Million Dollar Quartet Opens at Noël Coward, Feb

As previously tipped, the transfer of Broadway’s Million Dollar Quartet, a jukebox musical that tells the story of the night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together in the same recording studio, will open at the Noël Coward Theatre on 28 February 2011 (previews from 8 February 2011).

The show, which is directed by Eric Schaeffer, was cast after an “extensive search” of the UK and Ireland with open auditions held in Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Dublin and London to find performers to play the historic pop figures.

Full casting has still to be announced for the show, which is currently playing in both Chicago and New York. Tickets for the February opening will go on sale from 4 December 2010.

Million Dollar Quartet is inspired by the actual event that took place on 4 December 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis where, in an move masterminded by Sun Records’ founder Sam Phillips, brought Elvis Presley back to the recording studio that launched him to stardom and had him play with the other musicians he had discovered.

The musical features 20 rock ’n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits all taken from the back catelogues of the quartet members including: “Blue Suede Shoes”, “I Walk The Line”, “Fever”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Hound Dog”, “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”.

Marketing material for the musical describes it as a story of “fame, friendship, discovery, divided loyalties, professional jealousy and incredible music”.

The show has a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux and was originally directed and conceived by Floyd Mutrux. It has scenic design by Derek McLane, costumes by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound by Kai Harada and musical arrangement and supervision by Chuck Mead.

Million Dollar Quartet is produced in the West End by Relevant Theatricals, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology, John Gore, Thomas B McGrath, James L Nederlander, Joseph Smith and Michael McCabe.