Talented performers who think they can emulate some of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll stars of the 20th century are being asked to audition for a new West End production of the musical Million Dollar Quartet.
Million Dollar Quartet, which opened on Broadway earlier this year and earned three Tony Award nominations, dramatises the now famous day in 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis when legends Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash shared a recording studio for an impromptu jam session. The show features 22 iconic songs including Perkins’s Blue Suede Shoes, Cash’s I Walk The Line, Lewis’s Great Balls Of Fire and Presley’s Hound Dog.
In anticipation of a new West End production in 2011, producers Joseph Smith and Michael McCabe are holding open auditions to find its four leads. In a statement they said: “Million Dollar Quartet delivers the thrilling mix of brilliant music with a fascinating story, set in 1956 when all four of these music legends were in their creative prime. Our exploratory casting search to run throughout the UK and Ireland really does highlight the uniqueness of the show, as we need to find outstandingly gifted musicians who can also create the persona of the quartet and ultimately embody the spirit of these iconic stars rather than merely impersonating them.”
The producers are looking for male performers with a playing age of early to late 20s who can act, sing and play either the guitar or the piano to a high standard. An online audition pack says that auditionees should sound and look “somewhat” like the person they are wanting to play, “without being an impersonator”.
Five open auditions are being held around the UK and Ireland, with the first audition being held in London on 13 September. Full details about all the auditions can be found at www.milliondollarquartetlive.co.uk
No dates or venue information has yet been announced for the West End production of Million Dollar Quartet.
CB