Four musicians brought to life
September 6, 2018
Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash will come to life 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., bringing audiences back to December 1956 to recreate the night those four iconic musicians came together for a historical studio session.
“Presley, Perkins, Lewis & Cash” is an ensemble of musicians who pay tribute to the four members of the Million Dollar Quartet. The show began in 2012 and has been touring steadily ever since.
“The show is full of energy,” said Howard Pitch, producer and creator of the group. “It’s all hits from the early years when each of the artists was with Sun Records. There’s ensemble pieces, there’s interactive humor. The performers are well-versed in entertaining, and the audience will be taken on a full emotional ride.”
Pitch said the show infuses spoken word with musical renditions to weave together the musicians’ careers, creating a web of sound and history.
The core of the group has remained consistent for two and a half years. The musicians come from all over, though the crux of them are from Nashville, TN, according to Pitch.
“It’s a stellar cast of musicians,” Pitch said. “What’s interesting about this show is that each individual performer has their own career, recording-wise. Each guy can hold his own up there.”
The musicians have performed individually all over the country with their own recording contracts and touring schedules. Much like Dec. 4, 1956 at Sun Records, the show brings together musicians from different walks of life to play a night of authentic rock and roll music.
The band will whip out classics like Lewis’ “Great Balls of Fire” and Presley’s “All Shook Up.” In their set, the group captures the rockabilly style that made the quartet of musicians famous.
“This really is an all ages show,” Jeanine Holcomb, Communications and Marketing Director of the Egyptian Theatre, said. “The music of these icons is still heard around the world today. So whether you were around at the inception of rock and roll or have grown to love it through the lens of a younger generation, this is a show that everyone will really enjoy.”
The show allows for ripened rock and roll lovers to be reminded of a time when these hits could be heard on the radio. For college students, Pitch said the show can provide great exposure to a different era in music.
“This is the foundation of rock and roll,” Pitch said. “They’re going to see real musicians, a well-seasoned band playing rock and roll. When this show has performed at other colleges, there are younger students there who have never heard of Jerry Lee Lewis, but when the show starts, it’s like he’s coming to life right in front of them, and they’re living it.”