06.04.08 | Music Connection Magazine releases 1st national issue featuring Levi Kreis!
Making The Most of This Moment:
by Dan Kimpel
Singer/songwriter Levi Kreis is a joyful independent artist. "I'm a businessman, not just a musician. It's not a responsibility; it's a freedom, because we get to decide how far we go nowadays. The difference in the industry is fantastic. I don't have to sit around and wait for 20 suits to decide my fate anymore."
A series of indie releases has established Kreis as a recording artist while providing a bounty of material for film and television projects. Most recently, he wrote and performed three songs-two penned with co-writer Darci Monet- in the feature film Kiss The Bride, starring Tori Spelling. "I met (music supervisor) David Quan through a group of friends. We were drawn to each other because of our histories," recalls Kreis. "I didn't even consider what he did, but we got a call from him asking to hear some songs for a film. He knows people I worked with in Nashville. I love that we have a common past, not only in a business perspective but also from a personal standpoint. And now here we are in the present and he's got my back. I'm very grateful."
Born in East Tennessee, Kreis broke into the business as a Christian singer/songwriter in Nashville. "I was comfortable with the camaraderie, I felt inspired by the excellence of musicianship they require. But being the product of a very religious background, I felt there were certain things about the church that weren't ringing true. Eventually, the rub inspired me to redefine my views about God and the universe, and although I am thankful for Nashville and its spirit of religion, I wouldn't want to live there again," notes the Los Angeles transplant.
In conversation, Kreis speaks with the fervor that echoes evangelistic cadences. "if I were to say that we were created in the image of God, then I believe that we are every bit of the creator that God is. But the challenge of that for us as artists and singer/songwriters is that when we start out pursuing dreams, it's not an easy task. There are always rejections and obstacles. Over time, we begin to build internal judgments about ourselves, about the world, and about how much success we may or we may not be able to achieve. So the goal is to realize that we should dismiss these internal judgments and let the universe have the last word. And standing right here, connected to the divine, say, 'Why not me? Why can't I have all this? I'm not going to listen to these internal judgments. I am meant to create, to serve what God has blessed me with the ability to do.' Just as he has blessed us all with a very special specific ability that we then have the responsibility to take to somebody else."
Post Music City, Kreis was groomed for a major label signing in New York City. "It was all looking so fantastic, but there was some shady shit that I was too naive to navigate my way through," he confided. Stuck in New York, with no release imminent, Kreis snagged an appearance on the television series The Apprentice on an episode where XM Satellite radio challenged the two teams to find an unsigned artist and deliver a produced song to be heard on XM Cafe. "I had about seven minutes on TV," says Kreis. "I had to make the most of this moment. I had all of these ballads the label didn't want, so I sat down at a piano and made the CD (One of the Ones) for $200. I went to a friend to do graphics, borrowed money to manufacture CDs and set up a website. The show aired and I couldn't keep up with thousands and thousands of requests for this album."
Kreis is now completing a new CD, titled Where I Belong. "This truly represents who I am as an artist. I feel like I'm coming home to the gospel roots that I've grown up with and the country influences, too. I said a lot of heavy things on my last album, so I feel good. I can celebrate the moment in front of me rather than wading through the past."
12.10.07 | 15 WEEKS IN THE TOP TEN, 9 WEEKS AT #1, #4 VIDEO OF 2007/NEW WINTER RELEASE GOES DIGITAL
Hey gang, did you happen to catch Levi this weekend on Mtv's Logo Channel? The Click List: Top 10 Music Videos of 2007 premiered last Friday and we are proud to announce that after 15 weeks on the charts, 9 weeks holding the #1 position, we landed the #4 slot for 2007. Big big thank you to our incredible iForce team and everyone who cast a vote to make "We're Okay" such a success.
Levi's new digital release "Bygones" is receiving strong reviews; very exciting considering it is a collection of previously unreleased selections from some of Levi's first studio endeavors upon moving to Los Angeles. Click the link below and go directly to "Bygones" on iTunes if you haven't had the opportunity to sample it yet.
There are a lot of exciting things to tell you guys about the January sessions for Levi's 2008 project. Levi has managed to pull together a superb band along with a few tentative guest appearances which will certainly give us all something to talk about. Once that takes off in 3 weeks, we'll have all kinds of info for you. But for now, we are signing off for the year. Wishing you all a very happy holiday. Thanks for making 2007 such a fantastic year for all of us here at levikreis.com!
