design) and Chuck Mead (musical arrangements and supervision).

When the Broadway production opened in April 2010, critics and audiences leapt to their feet in unanimous praise. The New York Times called the show, "a buoyant new musical that whips the crowd into a frenzy," New York Magazine labeled it, "a dazzling raucous spectacle that sounds like a million bucks," and NY1 called it, "90 minutes of platinum grade entertainment." The musical continued its successful New York engagement at New World Stages through June 2012.

The longest-running musical production in Chicago's history, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET opened in 2008and continues to perform to packed houses at the Apollo Theatre. The West End production played at the Noël Coward Theatre in London in 2011, and a Las Vegas production began performances at Harrah's Showroom in Las Vegas in February 2013.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical (Colin Escott & Floyd Mutrux). The show received an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Musical Revue and three Drama League nominations including Distinguished Production of a Musical and Distinguished Performance.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is produced by Relevant Theatricals, James L. Nederlander, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology and Broadway Across America.

Single tickets for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET start at $20. To charge by phone, call Denver Center Ticket Services at 303.893.4100. TTY (for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons): 303.893.9582. Groups of 10 or more, please call 303.446.4829. Additionally, tickets may be purchased at the Denver Center Ticket Office, located in the Helen Bonfils Theatre Complex lobby. Buy and print online at denvercenter.org.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET in Denver is sponsored by U.S. Bank and Pioneer Natural Resources and is included in the Denver Center Attractions 2013/14 season, which is sponsored by United Airlines and Vectra Bank. Media sponsorship for DCA is provided by The Denver Post and CBS4. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is supported in part by the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.

For more information, visit: MillionDollarQuartetLive.com, or connect on Facebook: facebook.com/DenverCenter; Twitter: @DenverCenter; YouTube: youtube.com/denvercente, or Denver Center's blog: http://denvercenterblog.tumblr.com.



Videos