The Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura brings Million Dollar Quartet, the popular rockabilly jukebox play by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, to the stage. Million Dollar Quartet gives audiences the thrill of witnessing the famed (but mostly undocumented) meeting of mid-century musical titans. The show fictionalizes the events of an evening in Memphis when current and past Sun Studios recording artists Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash meet in the studio (along with visionary producer Sam Phillips) for a meshing of musical styles.
The show stars four of rock and roll’s favorite sons. It’s packed with hits, personality, and a brief history of popular music evolution, from the blues (as produced by artists of color) to the cross-cultural pollination of southern white artists raised on blues and gospel producing their own bastardized proto-rock for a white audience. Sun Studios owner Sam Phillips capitalized on this trend as it took over the airwaves and gave the world some of its best-loved artists.
Directed by Creg Sclavi (music direction by David Lamoureux), this production is an intimate view of the meeting of the Sun Studios scions. Nestled into the Rubicon’s corner stage, the angle of play gives audiences a fly-on-the-wall experience. It’s always a pleasure to watch actors who are also competent musicians — especially for a high-energy romp like Million Dollar Quartet. These performers (Blake Burgess as Cash; Alessandro Gian Viviano as Presley; Will Riddle as Perkins; and Alexander LaPlante as Lewis) bring the energy, grit, and spirit of these legendary performers to the stage in a satisfying proxy.
While the structure of the show is a concert with the added benefit of an interesting narrative, the dance-worthy rock, spiritual influence of devotional folk music, and commentary from the characters make Million Dollar Quartet a constantly enjoyable ride through a very specific era of American music.
See the show in Ventura through November 9. See rubicontheatre.org.
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