The national tour of the Broadway musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” inspired by the electrifying true story, will make its Cleveland premiere April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bologna Performing Arts Center as the final performance of the BPAC’s\u00a02014-15 20th Anniversary Season.<\/p>\n
The international Tony\u00ae Award-Winning musical is set on Dec. 4, 1956, when an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. Sam Phillips, the \u201cFather of Rock \u2018n\u2019 Roll,\u201d 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 \u2018n\u2019 roll jam sessions in history.<\/p>\n
“Million Dollar Quartet”\u00a0brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring timeless hits including \u201cBlue Suede Shoes,\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s All Right,\u201d \u201cSixteen Tons,\u201d \u201cGreat Balls of Fire,\u201d \u201cI Walk the Line,\u201d \u201cWhole Lotta Shakin\u2019 Goin\u2019 On,\u201d \u201cSee Ya Later, Alligator,\u201d \u201cFever,\u201d \u201cFolsom Prison Blues,\u201d \u201cHound Dog\u201d and more.<\/p>\n
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;\u00a0Jane Greenwood, costume design; Kai Harada, sound design; and Chuck Mead, musical arrangements and supervision.<\/p>\n
When the Broadway production opened in April of 2010, critics and audiences leapt to their feet in unanimous praise. The New York Times called the show, \u201ca buoyant new musical that whips the crowd into a frenzy.\u201d New York Magazine labeled it, \u201ca dazzling raucous spectacle that sounds like a million bucks,\u201d and NY1 called it, \u201cNinety minutes of platinum grade entertainment.\u201d The musical continued its successful New York engagement at New World Stages through June of 2012.<\/p>\n
The longest running musical production in Chicago\u2019s history, the show\u00a0opened in 2008 and continues to perform to packed houses at the Apollo Theatre. The West End production played at the No\u00ebl Coward Theatre in London in 2011, and a Las Vegas production began performances at Harrah\u2019s Showroom in Las Vegas in February of 2013.<\/p>\n
The musical won a Tony Award\u00ae for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a musical and received a Tony Award\u00ae 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.<\/p>\n
“Million Dollar Quartet” is produced by Relevant Theatricals, James L. Nederlander, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology and Broadway Across America.<\/p>\n