11.12.07 | "WE'RE OKAY": #1 MUSIC VIDEO FOR NINE WEEKS ON MTV'S LOGO CHANNEL!/NOVEMBER'S EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL RELEASE
Well, hello beautiful people! We hope you've enjoyed the killer reviews of Levi's performance as Jerry Lee Lewis in "The Million Dollar Quartet", a new rock and roll musical. The show has broken attendance records and racked in over a million dollars in sales; making this project very attractive to a lot of theaters. We're excited to see where it goes next...and if Levi goes with it...
After 15 weeks on MTV/Logo's 'The Click List: Top 10 Videos", Levi's single, "We're Okay", claimed the #1 position for a total of nine weeks. We continue to receive incredible feedback from hundreds of you who found this message to be relevant to your own present circumstances. Sincerest of thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. And a BIG shout-out to our exclusive iForce team!! You guys are exceptional at keeping this video in the public eye. Thanks!
...And as a thank you to his fan base, Levi is releasing a winter compilation of some of his favorite early studio recordings; nine of Levi's first studio endeavors upon moving to L.A. in 1997. The CD, entitled "Bygones", will be released this month for digital distribution only, and just in time for Christmas. Get it now at CdBaby.com. Just click the related link below. "Bygones" will be available on iTunes, Napster, and several other digital distributors by the end of the month.
Levi is finishing out the year in the studio laying down tracks for his junior project slated for spring of '08. Levi will be teaming up with the incredible Slammin' Sammy K, recently featured in the November issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. (www.slamminsammyk.com)
We'll keep you up to date on all the developements.
Enjoy the holiday season!
11.11.07 | The Enterprise Review of "Million Dollar Quartet".
'Million Dollar Quartet' is a winner
By Dale Burrows
For the Enterprise
Who but Village Theatre would dare tackle something like four music legends all out jamming, off the cuff, unrehearsed and entirely uninhibited? It's like staging the Big Bang.
Guess what?
Village dared; and all of Everett Performing Arts Center came to its feet in sheer delirium, myself included. "Million Dollar Quartet" wails.
Why wouldn't it?
Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lewis no more than happened to run across one another at Sun Studios December 4, 1956. Nothing was arranged. Nothing was announced. But the guy who gave them each their start, Sam Phillips, sensed something big was sure to happen and got the local newspaper involved. Phillips was right. The four legends took to one another just being themselves, busted loose showing what they could do, and Phillips -- ever the businessman -- got it all recorded. The newspaper the next day labeled the quartet "The Million Dollar Quartet." In 1956, a million was worth a billion today.
Story material like that explodes with possibilities.
Then there is internationally acclaimed author and Grammy Award-winning producer Colin Escott ("The Complete Hank Williams"). Escott co-wrote the libretto.
And celebrated movie producer Floyd Mutrux ("Scarecrow," "Mulholland Falls") co-wrote the libretto with Escott and co-directed with Matthew Walker.
And Chuck Mead of the multiple Grammy-nominated country band BR549 directed the music.
With back up like that, and a cast that can sing, act and play country rock, no wonder Village's "Quartet" breaks all sound barriers. You can't listen and not hear.
Levi Kreis blasts off. If you know Jerry Lee Lewis, you know he hit country rock like a meteorite. The man rocked the world, shocked England by marrying his 13-year-old second cousin and dropped from the big time because of the disgrace. He was a wild man who could do anything with a piano and even now is still touring.
In "Quartet," Kreis is the untamed essence of country rock on the keyboards, a smart alec in person and an all-around hillbilly hot shot. You like watching him. But you wouldn't invite him home for a family dinner.
Lance Guest's Johnny Cash sings like Johnny Cash. Same deep, resonating voice bespeaking a lifetime of experience lived hard and full.
Dane Stokinger's Elvis "The King" Presley is pretty much what you would expect. All hips and brooding but with a velvety smooth way with a song.
Record-business savvy, an eye for talent and a slick manner with talented people personify Matt Wolfe's Sam Phillips. Wolfe makes the case for promoters who make a difference. Very strong acting.
Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins takes a back seat to the other legends in the beginning but comes on in a big way as things move along.
Jessica Skerritt steams as she teases the girl-crazy hunger out of a panting Jerry Lee Lewis. The whole house loved sweating it out, men for their reasons, women for theirs.
As for the music, it is the real show standout. You know these guys. The favorites that just keep going keep right on coming. "Great Balls of Fire," "Love Me Tender," "The Rock Island Line," they are all there. A show for all ages. Recommended.
Reactions? Comments? E-mail Dale Burrows at grayghost7@comcast.net
11.02.07 | The Herald Business Journal coverage of "The Million Dollar Quartet: A New Rock n Roll Musical".
‘Million Dollar Quartet’
recalls magical recording session
By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor
Get ready for an entertaining musical evening of rock ’n’ roll with four of the biggest names in music as Village Theatre opens its new fall season at the Everett Performing Arts Center with “Million Dollar Quartet” — starring professional singers in the challenging roles of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.
Known for the quality of its productions, Village Theatre picked a blockbuster cast to hit the boards for this one. The show already has earned enthusiastic praise from Seattle reviewers for its “Quartet” presentation at the theater’s home venue in Issaquah. Now the show is running Nov. 2 through 18 in Everett.
“The show was received extremely well in Issaquah, and it’s doing very well in ticket sales for Everett, too,” said Josh Roberts, director of marketing for the theatrical organization. Portrayals of the four immortal performers, and renditions of 30 of their immortal songs, are handled superbly by experienced actors who play their own instruments and mimic the singing styles of their stage personas.
The setting for the show is based on a rare 1956 gathering of the four superstars at Sam Phillips’ Sun Records Studio. Although Presley had moved on to RCA records by that time, he was well acquainted with the other three who were still Sun recording artists.
As a musical, of course, the attraction isn’t just the professional performances of the faux singing stars but listening to 30 famous songs of the ’50s and ’60s — including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire” and “Shake, Rattle & Roll.” More mellow moments slow to such melodies as the gospel hit “Peace in the Valley.”
Floyd Mutrux, who co-authored “Good Rockin’ Tonight — Sun Records and the Birth of Rock ’N’ Roll” with Colin Escott and directed the birth-of-rock movie “American Hot Wax,” co-directed “Quartet” with Matt Walker for Village Theatre.
In a starring role as Johnny Cash is Lance Guest (whose credits include starring on “St. Elsewhere,” “JAG” and “NYPD Blue,” as well as playing Alex Rogan in the 1984 sci-fi movie “The Last Starfighter”). Rising recording artist and actor Levi Kreis, who just completed a 251-city national tour promoting his two albums, plays Jerry Lee Lewis. Stage and nightclub artist Rob Lyons plays rockabilly legend Carl Perkins, and Dane Stokinger, veteran of the national tour of “Miss Saigon” and the European tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” takes on the challenging role of Elvis Presley.
Matt Wolfe, a familiar Village Theatre player in such shows as “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Music Man,” joins the cast of “Quartet” to play Sam Phillips as the “Father of Rock-n-Roll,” and Jessica Skerritt, who has performed at ArtsWest, Civic Light Opera and Harlequin Productions, is Elvis’ showgirl girlfriend, Dyanne.
Village Theatre, with more than 17,000 subscribers and a projected audience of 170,000 annually for its five-play seasons, has launched more than 60 new musical stage productions and promoted youth education programs through Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving more than 53,000 young people, families and schools each year. This season’s sponsors include the Boeing Co., Continental Airlines, Microsoft and Lombardi’s restaurants.
Coming up on the season’s playbill are “The King and I,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Little Women” and then “AIDA.”
11.01.07 | "The Seattle Times" review "The Million Dollar Quartet".. the second time!
A play with a "whole lot of shakin' goin' on"
By Diane Wright
"Million Dollar Quartet" is one show where the actors play the audience as hard as they play their instruments.
Levi Kreis, who plays Jerry Lee Lewis in the musical, said that during the show, "Couples have been leaving the middle of the row and dropping their bags and dancing with each other. We've had girls come to the front of the aisle and shake during 'Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On.' "
With that rousing finale, "we like to create a safe environment for them to experience theater in a completely different way," said Kreis. "We're all trying to let them know this is a party, and you can let your hair down."
