by Anna Jennings

On December 4, 1956, the stars aligned in rock-and-roll history when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis all happened to meet at the Sun Records Studio owned by Sam Phillips, “The Godfather of Rock-and-Roll.” Phillips knew it was history in the making having these four powerhouse musicians jamming together, blending their musical styles and iconic voices. In the hopes of generating some press, Phillips called Memphis Press-Scimitar Entertainment Editor Robert Johnson down to the studio to cover the impromptu jam session. On December 5, 1956, an article titled, “Million Dollar Quartet” appeared in the Memphis Press-Scimitar with Press-Scimitar photographer George Pierce’s photo above.

It is this iconic photo and article that served as the source of inspiration for Million Dollar Quartet . In the early 2000s, Floyd Mutrux approached Col-in Escott about transforming this chance meeting of rock-and-roll legends into a jukebox musical—a musical that features popular, well-known songs rather than original music. It premiered at Seaside Music Theatre in Florida in 2006, and then over the next four years, found success at theatres across the country, finally opening on Broadway in the Nederlander Theatre on April 11, 2010. It received three Tony nominations, winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Levi Kreis’ performance of Jerry Lee Lewis.

Unsurprisingly, this musical celebrating the figures and sounds of rock-and-roll history has been produced many times across the country at regional theatres, Broadway, Off-Broadway, the West End and beyond. Over the course of eight years, it was one of the longest-running productions in the history of Chicago theatre, with 2,500 performances. Though inspired by a real event, the musical Million Dollar Quartet is a fictional imagining of the circumstances that brought these legendary musicians together in one place and what transpired between them that day. According to Mutrux: “We tried not to sanitize these people, but show them as real live, wild Tennessee boys who had stumbled upon this music and literally revolutionized the world of music.”

Writing a compelling story to serve as a vehicle for these songs that carry so much cultural and historical context was no easy feat, but as Mutrux explains, they had a simple goal: “The best we could hope for is to make the script half as much fun as the music.”

Alongside the classic rock-and-roll songs of tonight’s setlist, the story of Million Dollar Quartet portrays the business side of the music and the intricate dynamics of the relationships between these artists. This story brings life to iconic people and songs important to the complex cultural history of America while highlighting the power of music—and theatre—in building and strengthening communities.