When Million Dollar Quartet hit Chicago, it was only scheduled for a month-long trial run at the Apollo Theatre. MDQ was the fascinating story about that historic night when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis met together at Sun Records Studio, the place where they all got their start. They had some laughs and jammed the night away, never to reunite again. Well, we all know what happened. Million Dollar Quartet became a staple show in Chicago and ran for multiple years before finally closing its doors. The show’s writer and director, Floyd Mutrux, now takes us to the beginning when Elvis Presley met Sun Records owner Sam Phillips (Matt McKenzie) as we watch a musical career blossom like we have never seen before and will most likely never see again. The show, Heartbreak Hotel, could very well have a similar success than its predecessor, because it is packed with all the right ingredients to be another smash hit.
Performed at the Broadway Playhouse, Heartbreak Hotel gives us a glimpse to the future success of Presley, starting the show with a scene from the 68’ Comeback Special. Then we go back – to the beginning – where a young, shy Elvis (Eddie Clendening) sheepishly walks into Sun Records to record a song that he’d like to give his mother for her birthday. Prior to his visit we overhear Sam Phillips saying how if only there was a white young man who could capture the essence of the blues and make it his own – he’d become a sensation! Timing is everything. Not overly impressed with him, Phillips assistant asks Elvis what kind of music he likes to sing. Gospel – and thankfully, some blues. But Phillips sees potential after he hears him. After a few sessions of Elvis trying to get his sound at Phillips direction, it is during a break when Elvis and the studio musicians monkey with the blues tune “That’s Alright Mama” by speeding it up and adding a “rockabilly” sound to it, that heads turn, and it is realized they might just have a rising star on their hands.
The story takes off from that point as we see Elvis’ popularity take off, his record more in demand by radio listeners and a slew of sold out performances while touring, including his time with the Louisiana Hayride, a traveling show with several acts that included the likes of Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Hank Williams and even Willie Nelson. Local disc jockey Dewey Phillips (played with precision by Colte Julian) can hardly keep up with the requests to play Elvis’ records. Elvis quickly outgrows Memphis. Of course, the smell of success attracts those who would like to take advantage of such. Enter Colonel Tom Parker (Jerry Kernion). Parker, a former carnival promoter, is as sleazy as they come, but he does have some big ideas and an endless supply of promotional gimmicks up his sleeve. Elvis, now too big for Sun Record’s distribution, is on the verge of being bought out by RCA – and Parker wants to manage him – for 50% of the profits. Well, Elvis does decide to go with Parker, and the rest is history as he becomes the most popular entertainer of all time.
Heartbreak Hotel mimics the style of Million Dollar Quartet in the way the songs are performed to be larger than life, capturing the excitement of the era. A highly animated, slap-happy stand-up bass player (Zach Lentino tearing it up as Bill Black), a twangy guitar with tasty fingerwork (Matt Codina as Scott Moore), big backing vocals and dancers, and, of course, a whole lot of Elvis make for plenty of electrifying action. Many numbers are co-performed by the song’s original artists, Geno Henderson very impressive in multiple roles of B.B. King, Jackie Wilson, Ike Turner and many others. By doing so, we admire, and appreciate, the origin of many songs and the artists that wrote them, and we marvel at Elvis’ creative vision to which he took those songs to a place unimagined at the time. The play hints that Sam Phillips coined the phrase “rockabilly” regarding the music of Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys, though his music traveled to places far beyond as his career matured.
Heartbreak Hotel is packed with early Elvis hits such as “Jailhouse Rock”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “All Shook Up”, but also contains other greats like Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene”, Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” and The Drifters “Money Honey”. Eddie Clendening does a really nice job in capturing the essence of Elvis from executing the moves we know so well to exuding the boyish charm and naivety the future King of Rock and Roll displayed in his younger days. The cast as a whole is well worth the wait and the band just as sensational, Zach Lentino the oft scene stealer with his happy-go-lucky bass antics. Other standouts include Katherine Lee Bourne in multiple roles, Erin Burniston as Elvis' girlfriend, Dixie Locke and Andrea Collier also in multiple roles.
Heartbreak Hotel is the extraordinary, energy-driven prequel of the highly successful Million Dollar Quartet, giving us not only a fun fact-filled history of the beginning of rock and roll, but also an exciting ride from beginning to end thanks to one power-packed musical performance after another. It is a show that can be enjoyed over and over again and is sure to stick around for a lengthy run. Clap along, laugh and enjoy what is sure to be Chicago’s next big show. This show is not just a must see for Elvis fans, but for all rock and roll fans alike.
Highly recommended.
Heartbreak Hotel is currently being performed at Broadway Playhouse. For tickets and/or more show information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
