Million Dollar Quartet Stage Props

Million Dollar Quartet was an exciting, fun-filled, electrifying experience that left the audience dancing out of the theatre. It captures Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins’ experience as they made rock n’ roll history on the night of December 4th, 1956. The artistic director had a clear vision of what had occurred that night, and he portrayed it well using lights, incredible stage props, and soulful music that we, to this day, love and reminisce on.

As I sat in my seat I was amazed at how well put together the stage was. The props were used effectively, as they gave the illusion of what Memphis would look like in that time period during an evening setting; There was a water tower in the back with “MEMPHIS” on the

front of it. The scrim in the background had trees and buildings painted on it, and to convey a night sky, it was painted a mixture of dark and baby blue. To give the performance a more realistic aspect, there were about four life-sized street lights with power lines attached, and I noticed a full-sized red vehicle just behind the studio. The artistic designer decided to have someone walk by the car to smoke a cigarette every now and then; although it had no relevance to the performance, small nonchalant features like this allow the audience to feel like what is happening before their eyes is happening in real life. Finally, the focal point of stage was the recording studio where the rock stars recorded their music. It was sliced open intentionally so that the audience could obviously see and hear the events occurring inside. It was also angled perfectly so that the entire theatre had a clear view of the actors. The studio was divided into two rooms; the instruments were in the main area, and the other smaller room was the recording booth where the producer controls the sound, speakers and the recording mechanisms.
The lighting helped a lot with separating the inside scene from the outside scene, but it also tied both settings together.

Also, as the musicians performed their musical numbers, lights attached to the back wall of the recording studio would flash different colors and with each song brings a different set of colors. These colors also represented different moods; If a fun, upbeat song like “Blue Suede Shoes” was performed, red, bright blue, and green lights would glisten from the stage. The colored lighting played a huge role in this performance, because we all associate color with emotion, so it’s easier to identify what emotion is being conveyed from the music. The major light show was saved for the end; the actors who played Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley each performed a song of theirs for the audience, and the lights were flashing bright colors all over the stage, illuminating the entire theatre. This magnificent ending felt just like a concert. It was a breath-taking moment; one I was not expecting. As for light placement, such as spotlights, I think that was another key feature. When Sam Phillips, the narrator, began speaking to the audience, all other lights would cease while the single spot light follows him as he communicates with the audience. This helps the audience focus solely on that

individual.
The sound directing was also effective to the recreation of this historic event; I was seated closer to the back of the theater and I thought that I was going to have a hard time hearing the actors although, that was not the case. I heard the actors and the music loud and clear. I also noticed that when Sam Phillips would speak to the musicians from the recording booth, his voice sounded slightly muffled as if it were coming from an intercom. This allowed the audience hear exactly what the musicians would hear as if they were in a legitimate recording studio.
All of the actors did very well at imitating the real musicians. The two that stood out to me the most were Bill Scott Sheets (Johnny Cash) and Gavin Rohrer (Jerry Lee Lewis). Their performances were the most compelling because they were able to portray the real musicians flawlessly. Sheets’ imitation of Johnny Cash worked so well because he looked just like him. His facial expressions, mannerisms, and his voice was almost identical to Johnny Cash. The deep and powerful sound of his voice insinuated that Johnny Cash was singing for us.
Gavin Rohrer also did a spectacular job interpreting Jerry Lee Lewis.

He was fun, energetic, and charismatic. He was also remarkably talented on the piano. Because Jerry Lee Lewis was younger than the rest of the crew, we can assume that he was just as overly ambitious and talented as Rohrer illustrated on stage. It was impressive to see how enthusiastic he was while playing an instrument; that kind of energy would be difficult to emphasize while hitting every note flawlessly. Just like Bill Scott Sheets, Rohrer looked and sounded almost identical to Jerry Lee Lewis. Hiring actors who look like the real musicians is great, but when they can behave and carry themselves like them too, it is

impressive.
The director positioned the actors in spots where it was clear for the entire audience to see them. In situations when Nicholas Harazan (Sam Phillips) would narrate to the audience, he would, of course, acknowledge the audience, by stepping out of the recording studio through the “invisible wall” (literally breaking the fourth wall) to enforce the idea that what is happening on stage is not actually occurring at that moment. When the story then continues, all of the actors use the doors.
As he explains the event in the directors note, it was clear that Jim Corti envisioned this performance to be an exciting and unforgettable event which he wanted to share with his audience. This musical connects significantly to an older audience because this brings them back to pleasant memories. Corti executed his vision precisely on stage by creating a concert-like feel, and making it impossible for the audience to stay in their seats. Overall, it looked like the director presented his vision on stage just the way he wanted and it was clear that the audience enjoyed and appreciated the performance.