Posts Tagged ‘colin escott’

“Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” is a Well-Cast, Tuneful Celebration from the Rep and STAGES

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 10, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Million Dollar Quartet Christmas
Book by Colin Escott
Directed by Keith Andrews
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and STAGES St. Louis
December 6 ,2024

Cast of Million Dollar Quartet Christmas
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, STAGES St. Louis

Both the Rep and STAGES St. Louis have presented the musical Million Dollar Quartet before, with STAGES’ version occurring just last season. Now, the two prominent local companies are teaming up for the first time to present the holiday-themed sequel, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas, with most of the cast from last year’s STAGES show on the Rep’s main stage at  the Loretto-Hilton center for a well-cast evening of music, reflection, and yuletide cheer as the cast of (mostly) well-known characters continue their jam session with a series of popular songs and holiday favorites.

Since the “Million Dollar Quartet” of Elvis Presley (Sean Buckley), Johnny Casy (Scott Moreau), Carl Perkins (Jeremy Sevelovitz), and Jerry Lee Lewis (Brady Wease) were only brought together by producer Sam Phillips (Jeff Cummings) at the Sun Records studio in Memphis on one occasion, I wondered how a sequel would work. What book writer Colin Escott has done, however, is just to extend that “jam session” on the same night, taking place after the four posed for the famous photo. It’s December, and Christmas is approaching, so I guess it makes sense that the group would add some carols and other holiday tunes to their repertoire such as “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” and “Blue Christmas”, along with a few other hits of the day including Elvis’s “Don’t Be Cruel” and well known songs by other artists including “Que Sera, Sera”, “Hot Diggity Dog” and more. It isn’t purely a concert, though, and there is a bit of  a plot, if you can call it that, as Phillips continues to express his disappointment at the artists leaving Sun Records for more glamorous contracts elsewhere, the artists stress over family commitments and other developments,  and the role of Elvis’s fictional girlfriend, Dyanne (Shelby Ringdahl) has been expanded in a way that works surprisingly well, as she serves as more a catalyst for some of the events this time as well as having some memorable vocal moments with songs like “Santa Baby” and the aforementioned “Que Sera, Sera”. 

It’s a fun musical experience, with a great cast returning and turning in stellar performances all around, joined by newcomer Buckley as an appropriately charismatic, vocally strong Elvis who also moves well. Sevelovitz and Zayas, as Carl and Jay Perkins, are standouts again as they were last year at STAGES, and Wease has all the electric energy that the role of Lewis requires, along with great piano skills. Moreau is solid as Cash, as well, and Ringdahl gets an impressive showcase in the slightly expanded role of Dyanne. Cummings as Phillips is also strong, although the script can make him occasionally come across as overly whiny, and there’s also strong support again from musical director Dave Sonneborn as percussionist W.S. “Fluke” Holland. This is a fun little story, but mostly it’s a jam session, and it’s all about the music, which is played very, very well, and with an additional dose of holiday spirit this time.

The set by Adam Koch is appropriately authentic-seeming, and there’s also excellent lighting by Sean M. Savoie and sound by Beef Gratz. The costumes by Brad Musgrove are suitably colorful and authentic to the characters who wear them. The late 1950’s atmosphere is well-maintained, along with the extra Christmasy elements that make this a holiday show.

Overall, Million Dollar Quartet Christmas is just about as entertaining as the first addition, coming across as something of an extended, holiday-themed encore. It’s great to see the impressive cast returning, with an excellent new addition in Buckley. What’s especially encouraging, though, is the collaborative effort of the Rep and STAGES, and I hope this won’t be the last time we see these excellent companies working together.

Brady Wease, Scott Moreau, Jeremy Sevelovitz, Shelby Ringdahl, Sean Buckley, Chuck Zayas
Photo by Jon Gitchoff
Repertory of St. Louis, STAGES St. Louis

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and STAGES St. Louis are presenting Million Dollar Quartet Christmas  at the Loretto-Hilton Center until December 22, 2024

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STAGES Celebrates Classic Rock ‘n Roll with Ideally Cast “Quartet”

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Million Dollar Quartet
Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Original Concept and Direction by Floyd Mutrux
Directed and Choreographed by Keith Andrews
STAGES St. Louis
September 13, 2023

Jeremy Sevelovitz, Brady Wease, Edward La Cardo, Scott Moreau
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is closing out their season with a rousing tribute to good old fashioned Rock ‘n Roll, and some of the iconic musicians who helped popularize it in the 1950’s. Using a true event as the basis for a fictionalized story, Million Dollar Quartet–directed by Keith Andrews–also provides an excellent showcase for its cast and a collection of memorable songs. It’s the musicality and presence of the cast, as well as the simple but effective production values, that make this show a delightful, energetic, crowd-pleasing production that celebrates not only the celebrities represented, but the music itself. 

The story is based on a gathering at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee in December, 1956, in which Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley all met at the now-legendary studio and recorded some songs together for studio owner and producer Sam Phillips. The iconic “jam session” has become the stuff of legend, but book writers Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux have played up the “legendary” aspect of the story even more, taking the opportunity to add some biographical details on the performers and Phillips, as well as including many of the performers’ most recognizable hits. The setup involves Philips trying to surprise Cash with a contract renewal, and RCA trying to court Phillips to sell Sun Records and move to New York to work with Elvis again. Also, Elvis did apparently have a girlfriend with him that day, but she wasn’t a singer, so the writers have created the character of Dyanne, an aspiring chanteuse who joins in on the jam session singing lead on some popular hits and harmonizing with the guys on other songs.

