Million Dollar Quartet

About the show

On December 4, 1956, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley assemble at the Sun Record recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Established performer Carl Perkins was there to record songs with a new performer, Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley stops by the studio along with his girlfriend, a singer named Dyanne (at the real session, Elvis’ girlfriend was a dancer, Marilyn Evans—now Riehl). Johnny Cash has stopped by to talk to recording impresario Sam Phillips. They soon have a jam session together. Phillips attempts to re-sign Johnny Cash to a new contract, unaware he has already signed with Columbia Records. Typically, as a member from the Quartet enters for the first time, he sings a verse of one of his most famous songs, followed by an onstage freeze of all actors. During this time Sam Phillips relates to the audience how he first discovered the boy, and a brief, few line scene of that moment occurs between Philips and the musician, followed by Sam Phillips asking the boy to play something for him, which is the next verse of the song, and everyone unfreezes. The show is performed without an intermission. At the end of the show, the traditional announcement is made that "Elvis has left the building".