The jukebox musical Million Dollar Quartet can be summarized by the phrase — and not without some irony — “a little less conversation, a little more action.”
But by the almighty power of rock and roll does Persephone Theatre deliver on that action in their production of the musical, ending their 50th season with the flash it deserves.
The musical follows the real-life event of the same name: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis all found themselves at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee for an impromptu recording session. Producer Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Records, gave all these performers their start — and this one session would be the only time all four of these rock and roll icons would record together.
There’s a little more to the plot, mostly about expiring music contracts and rock and roll never fading away, but it honestly doesn’t matter. The great majority of this show is music, so what matters is the music. And these performers are all stupidly, almost unbelievably, talented at — well — music.
It’s hard to say what calls Tyler Check (Carl Perkins), Jacob Hemphill (Johnny Cash), Frankie Cottrell (Elvis Presley) and Joshua Kilimnik (Jerry Lee Lewis) to theatre instead of full-time music careers, but we the audience are much better for it. The combative chemistry of Check and Kilimnik adds some depth to the first act, and Hemphill’s deep Johnny Cash tones were just delightful to hear. And experiencing Cottrell’s attitude and dance moves as Elvis was just a delight.
But it’s the musical side of this where these performers didn’t just shine — they exploded with talent and energy. Embodying these giants of the industry is no small feat, and each of these performers really and truly pulled it off. They all had great moments, but Kilimnik’s Jerry Lee Lewis was definitely a standout, embodying the kind of artistic arrogance and gauche social skills that would put him on par with Mozart in Amadeus. And the fanatical energy he brought to the piano, vocals and physicality of the role made it hard to ever look away.
It is nice to see that we can home-grow some musical and theatrical talent right here in Saskatchewan, too. Keisha Mowchenko as Elvis’ girlfriend Dyanne in her Persephone debut proved she should be a mainstay on the main stage, dazzling with both unreal vocals and standout acting among other powerful performers. And seeing Tim Bratton on a Saskatoon stage is never dull, with him excelling as the affable and supportive music producer Sam Phillips.
And we would be remiss not to mention Andrew Linsley and Brett Graham, two Saskatoon-based talents, holding down the band as the bass player and the drummer for the entire night with panache.
There’s something to be said for design playing a huge part in the immersion of this show, and the set design in this show is the latest in a series of great set designs that have played on the Persephone stage. The jukebox musical has the look and feel of being set in a literal jukebox, and the lighting and costume design transport us in a way a music revue or tribute band could not.
It’s a little difficult to critique Million Dollar Quartet like a “regular” play, or even an average musical. The great majority of this show’s runtime comes from the musical performances, and the dialogue often serves only to fill time between songs. The script is a bit flat, a tissue-thin excuse to string together hit song after hit song. This show would not fall into the category of the best I’ve ever seen produced by Persephone Theatre in terms of acting, but Million Dollar Quartet might feature the best performances that have graced any stage in Saskatoon, theatrical or otherwise. There is no denying the gifts of the four main men and how they lit up the room.
And this show, unequivocally, got the largest and most raucous ovation on Saturday that I can remember a Persephone Theatre production receiving.
So let’s go with the will of the people on this one. Million Dollar Quartet is a rock-and-rolling, hip-swinging, head-nodding, hand-clapping, crowd-pleasing spectacular that enthusiastically brings to life the some of the best music — and musicians — of the 20th century.
Million Dollar Quartet runs at Persephone Theatre until May 11. Tickets can be purchased online at persephonetheatre.org.
