Million Dollar Quartet at Broadway Rose New Stage

If you have been keeping an eye on the local stage this autumn, you have likely noticed the buzz around Broadway Rose's latest production. Million Dollar Quartet is currently running at the Broadway Rose New Stage in Tigard, and it is the kind of show that is hard to ignore if you have any affection for the early days of rock 'n' roll.

The premise is a piece of music history that reads like a fever dream: on December 4, 1956, in Memphis, Sam Phillips, the man known as the Father of Rock 'n' Roll, brought Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash into the same room at Sun Records for an improvised recording session. The musical dramatizes that one unforgettable night, and the Portland production leans into the energy of it. It runs about two hours and ten minutes, and it does not take an intermission, so the momentum carries straight through from the first chord to the final bow.

What makes this version work is how much of the music is played live on stage. The actors double as the band: Ben Bailey plays Carl Perkins and guitar, Luke Surretsky takes Johnny Cash and guitar, Diego Solan Kjelland covers Elvis and guitar, and Hunter Semrau handles Jerry Lee Lewis on the piano. Will Amend plays Jay Perkins on bass and T.J. Arko rounds it out on drums as Fluke Holland. The setlist is a genuine rock 'n' roll crash course, with Blue Suede Shoes, Great Balls of Fire, Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Hound Dog, and Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On among the songs that make their way through the night.

Behind the scenes, the production is directed by Sharon Maroney, with music direction from Billy Thompson and choreography by Kevin Paul Clark. The book comes from Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, who also provided the original concept and direction for the show. It is part of Broadway Rose's 2026 Season of Belonging, which marks the company's 35th anniversary season, so there is a bit of extra weight behind the production.

If you are planning to go, there are a few practical things worth knowing. The show is listed as suitable for most theatre-goers ages 12 and up, with mild language, drinking, sexual references, and innuendos woven into the script. It is also currently sold out, which is the bad news, but there is a workaround: Broadway Rose allows you to arrive an hour early to join a standby list for last-minute cancellations. If you want to check for recent availability before you make the trip, the box office is at 503.620.5262 or boxoffice@broadwayrose.org. One word of caution from the company: scalpers and ticket resellers have been active around this run, so it is worth buying directly from Broadway Rose rather than through a third party.

For context, the show has a bit of history of its own. It premiered on Broadway in 2010 at the Nederlander Theatre, ran for 489 performances, and earned a Tony nomination for Best Musical, with Levi Kreis taking home the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his Elvis. The story it tells, though, is the real draw: that one night in 1956 when four of the biggest names in music shared a room and a microphone. Whether you are a diehard fan of the era or just looking for a lively night out, it is a strong case for the local stage this season.