Million Dollar Quartet (The SOB Review) - Nederlander Theatre, New York, New York
** (out of ****)It must have seemed like million dollar idea at the time.
Take a page out of the
Jersey Boys playbook, corral a famed group of singers from the 50s and build a jukebox musical around them. Oh, and be sure to remove any crude language, too.
If
Million Dollar Quartet strikes you as
Jersey Boys-lite, you're not alone. Resembling something like one of those family-friendly fare for which
Branson is famous, this likeable if milquetoast tuner aims to please.
While
Jersey Boys provided the
Four Seasons' milestones through the years,
Million Dollar Quartet centers on a single December evening when some major forces in music history came together. Back in the earliest days of rock and roll, visionary recording impresario
Sam Phillips (a terrific
Hunter Foster), owner of Memphis' famed Sun Records, had an unusual knack for spotting extraordinary talent.
By 1956, he had attracted legendary artists like
Carl Perkins (
Rob Lyons),
Johnny Cash (
Lance Guest),
Jerry Lee Lewis (
Levi Kreis) and
Elvis Presley (
Eddie Clendening) to his label. This stellar quartet enjoyed a jam session on December 4 of that year that's now been forever immortalized by
Floyd Mutrux, who originally conceived and directed this musical.
Million Dollar Quartet offers several admirable individual performances, particularly that of the excellent Levi Kreis. Picture
Harry Connick, Jr. doing Jerry Lee Lewis without coming across as stilted and you've got an appropriate image. A master of the keyboard as well as a gifted actor and singer, Kreis is one great ball of fire unto himself. He displays so much spunk and charm that they could have built the entire show around him.
As Johnny Cash, Guest expertly walks the line, not only sounding like the Man in Black, but lending an air of his humble demeanor as well. But Lyons' powerhouse Perkins next to Clendening's demure Presley will have you scratching your head how the former's superstar status ever eluded him. Clendening's Presley so pales in comparison with the other three that he blends into the recording studio's soundproofing.
There's nothing terribly insightful about the evening that's offered by Mutrux and
Colin Escott's book. After all, the music's the thing here. So if it's a pleasant diversion you're after,
Million Dollar Quartet just might fit the bill.
But in terms of a solid-gold Broadway show, I felt a little shortchanged.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Broadway, Carl Perkins, Eddie Clendening, Elvis Presley, Hunter Foster, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jersey Boys, Johnny Cash, Lance Guest, Levi Kreiss, Million Dollar Quartet, Musical, Rob Lyons, The SOB Review
Leaving Las VegasAlthough it may have seemed like I was in Las Vegas all last week, I was actually safely ensconced in my own bed back home a week ago Wednesday evening.
Fortunately, I didn't suffer any altercations
this visit, but what's with all the lazy people on escalators and moving sidewalks, or for that matter all those using
scooters when they really don't need to? I was practically run over a couple times!
I'm someone who enjoys walking at a brisk, if not rigorous, pace. Seems like no matter where I turned, lethargic and hopelessly slow people were in my way. I practically had to slug my way through just to walk beyond a snail's pace.
But I digress.
I wanted to share the best top shows I've
ever seen in Las Vegas, and fortunately for those of you who may be traveling there, each of them is still playing for your maximum enjoyment and pleasure.
You should note that my short list does
not include any singing or stand-up acts or magicians.
Nor does my list include any Broadway shows, past or present. For the most part -- the surprisingly lackluster
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular notwithstanding -- given Vegas' propensity for cutting shows down to 90 minutes or so, I'd rather spend my bucks to see the real deal on the Great White Way. (It should be noted here that
according to Variety,
Phantom and
Monty Python's Spamalot are bucking a
recent trend by doing great business along Vegas' strip.)
I'd much rather see shows I can't see anywhere else -- in other words, a true splashy, glitzy Vegas spectacle. And yes, with these shows being tantamount to a royal flush, I would agree with
San Jose Mercury News Karen D'Souza that in most cases, Sin City trumps the aces currently showing on Broadway (hat tip to
Man In Chair!).
So here's my top three:
1 - The Beatles Love - Love Theatre,
Mirage
**** (out of ****)In the excellent, mind-blowing
The Beatles Love, I found that all you need is love. Providing the ultimate in sensory overload, this wild ride transports to another time and place. As an exquisite showcase for the catalogue of
The Beatles, the Fab Four's classic tunes are brought to life in a most magical way by
Cirque du Soleil.
2 - O - "O" Theatre,
Bellagio
**** (out of ****)O,
Franco Dragone's revolutionary, jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil spectacle was on my
personal top five list of all shows I saw during the 2000-01 Theatrical Season. With performers scampering across the stage one moment and high-divers plunging into the very same space the next, this show makes a theme park water ride seem dull and boring.
O is still playing at one of Vegas' most prestigious hotels.
