“One Night In Memphis” reviewed by Amy Menzel

[rating=5]There’s a show in town here in Milwaukee. Not sure if you’ve heard of it — Hamilton? Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. But it’s not the only show in town. In fact, it’s not the only show at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. One Night in Memphis played at the Marcus Center’s Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall Friday night and I got to see it.

The Wilson Theater, dubbed the “jewel box” theater of the Marcus Center is a smaller venue that seats 465. It wasn’t a full house last night, but there was a good turn-out in the orchestra seating and a smattering of theater-goers in the loge. The crowd was good, eager to hear some of their favorite tunes. I was intrigued, although unsure of what, exactly, I would see. I had read that the show “is a rocking concert tribute to legendary Sun Records recording artists Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley.”

So here are a few things you should know to appreciate this review:

• I attended solo. The plan was to go with my mom, but she was sick. My dad had band rehearsal and my husband and stepson had already planned a “boys’ night.”
• I grew up in the ‘80s — thirty years after this one night in Memphis occurred.
• I didn’t know who Carl Perkins was. (Cue my dad yelling, “You didn’t know who Carl Perkins was?!” right now.)
• I grew up being taught to appreciate music (hence my dad’s reaction noted above). Both my parents love music and my dad is a performing musician. In fact, the last time I was at the Wilson Theater was to see him play in a Veterans Day Big Band Salute with Dick Strauss and his Many Happy Returns Orchestra.

I settled in and read up a bit. The program filled me in on the context. I hadn’t realized that the show was based on a true story of when, coincidentally, these four artists found themselves at Sun Records studios in Memphis back in 1956 and decided to jam for a while. I still didn’t know who, exactly, Carl Perkins was and I wasn’t able to conjure up what, exactly, rockabilly sounded like, but I was intrigued.

At exactly 7:30 p.m., the house lights dimmed and the show opened with “Blue Suede Shoes.” I was in familiar territory, but I had always (incorrectly, apparently) attributed “Blue Suede Shoes” to Elvis Presley. Here was that Carl Perkins I had read about, portrayed by the talented Travis Daggett, singing this opening number. As Perkins, Daggett anchors the show with impressive musicianship and a natural ability to play to the crowd. He’s on stage for nearly the entire show along with Blair Carman who plays Jerry Lee Lewis and joins the stage after the first couple numbers.

As Lewis, Carman is a crowd-pleaser. In fact, the couple next to me made special note of it as we chatted on our way out after the show. He’s high-energy and, having just

watched a clip of Lewis on The Steve Allen Show from 1957 on YouTube (this ‘80’s child is doing her research), a fantastic portrayal. I’m not sure if the real Jerry Lee Lewis told a lot of “dad jokes,” but Carmen kept them coming throughout his spotlight segment. For example, he talked about how some musicians learned to play piano by ear “but eventually learned to use their hands.” The audience ate it up and I chuckled too (my own dad has used this line many times).

Further playing to the crowd, the group threw in “What Made Milwaukee Famous,” which both tickled the audience and also got them singing along.

And then it was time for Johnny Cash, played by Shawn Barker, to make his entrance. Now, I was enjoying the show to that point, but I found myself really smiling through this portion. It might have been that more of the tunes were familiar or it might have been Barker’s demeanor. Maybe I like a bad boy? (I’m not even sure if this makes sense but, as Cash, Barker mentioned playing in a lot of prisons, so I’m guessing this makes some sense. I have yet to see Walk the Line.) As each musician joined the stage, the energy increased, likely the way it did that one night in Memphis back in 1965.

We’d have to wait for Elvis, however. The band took a much deserved 15-minute break before Presley, played Brandon Bennett, took the stage. And when he took it, he took it. The ladies, in particular, loved it. And by “it,” I do mean all the hip shaking. By that time, the crowd didn’t need to be told to sing along, and when we were encouraged to clap along, everybody clapped along. It was fun. The music, the energy, and being a part of it all.

They brought all four legendary performers to the stage to close out the show. I was glad that they took a moment to acknowledge the rhythm section, who worked hard throughout. The musicians, introduced as Tim Butler on bass and Ty Cox on drums, deserve accolades as well. With all performers on stage, they played a gospel tune in finale. The crowd rose to their feet for a standing ovation at the end — and were then treated to two encore numbers, during which one woman actually danced in the aisle (and quite well, I might add).

It was a fun evening. One more thing you should know to appreciate this review is that I was in a funk walking in last night. It’s been a challenging couple of weeks for me but, of course, this is none of your concern. I only share because somehow this show–that I attended by myself, that I knew little to nothing about, and that consisted of music well before my time–this show put a smile on my face and a little pep in my step. I left happy.

Is it a must-see? Well, if you’re a fan of any of the musicians’ music, I’d say yes. As for the rest of us, it may not be a must-see, but you probably should. It’s simply fun.

Tour dates, locations, and ticket information can be found at https://presleyperkinslewiscash.net/home