Broadway Rock 'n' Roll on the Small Screen! MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Series Headed to CMT

According to a casting notice, the Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is being adapted into an 8-episode CMT series centered on rock 'n' roll pioneer Sam Phillips.

Executive produced by Leslie Greif and Gil Grant and produced by Colin Escott, the project will feature multiple directors. Filming is set to begin in March, and casting is underway for the lead roles of Phillips and Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker.

The official synopsis for the mini-series reads: "Based on the very successful Broadway show, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET tells the story of nothing less than the creation of rock 'n' roll. We see the new music unfold, changing society, paving the way for racial integration. Set in Memphis, Tennessee, it's the story of Sam Phillips, a struggling audio engineer who has a dream of starting his own record label. His first goal was to record blues singers, and he discovered B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and others. Seeing that white kids secretly enjoyed this music on the radio but wouldn't buy it, he began to think that a white teen who had a feel for blues could change everything. Enter Elvis Presley, hoping to make a one-off recording for his mother. Phillips signed him, promoted him in the face of ridicule and hostility, but was soon forced to sell his contract to RCA to keep afloat. He used the proceeds to promote Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins' 'Blue Suede Shoes.' Then he discovered Jerry Lee Lewis. The music that Phillips nurtured is the defining sound of modern times, still the foundation of contemporary popular music."

Who should star in the TV adaptation? Tell us in the comments below!

The international Tony Award-winning musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is inspired by the phenomenal true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings the heart and soul of that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of excitement and passion, featuring 21 timeless hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Fever," "Hound Dog" and more.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET just launched a new touring company last month as part of its 5th season on the road. The tour will continue to more than 40 cities throughout the 2015-2016 season, including Phoenix, AZ (The Orpheum Theatre); Sarasota, FL (Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall); Birmingham, AL (BJCC Concert Hall); and Eugene, OR (Hult Center). The legendary rock 'n' roll icons of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET continue to electrify audiences in long-running shows in Chicago and Las Vegas.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET had its world premiere at Florida's Seaside Music Theatre, and was subsequently staged at the Village Theatre in Seattle, WA, breaking box office records. When the Broadway production opened in April 2010, critics and audiences leapt to their feet with praises. The musical continued its successful New York engagement Off-Broadway at New World Stages through June 2012. In 2011, the West End production played at the Noël Coward Theatre in London.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Levi Kreis' portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis and received Tony Award nominations 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.

The Original Broadway production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET was directed by Eric Schaeffer and features a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. The design team for the Broadway production included Derek McLane (scenic design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Kai Harada (sound design) and Chuck Mead (musical arrangements and supervision).

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