Review of "Million Dollar Quartet Christmas" at Capital Repertory Theatre
Elvis Presley seated at the piano and surrounded by (from left): Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Dyanne.
by Katie Beltramo
The original "Million Dollar Quartet" is a Tony® Award-nominated musical based on an actual night on December 4, 1956, when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley all got together and jammed at Sun Records in Memphis. It puts together plenty of great songs with back stories and drama about the relationships between these famous musicians. "Million Dollar Quartet Christmas" serves as a companion to the original, but there's a bit less plot and more holiday-themed fun.
The production is jam-packed with holiday tunes as well as some of the musicians' greatest hits. Between the music, there is dialogue alluding to the various people's individual stories: Jerry Lee Lewis' hopes for fame, Elvis Presley's movies and future military stint, Carl Perkins' worries about getting pushed to the background, Johnny Cash's vows to be a better man, and producer Sam Phillips reminding everyone that his small studio helped make them all. For those familiar with these rock and roll legends, the references are clear, but they're lost on viewers who are younger or not oldies rock super fans. During interludes, I found myself impatient for the next song.
The performances are fantastic, and anyone who's a fan of live music will enjoy this show. In particular, Matt Cusack, who plays Johnny Cash, has a voice that's so similar to the original man it's uncanny. Billy Rude plays Jerry Lee Lewis positively acrobatically, jumping on and off the piano and stomping its keys with his feet in imitation of Lewis' flamboyant style. Taylor Aronson, who plays Dyanne, a fictionalized version of Presley's girlfriend who was actually at the studio back in 1956, is mesmerizing. She sings, dances beautifully, serves as an effervescent hype woman for every other performer, and manages to make even casually drinking a soda pop in the background into a sultry pose. Aronson is the only woman in the stage full of men, and she manages to amp up the feminine energy to match (possibly exceed) them all.
Partway through the second act, the characters depart from the studio only to return in festive holiday garb for a straight mini-concert of Christmas tunes that had the audience clapping and cheering, ending the production with a standing ovation.
What Ages are Best for this Production?
During our performance, the audience skewed older, and it makes sense that the grandparents in your family are more likely to know the characters and context as well as knowing and loving the tunes. In my opinion, teens would also enjoy this show, and little ones would be restless. For older kids, say, 9 years old and up, it varies, based largely on whether they're music fans or aspiring musicians themselves. If you have a piano player, I strongly suggest that you choose seats on the left where you can more easily see Rude/Lewis and others play the piano. Speaking of seats, if you haven't been to the Rep, it's a small theater, so every seat is fantastic, and being so close to the action really helps keep kids engaged. I also think that kids will enjoy the show more if they know the singers' hits ahead of time. If you're planning to go, add "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, "Don't Be Cruel" and "Blue Christmas" by Elvis Presley, "Cotton Top" by Carl Perkins, and "Chantilly Lace" by Jerry Lee Lewis to your playlist ahead of time so that kids will be excited to hear them in person.
Million Dollar Quartet Christmas is a fun night out, and it would be great for a date night or girls' night (it's got a very civilized bar and lobby space with tables for hanging out before and after the show, too). Depending on your kids' ages and enthusiasm level, it could also be a great multi-generational outing for the holiday season (also important: no Santa spoilers).
Million Dollar Quartet Christmas is playing at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany through Christmas Eve. The show's run time is about one hour and 47 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. For schedule and ticket information, call 581-346-6204 or visit attherep.org.
Photos provided by Capital Repertory Theatre. Credit: Photography by Doug Liebig @oeprophoto
© 2023 Katie Beltramo.
Katie Beltramo, a mom of two, is communication director at Kids Out and About and blogs at Capital District Fun.