MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET National Tour to Play Andrew Jackson Hal, 5/6-11

By: Feb. 23, 2014
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The national tour of the Broadway musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, inspired by the electrifying true story, will make its Nashville premiere in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall with a limited, one-week engagement May 6-11.

Tickets for MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET go on sale on Friday, February 28 at 10:00 a.m. at tpac.org, by phone at (615) 782-4040, and at the TPAC Box Office, 505 Deaderick Street, in downtown Nashville. For group discounts, please call (615) 782-4060.

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.

"This rockin' production is quintessential Nashville and Tennessee," said Kathleen O'Brien, TPAC president and chief executive officer. "Nashville's own Chuck Mead, songwriter and co-founder of the country group BR-549, approached the musical direction of the show to ensure it sounded genuine and would be enjoyed by the music industry as well as Broadway fans. That authenticity is important in a town like Music City, and we can't wait for audiences to come rock out with us this May for a show that represents such an iconic moment in music 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, James Barry as Carl Perkins, John Countryman as Jerry Lee Lewis, 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 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 Nashville's own 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 2008 and 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.

For more information, please visit www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com.



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