KRT’s Million Dollar Quartet brings back the past with some old time rock-n-roll, and the toe-tapping does not stop

By Carolyn Reid

On December 4, 1956, in the middle of Memphis, TN, Carl Perkins was in Sun Studios recording new material after his success with “Blue Suede Shoes,” with a little-known piano player named Jerry Lee Lewis as accompaniment. During the session, Elvis Presley, whose contract had previously been sold by Sun’s owner and producer Sam Phillips, stopped by (with a young lady in tow) for a visit. Johnny Cash, another Sun Records product, was called in for some reason, and before the night was over, an impromptu jam session including these four rising stars began. Phillips, who had musical instincts that later led him to all sorts of Hall of Fame inductions, let the recording roll, and history was not only made that night, but it was recorded for later generations to experience. Those recordings were released in 1981, but the day after the session, a reporter who was on the scene of the historical event also had insight into what was taking place, and he dubbed the four “The Million Dollar Quartet.”

That night was recreated for the stage in a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, and its premier was held at Florida’s Seaside Music Theater in 2006. The play gained traction, and on April 11, 2010, it opened in Nelander Theatre on Broadway. It closed 14 months later.

This season, Kincaid Regional Theater has brought this Tony-nominated production to its own stage--an ambitious undertaking, to be sure. Finding four men who have the musical ability and the stage prowess to pull off the likes of these four pioneers of rock-and-roll along with lesser-known personalities such as Sam Phillips and Elvis’s lady friend Dyanne, as well as the musicians Holland and Brother Jay, and bringing those folks to Falmouth had to be a daunting task, but our local theater pulled it off well.

Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis all come to life thanks to the talents of Hunter Henrickson, local actor Michael English, Nathan Roberts, and Philip King, respectively. Henrickson, having his second round as Perkins in the same production, not only shows off the personality of the late great, but he also shows off the guitar and vocal skills acclaimed in Perkins.

English, more of a baritone than the baritone-bass voice Cash displayed, sang the hits of the Man in Black as he brought about that brooding personality Cash never got beyond. His vocals were accented by the well-known facial expressions, the almost shy presence, Cash displayed  as he sang “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk the Line.” The latter song and “Sixteen Tons” stretched English in his vocal range, but he handled the challenge professionally, and he made it work.

Roberts has brought Elvis to life three times in his career, this production being his third. Whether he draws from experience or he has embodied Elvis in the performances is the question. His moves, his charisma, his voice, and his polite demeanor all reflect the memories we have of the King.

King takes the over-the-top Jerry Lee Lewis even further out, bringing comedy into the mix as well as phenomenal piano skills. King also serves as the music director, a position he is quite comfortable with as that is also his day job. That expertise shines as all the performers nail the selections with a seeming ease.

Sarah Beth Ganey, who plays Dyanne, is given time to show off her strong, bluesy voice, and she brings the house down especially with “Fever.” Although she is added to the show through artistic license (we have no record of Elvis’s date singing that evening), her voice and personality give the play what is a needed female element and almost mystery. Most of the male performances are expected considering the stars’ biggest hits. She brings in some unexpected, but familiar, selections, and does so in a clear, powerful voice.

Patrick Stanley, like his character Sam Phillips, does not sing, but he serves as the narrator of what is really his story. Phillips was the pioneer who helped the stars move music from what is was into what it became, using the styles of blues and Black gospel and marrying those to familiar musical standards to make a whole new sound. Stanley spends a lot of time in the recording booth, but the emotion he conveys brings out the dedication Phillips had to both the craft of recording and pushing performers from who they were into who they were meant to be.

And while they are not speaking characters, Garrette Koeninger (drummer “Fluke” Holland”) and Zach Gutman (bassist Brother Jay) bring the energy of the ‘50s drum and double bass to nearly every song performed.

The set reflects the look of a remade garage, which is what Sun Records is, and the entire play takes place in that set.

With selections such as “Peace in the Valley,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” and the tight, impeccable acapella harmony of “Down by the Riverside,” along with comedy and poignant drama, everyone can find at least one spot to enjoy in this play.

KRT’s production of Million Dollar Quartet, directed by Katrina Ploof, brings us all into the small, unassuming  recording studio that became the hot spot for rock-and-roll, and it unfolds the story of how four giants in the music industry got their starts, as well as the challenges they all faced in doing so.

Smoking, drinking, and some innuendo are present, giving this play a recommendation of “adults only.”

The play runs this weekend, July 21-23, and again the weekend of July 28-30. Sunday performances are 2:30 p.m. matinées, and the Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7 p.m. Doors open 30 minutes before show time.

You likely have never seen eight people have more fun on a stage.