Everything is Golden with the Million Dollar Quartet

If there is one thing that has united the generations of my Southern family through the decades, it’s the love of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll … Mr. Elvis Presley. This love runs so deep I can vividly remember an oil painting of the King hanging prominently in my uncle’s living room. Memories of his music – and other music of that era – remind me of family gatherings and good ol’ fashioned quality time together.

When the Million Dollar Quartet recently came through at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, I knew I had to take my recently-relocated-from-Alabama mom, for a chance to step back into time.

From the moment the show began, I knew we were in for a fun – and educational – night. The show is based on a real-life, once-in-a-lifetime evening in 1956 (coordinated by record producer Sam Phillips) that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, as well as Elvis’s presumed girlfriend of the time, Dyanne.

While the cast members didn’t exactly look like the real deal (excluding the actor who played the King himself, Cody Ray Slaughter), they certainly sounded the part. And, boy, they brought a high level of energy.

My mom giggled like a school girl every time Jerry Lee Lewis (John Countryman) cracked an off-color joke and jumped on top of the piano … when he sang “Great Balls ‘O Fire”? Brilliant! You would have surely thought you were right there with the man himself, Johnny Cash (Scott Moreau), when he belted out “Ring of Fire.” Then, when Carl Perkins (Lee Ferris) added in “See You Later Alligator” and “Who Do You Love?” I felt like a kid hanging out with my grandad again. I particularly loved the role of Dyanne (Kelly Lamont), and when she sang “Fever” she totally took the show to a new level.

For 90 song-filled minutes, there was electricity and Jukebox toe-tapping fun!

My mom and I had a blast reconnecting over music, learning more about these amazing icons and enjoying a few great oldies but goodies. A golden evening with the Million Dollar Quartet with my mom… a night to remember.

Million Dollar Quartet will be performing in theaters across the country with dates planned through June. For more information on upcoming shows, visit MillionDollarQuartetLive.com