Million Dollar Quartet, the Chicago transfer about a recording session featuring Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, opened on Broadway last night and the critics were slightly split, but generally positive. Yes, they admit, the show does have elements of past jukebox musicals, but an amazing score and the fantastic musical skills of the actors portraying these personalities set it apart from the fray and will keep audiences coming for a good long time.
The New York Times
The prime asset of “Million Dollar Quartet,” written by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux and directed by Eric Schaeffer, is the explosive vitality of the music making…. Gifted musicians and likable performers, they tackle with no apparent discomfort the unenviable chore of impersonating some of the most revered names in pop music, from their slick pompadours right down to their frisky, agile fingertips. Read the full review.
The Hollywood Reporter
Bottom Line: Good rockin’ tonight, indeed…. This wildly entertaining show wonderfully captures the spirit of these seminal figures who would go on to change the course of popular music…. The four actor-musicians deliver rousing versions of nearly two dozen classic songs. Yes, the evening occasionally borders on becoming another “Legends in Concert,” but the terrific musicianship and incisive characterizations on display offset the Vegas-style atmosphere of the proceedings. Read the full review.
Backstage
When the curtain call is the most exciting part of a show, it’s definitely a problem. Such is the case with “Million Dollar Quartet,” the latest attempt to turn pop nostalgia into Broadway box-office gold…. This jukebox musical attempts to spin a showbiz anecdote about larger-than-life figures at a recording session into a full-blown theatrical experience…. Judging by the show’s success in Chicago, where it has been playing for over a year, the audience for “Million Dollar Quartet” is probably more interested in hearing the hits of their youth than in experiencing a solid dramatic arc, so look for it to make at least the title sum from the Broadway and inevitable touring productions. Read the full review.
Entertainment Weekly
The big question about this latest jukebox musical concerns whether it is really a Broadway show in any real dramatic sense, or just a way to squeeze money from the back catalogs of four rock superstars…. The vocal performances are mostly impressive, particularly as the four instrument-playing impersonators act as their own on-stage orchestra…. The trouble begins when the singing stops. Read the full review.
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