In early December of 1956, one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions in history took place; a “dream team” comprised of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins got together at a recording studio in Memphis and had an impromptu session that would make anyone wish they were a fly on the wall in that room. Luckily, this jam session was turned into a musical called Million Dollar Quartet, currently playing at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center by most of the cast from the show’s National Tour. This is a show you don’t want to miss — make sure to check out Million Dollar Quartet: A Magical Walk Down Memory Lane.
The story, which takes place over one night, features the four musical legends, along with other musicians and producer Sam Phillips (aka “the father of rock ‘n’ roll”), who is also the narrator of the show. The four musicians were only in their early twenties at the time, but there was plenty of drama, along with, of course, unforgettable performances.
I recently saw the show and pretty much from the very beginning could not stop dancing in my seat for most of the time. The songs started out great and just kept getting better and better as the show progressed. I noticed the audience were also dancing in their seats or nodding their heads to the beat; the music was just so contagious and the songs were all crowd-pleasers.
The performers not only sounded the part – they also looked like the famous musicians and all played live music as they sang. Some of the hits were “Blue Suede Shoes” (originally written and recorded by Perkins), “Great Balls of Fire” and “I walk the Line.” Trevor Dorner, who portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis (and is also the show’s musical director) stole the show with his stage presence and his virtuoso piano skills.
I highly recommend Million Dollar Quartet for a fun night out with top-notch music that will inspire you to go home and listen to these giants’ greatest hits.
Million Dollar Quartet, which is appropriate for all ages, is playing until May 22 at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center (480 N. Bedford Rd, Chappaqua, NY.) Performances are Thursday & Friday: 8pm; Saturday: 8pm & 3pm; Sunday: 1pm & 5 pm. Price is $49 and up.
Visit www.thewestchestetheatre.com to learn more and to purchase tickets.
I was not compensated for this post. I received complimentary tickets. All opinion is my own.
Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman is a PR consultant and freelance writer and has written for several blogs, including The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for over twenty years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree. Maytal is a mom to three kids, ages 15, 13 and 9.
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