Pricey foursome: Million Dollar Quartet pays tribute to the famous protégés of Sun RecordsDarren BellReview at a glance
As anyone who saw this show during its previous West End run will know, the titular pricey foursome are the most famous protégés of Memphis-based Sun Records: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins. On December 4th 1956 they gathered in a Sun studio with owner Sam Phillips for an impromptu jam session and the rest is, well, a rather lacklustre jukebox musical.
There’s a bit of perfunctory dialogue and exposition of the simmering tensions between the artists and boss Phillips (Martin Kemp), but this piece is – should be – all about those blistering numbers, Blue Suede Shoes, Great Balls of Fire, I Walk the Line and more.
The actor-musicians are undoubtedly talented and Martin Kaye as thrustingly ambitious pianist Lewis is electrifying. Yet Ian Talbot’s production stubbornly lacks the sort of galvanising, up-on-your-feet rock and roll energy that an audience composed primarily of nostalgic baby boomers deserves.
At £95 plus booking fee for a chunk of stalls tickets, MDQ is exceedingly optimistically priced as well. I wouldn’t pay that for this.