Million Dollar Quartet

Fall in love with the one and only Elvis Presley, admire the indescribable guitarist Johnny Cash, share the enthusiasm for music with the ecstatic Jerry Lee Lewis and experience the intensity of Carl Perkins in this incredible production of Million Dollar Quartet. This performance shows the story of four stars and one man that made Rock' N' Roll history, and educated me about this era.

Sam Philips; the proud owner of his own label: Sun Studios after being a radio reporter for many years, articulates his journey to his great success, giving recognition to the struggles and the people he encountered along the way.

I had hesitations about watching this show at first because it didn't really fit with my interests or hobbies, however I took up the opportunity and journeyed to the Mayflower Theatre (Southampton) one evening. Even when in the auditorium, I was still unsure if this was for me.

Almost in union, the moment the lights dimmed, the audience finished their conversations and silence was held in anticipation and excitement.

Once we were introduced to the sound of a guitar playing the iconic chart hit 'I walked the Line' on the low-lit stage; this was Johnny Cash playing a hit that established him as an artist and catapulted him to fame. As the stage lit up and revealed a small apartment in resemblance to a recording studio room, Johnny Cash's chart number was ending and Sam Phillips was announcing the success of the Sun Records Label. This is the man that had made Rock' N' Roll, and introduced the world to these four memorable and iconic artists!

The legendary quartet is played outstandingly by the actors and I was impressed by the level of knowledge and understanding each had of their character, it was so convincing that sometimes I managed to forget that these were only actors! Martin Kaye, who plays Jerry Lee Lewis, was realistic to the extent his enthusiastic body language, excited accent and cheeky actions matched those of the real Jerry Lewis and not to mention Elvis Presley… It was outstanding.

This production allows you to learn about the music industry in the mid-19th century and acknowledge the difficulty of becoming an artist at that time by the use of music.

Throughout the show, I found that I adored the live music and the enticing songs, for example 'Blue Suede Shoes', 'Cry, Cry, Cry' and 'Crazy Arms'. Furthermore, the actors were captivating to watch and the simplistic staging in addition with the lighting created tone and atmosphere which expressed the professionalism of this production.

Personally, my favourite part of this production was the flawless performance of the actor Ross William Wild playing Elvis Presley. I had never really understood the love and excitement of Elvis until this eye-opening performance, which cleared my confusion and made me knowledgeable of what an incredible singer and celebrity he was. Furthermore, not only was he adored for his music but also for the way he treats his girlfriend Katie Ray. It was this behaviour which made the audience so enamoured with him.

This show was nothing but marvellous! And the performance of the cast was outstanding! I would recommend this to any fans of these excellent artists and to anyone interested in music history and the start of Rock' N' Roll.

So if this sounds appealing: why not come to watch this performance for yourself? Be sure to book tickets so you don't miss out! http://milliondollarquartetlive.co.uk/tour-dates/