MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, the award-winning new musical that tells the electrifying story of the night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together to make music and ended up making history, will open at London’s Noël Coward Theatre on 28 February 2011 with previews from 8 February 2011. Tickets will go on public sale at 10.00am on 4 December 2010.
Currently playing on Broadway and in Chicago, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is inspired by the actual event that took place on 4 December 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis and features over 20 of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits ever written including: Blue Suede Shoes, I Walk The Line, Fever, Great Balls of Fire, Hound Dog, Folsom Prison Blues and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On*
The legendary meeting was masterminded by Sun Records’ founder Sam Phillips, who discovered all four of the musicians, and brought Elvis Presley (and his then girlfriend) back to the recording studio that launched him to stardom. Together with Sun Records’ fast-rising new superstar Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, who was still chasing his next big hit after writing and recording Blue Suede Shoes, the fourth member of this impromptu “quartet” was Phillips’ latest signing, Jerry Lee Lewis.
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is a story of fame, friendship, discovery, divided loyalties, professional jealousy and incredible music as four of the music industry’s most extraordinary talents, all in their creative prime, made music together for the first and only time in their careers.
The production team has undertaken an extensive search of the UK and Ireland – with open auditions in Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Dublin and London – to find performers to play these iconic figures. FULL CASTING WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is directed by Eric Schaeffer, with a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, and was originally directed and conceived by Floyd Mutrux. The creative team also includes: Derek McLane (scenic design), Jane Greenwood (costume design), Howell Binkley (lighting design), Kai Harada (sound design) and Chuck Mead (musical arrangements and supervision).
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is produced in the West End by Relevant Theatricals, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology, John Gore, Thomas B. McGrath, James L. Nederlander, Joseph Smith and Michael McCabe.