3 - KÀ - The KÀ Theatre,
MGM Grand
Sure,
Wicked talks a good game about defying gravity, but with its continually evolving stage, the performers in this Asian-tinged spectacle called
KÀ really do. Yes, it's another Cirque du Soleil show, but it's the first to tell a story. When I say it revolves around a pair of twins as they face the opposing forces of good and evil, I mean that quite literally. While the storyline could be stronger,
KÀ remains awesome to behold.
Since three of Cirque du Soleil's five current Vegas shows reign supreme on my top three list -- and yes, I've seen
many other non-Cirque shows in Vegas, and no, don't bother seeing the other two -- it's worth noting that the
troupe is already working on an Elvis-themed show along the lines of
The Beatles Love that will make its debut at the all-new MGM Mirage
City Center in late 2009. The new spectacle will essentially recreate the experience of seeing The King perform. If any organization can pull it off, it's Cirque du Soleil.
Viva, Las Vegas, indeed.
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Click here for KÀ tickets.Click here for O tickets.Click here for The Beatles Love tickets.Related Stories:Mystère (The SOB Review) (September 13, 2007)
Phantom - The Las Vegas Spectacular (The SOB Review) (September 12, 2007)
The Beatles Love (The SOB Review) (September 11, 2007)
Becoming SOL (September 10, 2007)
Which British Hits Will Be Broadway-Bound? (September 20, 2006)
Critics: True Spectacle for the Senses and Beatles' Fans (July 1, 2006)
The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil Opens in Vegas Tonight (June 30, 2006)
Broadway's Gamble on Vegas No Sure Bet (June 6, 2006)
Flashback: Best of 2000-01 (May 23, 2006)
Labels: Broadway, Cirque du Soleil, Elvis Presley, KA, Las Vegas, Monty Python's Spamalot, O, Phantom The Las Vegas Spectacular, The Beatles
All Shook Up (The SOB Review) - Orpheum Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
*1/2 (out of ****)
Back in 2005, what was intended to be the "King" of all jukebox musicals opened on Broadway to less than regal reviews. Inevitably mining the pop music catalogue of
Elvis Presley, the
Christopher Ashley-helmed
All Shook Up was one show I deliberately avoided like a bad
Billy Ray Cyrus song.
So I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I decided to take in the touring production of the show. Like
Legally Blonde, the production begins with a bang -- in
All Shook Up, it's thanks to an electrifying "Jail House Rock." From there, it doesn't just coast, it goes strictly downhill largely because of an incredibly insipid-meets-corny book by
Joe DiPietro that lacks virtually any real wit.
The production relies almost entirely on the cocky sensuality of its charming lead
Joe Mandragona (as roustabout Chad) -- who's jostling with sexy self-regard as he gyrates his hips -- and the turbo-charged choreography by
Sergio Trujillo to power it along. Unfortunately, whenever the incredibly talented Mandragona is off the stage,
All Shook Up's tank teeters on empty.
The convoluted plot revolves around Chad after he motors into a nameless Midwestern small town during the fifties. No surprise, there's a general enforcement of boredom there (
read: no dancing or modern music) by the town's Mayor Matilda Hyde (
Beth Glover). Yet, over the course of 24 hours, Chad succeeds in infusing the community with a little excitement followed by a rash of unrequited love among its locals.
The line of lusts lost starts with town geek Dennis (played like a mensch by
Dennis Moench) who's forlorn over grease-monkey townie Natalie Haller (
Jenny Fellner), who in turn falls for Chad and the idea that she'll be able to see the world from the back of his motorcycle. But Chad doesn't even give her a second look, especially after eyeing the elusive, statuesque Miss Sandra (
Susan Anton), who's also the object of affection by Natalie's widowed father Jim (
Wally Dunn). Are you following?
Incidentally, Sylvia (
Jannie Jones) a requisitely sassy black proprietor of the town bar discovers she's got a thing for Jim, but only after putting her foot down when her own daughter Lorraine (
Tracee Beazer) finds true love with the mayor's white son, Dean (
Brian Sears).
Thinking her romeo will come to appreciate her if only he gets to know her as a guy (huh?), Natalie decides to hone-in on Dennis' inexplicable sidekick status to Chad by posing as Ed, only to find herself/himself being pursued by Miss Sandra. As Ed, Natalie attempts to get Chad to consider her virtues; but Chad advises Ed to go after Natalie instead. But after an episode where Chad is left to ponder a love that dare not speak its name, hilarity is intended to ensue and just as soon as you can say "wedding," suddenly three pairs of brides and grooms are lined up at the altar.
Give the cast credit for making the most of this ridiculous production. I'll also concede that it was clearly an audience favorite, even in its lame attempts to provide positive messaging around interracial dating (although if you're looking for a more substantive show dealing with race relations from a couple generations ago, I'd recommend seeing
Hairspray).
But by packing such a twisted story into its two-and-a-half hours, All Shook Up ultimately explodes like a shaken can of soda. It may appear to be forceful, yet when you look inside the can, there's not much left. I couldn't help but wonder, "What would Elvis have thought?"
This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).
Labels: All Shook Up, Broadway, Elvis Presley, Jukebox Musical, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Musical, The SOB Review, Touring Production
