The show, directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, arrives in London for a limited run as part of a UK tour.
WhatsOnStage: “The talent is undeniable, the musicians play brilliantly and the lighting frequently shines.”
A Young(ish) Perspective: “The success of the rousing triple song encore proved that audience energy and participation was there, but the preceding two hours failed to capitalise on it. Hits such as Cash’s I Walk the Line, Presely’s Hound Dog, Lewis’ Great Balls of Fire and Perkins’ Blue Suede Shoes are all crowd-pleasers worthy of a full concert experience. Given the indulgence into pure nostalgia, this show’s target audience appears to be your parents, grandparents and even great grandparents. Take them with you and you’ll show them a great time, but don’t expect to dig deeper than the recording booth.”
Theatre Weekly: “As before, Million Dollar Quartet only lightly touches upon the more complicated themes surrounding fame and the changing music industry, but this has never been the production’s primary ambition. Its purpose is to celebrate a remarkable meeting of musical talent and to recreate the thrill of hearing these songs performed live.”
London Theatre.co.uk: “This production must have had quite an impact in the intimate Barn Theatre, but the piece soon makes its mark in this larger space too. By the finale, people of all ages were literally dancing in the aisles.”
Theatre South East: “This combination of a lively cast, impressive musicianship, and atmospheric design makes this show feel like a living piece of rock ’n’ roll history. By the end, it is a full-fledged concert, with audience members encouraged to get on their feet and clap along to an encore of performances from each star. While the production’s loose narrative leaves something to be desired, the talent of the cast and the mix of classic hits make it hard not to be swept up in the fun.”
The Reviews Hub: “The whole thing is held together by Darren Day as Phillips, who acts as the narrator in the first half, providing some context on the careers he started as well as the producer’s hopes, although Director Jonathan O’Boyle doesn’t quite know what to do with the non-singing Day during the musical numbers, forcing him back and forth to the recording box at the back – at least he’s getting his steps up. As the four stars, Joe Bence is an energetic and supremely confident Lewis, Christopher Erasmus is a cool and understated Cash, Joey Bradick offers a discontented edge as Perkins, while Connor Payne avoids parody with a still sweet and homely Elvis.”
Pink Prince Theatre: “The music is absolute heaven. When the boys launch into huge hits like Blue Suede Shoes, Great Balls of Fire, and Hound Dog, the roof practically lifts off. It’s tight, it’s loud, and it’s perfectly nostalgic. In what has to be one of the strongest endings to any show in the West End right now, the final 15-minute concert megamix had the entire audience on their feet dancing in the aisles. It was a genuinely euphoric experience.”
The Upcoming: “While Million Dollar Quartet never dives deep into its plot and the audience never receives more than a few snippets of biographical information about the four stars, it nevertheless succeeds in delivering precisely what its audience wants: wonderful deliveries of some of the most famous hit songs from the 50s.”
Musical Theatre Review: “But all the cast members, who reprise their roles from the Barn production, excel, and the fact that they play their own instruments – most impressively in the case of Joey Bradick as the guitar hero Perkins – adds an electrifying immediacy to proceedings, most notably in the four-song encore that turns the finale into an exhilarating concert. These committed central performances ensure that there is a whole lot of shaking going on in the auditorium and audiences are sent home on an invigorated high.”
Million Dollar Quartet continues to play at Arts at Marble Arch until the 6th December.