The musical does a "you are there" take on a memorable December day in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis came together for session work at Sun Records, the recording studio that gave all of them their starts. Full of bravado but still vulnerable, these young entertainers put their mark on an era and walked from obscurity into legend.
Village Theatre transfers the production to Everett from Issaquah on Friday, with audience response so good in Issaquah that the Everett run already has been extended a week.
The musical's title comes from a Memphis newspaper headline about that memorable session, organized by Sun Records owner Sam Phillips.
Deferential and polite, "these guys came from the churchgoing South," Kreis said. "They had a sense of moral obligation, whether they chose to battle with it, like Jerry Lee, where rock 'n' roll won out, or incorporated it into concerts, like Johnny Cash."
"The writers did an extraordinary job of penciling in everyone's interrelationships," said Lance Guest, who plays Cash.
Phillips, played by Matt Wolfe, comes off as a showman keeping tight control over his "talent," who became surrogate sons.
"Sam signed these guys and made them what they were," Guest said. "Nowadays, you've got to have a band, it's got to play clubs, you can't just walk in and say, 'Hi, I want to be a rock star.' It was different at that time."
The show's creators, co-directors Matt Walker and Floyd Mutrux, musical arranger and director Chuck Mead, and Colin Escott, who co-authored the show with Mutrux, have used hit after hit, including a lot of covers Cash made famous.
The energy increases with "Blue Suede Shoes," "The Wreck of the Old 97," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Rock Island Line," "Great Balls of Fire" and "Ghost Riders in the Sky."
But there's also an a cappella version of "Peace in the Valley" and quiet tunes performed as though they were new. It probably took the relatively innocent postwar 1950s to engage a whole country with a song like "See You Later, Alligator."
Though "Great Balls of Fire" ends the show, after the bows come four more songs, ending in that roof-raising version of "Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On." As Jerry Lee Lewis, Kreis' chair-kicking, keyboard-banging performance is so wild he has to tape his fingers. If he doesn't, his cuticles split.
Pianist Kreis, classically trained at Vanderbilt University, said "Jerry Lee was one of my main influences as a child." Kreis said he was the family party trick, being asked to play "Great Balls of Fire" when he was 12 years old.
What he sees in common with Lewis is "the ability to lose oneself in the music, to zone out and go where the music takes you and not be afraid."
Dane Stokinger plays a young, deferential Elvis Presley, playing and romancing his girlfriend Dyanne (Jessica Skerritt). Rob Lyons plays guitar legend Carl Perkins, and Corey Kaiser is his bassist brother Jay, with James "Rif" Reif on the drums.
"The play is supposed to approximate a jam session," said Guest, a guitarist for more than 30 years who met the real Johnny Cash in 1989 in Hollywood. "It shouldn't feel like a performance. That's what's exciting about the idea. What would it feel like if you were there?"
Guest said the Sun Records sound was original.
"You can hear it in the records," he said. "There's a soul to it. Bluegrass and country and gospel were done one way for so long, and when they put them all together, it was an explosion."
Diane Wright: 425-745-7815 or dwright@seattletimes.com
10.18.07 | The Seattle Gay Times Reviews "The Million Dollar Quartet"
Million Dollar Quartet: Rockabilly revue features solid performances
by Miryam Gordon - SGN A&E Writer
Million Dollar Quartet
By Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux and Chuck Mead
Directed by Floyd Mutrux and Matt Walker
Village Theatre
Now through October 28, 2007 Issaquah
November 2 to 18, 2007
Everett
Almost more of a revue than a musical, Million Dollar Quartet features some of the best rockabilly musicians. Four remarkable performances by Lance Guest as Johnny Cash, Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins and Dane Stokinger as Elvis Presley, are as good as it gets, as they sing and play all their own instruments on stage. They are backed up by Corey Kaiser on bass and James Reif on drums, creating a seamless musical experience of the earliest days of these great performers.
The date is December 4, 1956, near Christmas, as these former and current Sun Records musicians visit with their mentor, Sam Phillips (Matt Wolfe). It was a real event, and they apparently did record a number of songs together, off the cuff. Not clear is if Elvis' girlfriend, Dyanne, played by the lovely Jessica Skerritt, actually sang with them, as she does in this production. The list of songs covers all of their early hits and gives you a history of what they were doing before Sam Phillips found them and launch their recording careers.
