Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ a thrilling snapshot of rock ‘n’ roll history
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On Dec. 4, 1956, rock ’n’ roll history was made.
Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash gathered at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., for a recording session the likes of which would never again be repeated.
That evening is revisited in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” and Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s production was electrifying on Friday night at the Gargaro Theater in Pittsburgh’s West End.
The part-play, part-concert captures that momentous evening, narrated by Sam Phillips (Tommy McDowell), founder of Sun Records. With a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, the musical debuted on Broadway in 2010.
The audience gets a window into the recording session, with big personalities, contract disputes and a cavalcade of hit songs along the way.
There’s not a much better way to spend a Friday night.
With the musicians playing live, the whole performance felt authentic and one-of-a-kind, just like any concert. The musicians involved were insanely talented — all four of the actors playing the rock legends did, indeed, rock it.
What was so impressive about this cast is how recognizable they were as their characters without inching into parody territory. It was clear from the first verse of the show’s opening number, “Blue Suede Shoes,” who was playing who without any introduction.
Jon Rohlf as Carl Perkins did a sensational job performing “Who Do You Love?” and struck a particularly poignant chord in some of the second act’s dramatic moments.
Collin Yates brought Elvis Presley to life with swagger and earnestness.
Allen Law played all sides of Johnny Cash with striking realism, and played a mean “Folsom Prison Blues” on top of it.
And Taylor Isaac Gray’s Jerry Lee Lewis, giving the performance of the night, was brash, boisterous and mesmerizing on the piano (sometimes literally on top of the piano).
And the drummer, Fluke (Mike Lucchetti), and bassist, Brother Jay (Justin Bendel), were standouts all on their own.
McDowell as Sam Phillips was the heart of the show. And playing the lone female character, Elvis’s fictional girlfriend Dyanne, Rachel Rosenbush was a charming counterbalance and knocked the crowd’s socks off with her voice. She sang two numbers, a sultry “Fever” and “I Hear You Knocking,” with just enough attitude accentuating her commanding stage presence.
The set and costumes were simple but effective, considering they were conveying a recording studio that was once an auto shop.
The lighting also deserves praise, switching from warm and homey in the dramatic scenes to colorful and dynamic — like an actual concert — for each song. It looked like lighting designer Forrest Trimble used every tool in his arsenal to bring another dimension to the incendiary musical numbers, but also highlight each individual character in their solo moments.
Director Tim Seib made impressive use of the whole stage setup, as well, and brought out some fantastic performances from a talented cast.
The plot of “Million Dollar Quartet” is a bit anemic, and the second act felt rushed toward the end.
But what comes after its end is worth the price of admission all on its own. The last 15 minutes or so of the show is a no-holds-barred, exuberant celebration of these four men and their music, each of them getting a song on which to end.
For Elvis, Yates shimmied his way all over the stage and sang a spectacular “Hound Dog.” Law never embodied Cash’s outlaw spirit more than in his rendition of “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” Rohlf had the crowd singing along with “See You Later, Alligator.”
And Gray? He literally brought the whole crowd to their feet and dancing throughout the whole theater with a performance of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The whole company looked like they were having the time of their lives doing it too — that finale quartet of songs brought out the rock star charisma in all four of the main actors, and they each took advantage of their moments to shine.
The show ended, as the house lights came up, with the declaration that “Elvis has left the building.”
Lucky for future audiences that this cast still has more shows to perform.
Pittsburgh Musical Theater’s “Million Dollar Quartet” runs through May 12 at the Gargaro Theater in Pittsburgh’s West End. For information and tickets, visit pittsburghmusicals.com.