Million Dollar Quartet

Pam & I saw Million Dollar Quartet at the Nederlander Theatre last night. It is based on a real event at the legendary Sun Studios in 1956, when Elvis Presley, Carl Pekins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis were all in the studio at the same time.
If you are of a certain age, and remember the early days of Rock n' Roll, you will likely love this show. Since I grew up in Memphis listening to Dewey Phillips' Red Hot and Blue radio show, (Dewey was the first person to play Elvis on the radio), I know the Sam Phillips/Sun story, and I'm familiar with all the music and I had a blast. The cast is incredibly talented, with Levi Kreis' version of Jerry Lee Lewis stealing the show. Christopher Ryan Grant played Johnny Cash, and did an amazing job. He sounds just like the late Mr. Cash, but perhaps a little better. Terrific rendition of Folsom Prison Blues.
I was surprised at how accurately the Southern accents, and Southern dialect, were delivered. Looking through the Playbill, it doesn't seem that there is anyone from TN, LA, MS or AL in the cast. Frequently, in attempts to sound from the South, actors speak slower. If you have the right ear, you'll hear that Southenors speak in bursts, with little longer breaks between. Hunter Foster, who plays Sam Phillips, captured that form flawlessly.
Great show.

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