The production values are all solid, with a nice, cluttered set by Scott Fyfe, exciting concert-style lighting by Alex Berry and great musical direction by Chuck Mead. The sound technician had the volume up kind of high at the beginning of the show I saw, but thankfully, it turned down a notch as the show went on.
It's a joy to watch such talented musicians, performing classic hits, but if one could be said to stand out among the standouts, Levi Kreis is an amazing pianoman. His exuberance is unstoppable. He has apparently injured himself, after doing a stunt of jumping over the piano, so he's not performing that stunt anymore. I don't think we really need him to hurt himself for our entertainment! He's just as fun without it.
If the 50s and Presley, Lewis, Cash and Perkins are your kind of music, then don't miss it.
For more information, go to www.villagetheatre.org or call 425-392-2202.
To comment on the review, write sgncritic@gmail.com.
10.12.07 | Review of MDQ from "The Stranger" Magazine; Seattle
One December evening in 1956, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins played a jam session with, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sun Records' hottest new acquisition. Johnny Cash stopped by to pose for photos because Sam Phillips, Sun's P. T. Barnumesque president, had invited a reporter. The impromptu four-man supergroup would never meet again.
Million Dollar Quartet is a dramatization of that night, and despite some dramatic tarting-up—Elvis's girlfriend (Jessica Skerritt) sings a couple songs and gives a painful speech referring to rock 'n' roll as a "revolution"—it captures the significance of that night. All four men were about to experience the costs of unprecedented fame: Perkins was fading into obscurity after being eclipsed by Elvis, Cash would soon sign a lucrative contract with Columbia Records, Lewis was on the verge of becoming the world's most popular rock star before losing it all by marrying his 13-year-old cousin, and Presley had just made the first of many atrocious movies and was about to embark on a two-decade descent into weirdness, self-loathing, and perversion.
The performances are excellent. The actors mimic each musician's signature tics—Rob Lyons does Perkins's odd guitar-playing chicken walk, Lance Guest's Cash lifts his guitar over his head—but it's more than impersonator shtick. The actors are a good ensemble and a fine band, and though their instruments keep them primarily rooted in place, they find room for fun: Lyons plays a hot guitar solo while standing precariously on an upright bass being played by another actor.
The unabashed star of the show is Levi Kreis's Lewis, an arrogant bastard who revels in his own talent. Kreis's leg is in a brace—he threw out his knee in an earlier performance after vaulting over the piano—but his Southern-fried bravura is still magnificent. In real life, Lewis is the only surviving member of the Quartet. Here, too, the Killer gets the last laugh. PAUL CONSTANT
10.07.07 | Stunt injures actor in Issaquah musical
Stunt injures actor in Issaquah musical
By Seattle Times staff report
Seattle performer Levi Kreis pushed his portrayal of Jerry Lee Lewis a bit past the limit during Friday's performance of "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Village Theatre in Issaquah.
In the finale of the musical, which depicts a 1956 jam session among Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, Kreis jumped from a piano, one of several stunts he performs in the show. Kreis didn't break a leg but he did tear a ligament in his left knee, according to his manager, Rich Overton.
The show must go on. And it will. Overton and Village Theatre marketing director Josh Roberts confirmed that Kreis is cleared to perform for the rest of the show's run, which continues in Issaquah through Oct. 28 and then moves to the Village Theatre's Everett venue Nov. 2 to 18. Minus Kreis' big stunts.
10.07.07 | Seattle Weekly Review of "The Million Dollar Quartet".
Million Dollar Quartet
A momentous meeting in Memphis, recreated on stage By VIRGINIA ZECH
It has been just over half a century since four rock/country/gospel/rockabilly legends, later to be known as the Million Dollar Quartet, found themselves together in a small Memphis studio recording impromptu tracks. The Village Theatre production of the same name, perhaps more accurately described as one of the best cover shows in the history of man, chronicles the story and music of that evening at Sun Records. December 4, 1956 could have gone down in the annals of obscure musical history as the day Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins gave notice of their intentions to leave Sun at the expiration of their contracts; it could also have been recorded as the date of a nostalgic reunion between Elvis Presley and his friend and former champion, then-owner of Sun, Sam Phillips. Through some divine miracle of scheduling these events transpired simultaneously, their accompanying tensions hilariously mitigated by Sun’s recent hire: hillbilly, pianist, and vocal legend Jerry Lee Lewis. Everyone in this play deserves praise, Jerry Guest’s almost eerie channeling of Cash and Levi Kreis’s hysterical rendering of Jerry Lee in particular. Inspired musical performances punctuated by moments of wit and sadness made this show the most fun I have had at the theatre in a long time.
