Here’s a show for the folks who remember way back when rock and roll was king. And most especially for those who, like me, have missed seeing plays at Coronado’s Lamb’s Players Theatre for lo, these too many Covid years.
Lamb’s makes a smashing return to live theater with “Million Dollar Quartet,” a short-form instruction manual on how to make a living as a record producer.
Lance Arthur Smith plays Phillips, who doesn’t just want to record singers – he wants to make music history, and seems to have a feel for the kind of songs that would do that.
Phillips founded Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis and handled the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. He’s perhaps best known for discovering Presley, who one day dropped in to record a ballad. Phillips heard the voice and liked the song, but knew instinctively that “if I had released a ballad, I don’t think you would have heard of Elvis Presley.” The rest is history.
Lamb’s has assembled a terrific, all-Equity group of young singing actors to portray the rock and rollers and musicians, including Katie Sapper as Elvis’ girlfriend Dyanne, a singer in her own right who does a fabulous version of “Fever,” among other things.
The wild man in the group is Jerry Lee Lewis, played by Ben Van Diepen with more energy and craziness than I even remember. This guy doesn’t play the piano, he attacks it, jumping all over while hitting those notes on songs like the aptly named “Wild Child” with exhausting but most amusing (to watch) energy. And when he does “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” he’s not kidding.
Michael Louis Cusimano brings back that Elvis Presley “king of rock and roll” style on songs like “That’s All Right” and “Hound Dog.”
Brett Benowitz brings rockabilly singer Carl Perkins to life with some of his big hits like “See Ya Later Alligator.” Perkins won a new Cadillac from Phillips when he was first of the quartet to sell a million records with “Blue Suede Shoes.”
My favorite is Charles Evans, Jr., whose velvety voice brings Johnny Cash to life with songs like “I Walk the Line” and “Ring of Fire.”
And I can’t forget the terrific backups: Brian Dall as Fluke the drummer and Mackenzie Leighton on the double bass.
Kudos to Jemima Dutra, too, for the terrific costumes, and to Nathan Peirson (lighting designer) and Patrick Duffy (sound design).
“Million Dollar Quartet” is a rockin’ good time in the theater.
The details
“Million Dollar Quartet” plays through June 26 at Lamb’s Players Theatre, 1142 Orange Ave. in Coronado.
Shows Wednesday through Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tickets: (619) 437-6000
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