The performances are nothing short of stellar, and the casting of the singers and musicians is ideal, with Jeremy Sevelovitz as Carl Perkins on vocals and guitar, and Chuck Zayas as Carl’s brother Jay Perkins on bass being the standouts in terms of pure musicianship. Everyone is in excellent voice, with Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash managing to capture Cash’s deep vocal sound with impressive accuracy, and Edward La Cardo as Elvis has the necessary moves, vocals, and sheer charisma of the young King of Rock ‘n Roll. Brady Wease is a scene-stealer as the showboating Lewis, as well, with great vocals and impressive piano playing. Shelby Ringdahl as Dyanne also adds a likable personality and strong vocals to the mix, and music director David Sonneborn accompanies the group with style as drummer W.S. “Fluke” Holland. The production’s emotional anchor is the excellent, personable Jeff Cummings as Phillips, who provides much of the dramatic weight of the production and makes the somewhat thin plot work smoothly. 

Ultimately, though, it’s the music that makes this show work, and the sheer musicianship and atmosphere, which is ably supported by means Adam Koch’s detailed set, Brad Musgrove’s excellent period costumes, Sean M. Savoie’s vibrant lighting, and the cohesive sound design by Beef Gratz. 

Million Dollar Quartet is both a history lesson and a celebration of the true joy of music, especially old-school rock ‘n roll and pop, traditional country, and some old-time gospel hymns. It’s a marvelous tribute to these iconic performers, as well as their seemingly boundless talent and musicality. 

Cast of Million Dollar Quartet
Photo by Phillip Hamer
STAGES St. Louis

STAGES St. Louis is presenting Million Dollar Quartet at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until October 8, 2023

This review was originally published at kdhx.org

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The Rep’s “Million Dollar Quartet” is an Energetic Musical Tribute

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Million Dollar Quartet
Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Directed by by Hunter Foster
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
March 17, 2017

Sky Seals, Dominique Scott, John Michael Presney, Ryah Nixon, Ari McKay Wilford
Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.
Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Million Dollar Quartet is certainly a crowd-pleaser.  With a catalog of classic music from the early days of rock n’ roll, played and sung live on stage and with a great deal of energy and respect for the material, a show like this is sure to please. The closing show of the Rep’s 50th season, this slightly plotted, music-heavy show is, for the most part, an entertaining success, even though it does have its problems, especially in casting.

The show is inspired by an actual event–a historic day in 1956 when four musical legends–Elvis Presley (Ari McKay Wilford), Johnny Cash (Sky Seals), Carl Perkins (John Michael Presney), and Jerry Lee Lewis (Dominique Scott) all gathered for an impromptu jam session at the Sun Records studios in Memphis. The events here are largely embellished, creating a fictional girlfriend for Elvis named Dyanne (Ryah Nixon) who is a singer and can join in on the music, and focusing a lot of its attention on Sun Records’ founder Sam Phillips (James Ludwig), who is facing a dilemma when he’s offered a chance to sell his company and join Elvis at his new record company, RCA. There’s a big element of “history lesson” to this show as well, telling us a lot about the backgrounds about the various artists. It’s also a lesson in competing egos, as the talented musicians jockey for favor and boast about their success. This gives us a look at future legends still fairly early in their careers, and in the case of Jerry Lee Lewis, at the very beginning of his. For the most part, though, it’s more jam session than story, with the performers playing various hits such as “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Walk the Line”, “Great Balls of Fire”, and more. There’s even a nod to the late, great Chuck Berry with a performance of “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man”, as well as a foray into Gospel music with “Down By the Riverside”, “I Shall Not Be Moved”, and “Peace In the Valley.”

The music here is really the star, with all the musicians playing their own instruments and performing the songs well. There are some excellent musical moments and some stand-out performances, especially from the energetic, charismatic Scott as Lewis, and by Presney as Perkins, who displays an impressive talent on the guitar. There are also strong performances from Ludwig as Sam Phillips and Nixon as Dyanne, who has strong singing moments with “Fever” and “I Hear You Knockin'”. There’s also strong musical support from Eric Scott Anthony, as Carl Perkins’ brother Jay, on bass, and by Zach Cossman as drummer Fluke. The problematic casting comes in the form of Seals and McKay. Try as he might, the pleasant-voiced Wilford just doesn’t quite convince as Elvis, lacking  in the sheer sense of charisma and magnetism, and although Seals gives a strong acting performance as Cash, his voice isn’t low enough or strong enough to carry off Cash’s classic songs, especially “I Walk the Line” in which Seals noticeably strains to the degree that it affects his overall credibility. Still, everyone seems to be having a great time here, and the group singing sessions are particularly strong.

Technically, the show is simply and effectively staged. There isn’t a need for an elaborate set, as it all takes place in the Sun Records studio, although that studio is vividly realized by set designer Adam Koch, whose two-level set provides the ideal backdrop for the performances. Costume designer Lauren T. Roark has outfitted the performers well, in colorful period-specific costumes that suit the various performers well. There’s also excellent lighting by Kirk Boookman and sound by Bart Fasbender, highlighting the clarity, energy, and sheer musicality of the performance.

This is a fun show, and even though it isn’t perfect, it entertains. Toward the end of the production, a photo and recording of the real legendary performers is shown, and it does serve as something of an extra reminder that what we’re seeing on stage is only an imperfect re-creation. Still, Million Dollar Quartet is full of great music and serves as a fitting tribute to its subjects. Even though the casting isn’t always ideal and it often comes across as more of a concert than a play, it’s a lively, well-played presentation featuring a lot of great music that is worth hearing, remembering, and celebrating.

Repertory Theatre of St. Louis is presenting Million Dollar Quartet until April 9, 2017.

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