10.02.07 | Seattle Times review of "The Million Dollar Quartet"
"Million" honors an amazing moment in rock
By Tom Keogh
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at Sun Studio on Dec 4, 1956.
Music fans who revere the legacy of Sun (which released hit tunes on the Sun Records label) and its visionary owner, producer Sam Phillips, know that rock 'n' roll was partially invented behind the walls of the small recording facility in Memphis, Tenn. That's where, among other things, the determined Phillips pulled a synthesis of blues, country, rockabilly and gospel out of Elvis Presley for the latter's groundbreaking first releases in 1954.
Two years later, Presley was no longer with Sun. But his December visit in '56, that led to an impromptu jam session with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash, was a momentous occasion — and the subject of Village Theatre's exhilarating new musical "Million Dollar Quartet."
A blend of historical fact, wistfulness and love for Phillips' revolutionary contribution to American culture, "Million Dollar Quartet" is the closest thing to wish fulfillment for anyone who has dreamed of witnessing Presley, Perkins, Lewis and Cash blend their disparate influences into an original, albeit brief, sound.
The book by Colin Escott (author of "Good Rockin' Tonight — Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'N' Roll") and Floyd Mutrux (who directed a very good film about rock's infancy, "American Hot Wax," and co-directed "Quartet," along with Matt Walker) isn't a forced narrative with musical accompaniment. It's a reflection of a moment in time that also coincided with the end of Phillips' peak impact on rock's development.
The action takes place over a few hours in which the primary drama is the music itself. "Quartet" is largely a concert with various ironies unfolding in the background, conflicts no one really wants to speak of lest they spoil the day's bonhomie, but which will be addressed eventually.
"Quartet" opens on a fantasy note with Perkins (Rob Lyons) leading Presley (Dane Stokinger), Lewis (Levi Kreis) and Cash (Lance Guest) through a sizzling "Blue Suede Shoes." It takes about a minute to realize that all four performers are, in fact, playing their own instruments, a rather dazzling detail particularly regarding Lyons and Kreis, who recreate the sensational fullness of their characters' complex sound while capturing, respectively, Perkins' coiled personality and Lewis' shrewd wildness.
Stokinger's Presley isn't so much an impression as an allusion to a great artist who knows, on some level, he's already been compromised and misses the purity of Sun. Guest, who is 47 and plays Cash at 24, brings a lifetime's gravity to the Man in Black.
Matt Wolfe might have the toughest job, finding in the enigmatic and disillusioned Phillips a man who could hear the possibilities in rock 'n' roll before anyone else, but who couldn't hold onto his creation for long.
Tom Keogh: tomwkeogh@yahoo.com
09.27.07 | Second Review of "The Million Dollar Quartet". TalkingBroadway.com
Million Dollar Quartet
Swings When It Sings at Village Theater
Musicals loaded with '50s hit songs seem to be a sure bet to draw an audience in the greater Seattle area. The past few years Seattle have seen crowd pleasing productions of Smokey Joe's Café, All Shook Up and Buddy, and now we have Million Dollar Quartet opening Village Theatre's season with a rousing standing ovation and post-show chatter rife with comments about "coming back to see this" and "I'm telling all my friends to come." At just over 100 intermissionless minutes the show is perfect for those weary of the many two and a half hour musicals we have all come to expect. It has a talented cast of actors, and a fine small group of musicians. But it is a revue trying to pretend it is a book musical, and, though Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux have indeed supplied a script, it is a mere hook on which to flimsily hang the songs and the actors' impersonations of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
Million Dollar Quartet was inspired by an actual event that took place on the night of December 4, 1956 at the fabled Sun recording studios in Memphis, Tennessee. It was the one and only time Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, along with Sam Phillips who had discovered them all and became known as "The Father of Rock & Roll," were all united in the same place at the same time. They sang, they argued, and they shared stories. In Escott and Mutrux's version, a girl singer named Dyanne, ostensibly a gal pal of Elvis, was there too. Nothing really dramatic happened, other than Phillips being deserted for the grandeur and lure of RCA (where Elvis had all ready set up camp). The show relies on such golden oldie songs as "Blue Suede Shoes," "Ghost Riders in the Sky," "Sixteen Tons," "That's All Right," "Great Balls of Fire," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and more (many of which were probably not part of the song mix), and the combination of the tunes and the cast vocal and sometimes instrumental skills are part of what powers the production. The other part is two of the cast members' performances.
