Theatre / Musical
Review: Million Dollar Quartet, Hippodrome
It’s early December 1956 and four young musicians who would go on to write themselves into the rock‘n’roll history books find themselves together in the same studio. The so-called Million Dollar Quartet is composed of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, and is together for one night only. And we’re invited to listen to the music they make.
This show lives or dies on the strength of the musical numbers. Thankfully, the cast are invariably superb. They have a tough job between faithfully recreating the sound of these iconic musicians and not straying into parody or holiday-camp impersonation. Helpfully, they are all excellent musicians (special mentions for Martin Kaye and Matthew Wycliffe, for Lee Lewis’ glissandos and Perkins’ guitar work respectively). Ross William Wild gives his best as the already successful Elvis giving us a glimpse of his insecurity underneath the success. I Walk The Line is a highlight from Robbie Durham’s Johnny Cash.
If there is a weak point, the show itself offers little in the way of plot and is held together loosely by narration from Sam Phillips (Jason Donovan), the record producer who discovered the stars and brought them back together. We get snippets of how he discovered the boys – but these are only skin deep. Donovan does his best in this role and does an admirable job of linking the songs together. On balance, perhaps director Ian Talbot made an astute decision to keep it simple and let the music do the talking.
As an evening of entertainment the show ranks highly if you want to see some the best numbers rock ‘n’ roll has to offer played live. Now, where are those blue suede shoes…?
Million Dollar Quartet continues at the Hippodrome until Saturday, December 3. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/million-dollar-quartet/bristol-hippodrome
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