Lance Guest, remembered fondly in some quarters as an adolescent actor in the cult film The Last Starfighter, makes a riveting, impressive, flesh and blood Johnny Cash, and if Joaquin Phoenix hadn't all ready done the film bio of Cash, Guest could have auditioned for it. Maybe he should produce one himself - he's that good. Levi Kreis may not be quite as much of a ringer for Jerry Lee Lewis, but he has Lewis's essence and energy down pat. Carl Perkins, the least well remembered of the four (he wrote "Blue Suede Shoes" but an injury kept him from recording it before Elvis had already made it a hit) is winningly played by Rob Lyons, who may well be glad to be playing the least iconic guy in the room. The most iconic, Elvis Presley, is sadly never visible in Dane Stokinger's vocally sound but mild and muted performance. An amped up Presley would make the whole show rock more than it does, and it is hard to know how Stokinger could have missed the mark so completely. Matt Wolfe as Sam Phillips has to step out of the story and talk to the audience a lot, which may explain why his Phillips only registers in fits and starts. As the composite girlfriend Dyanne, the attractive Jessica Skerritt is given a solo on the Peggy Lee classic "Fever" and does nicely enough by it, even though it is a mere consolation prize for being handed such a cipher of a role to play.
Musical direction by Chuck Mead is solid and scintillating, with assured work by onstage musicians Corey Kaiser and James "Rif" Reif. Actor Kreis sizzles at the piano as Jerry Lee Lewis. Scott Fyfe's scenic design captures the low-rent seediness of the Sun Studios impressively, and it is set off well by lighting designer Alex Berry. Deane Middleton's costumes evoke the era and the look of the of the quartet with aplomb.
In the final analysis a show like this is pretty critic proof and will likely fill all the seats during its run with less demanding theatregoers. For the choosier among you, Lance Guest's turn as Cash may be reason enough to check out Million Dollar Quartet.
Million Dollar Quartet runs through October 28, 2007 at Village Theater, 303 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA, and November 2–18, 2007 at Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue, Everett, WA. For more information visit Village Theater online at www.villagetheater.org.
Photo: Jay Koh
- David Edward Hughes
09.25.07 | Seattle Pi reviews "The Million Dollar Quartet: an original rock n roll musical"
'Million Dollar Quartet'
The Village Theatre's "Million Dollar Quartet" could give the 1950s a good name. It could even give testosterone a good name.
The year is 1956. The place is the Sun Records Studio in Memphis. The characters include Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. They are the "Million Dollar Quartet" of the title. Additional characters are Elvis' paramour du jour (a shapely blonde named Dyanne), Sun impresario Sam Phillips, a drummer and a bass player.
The immortals of rockabilly perform immortal tunes. The show's 30 songs include "Blue Suede Shoes," "Party," "Shake Rattle and Roll," "Willie and the Handjive," "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On." Among the pace-changers are "Sixteen Tons" (muy macho) and "Peace in the Valley" (gloriously harmonized).
Librettists Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux have taken a real incident and turned it into a jukebox revue. There's a dab of plot. Lewis and Perkins irk one another. Elvis has defected to RCA. Cash is trying to figure out a way to break the news that he's about to sign with Columbia. But mostly the show is a tribute to the birth of rock 'n' roll.
Co-directors Mutrux and Matt Walker have recruited sensational singer/instrumentalist/actors: Lance Guest as Cash, Levi Kreis as Lewis, Rob Lyons as Perkins and Dane Stokinger as Elvis. These four don't seem like impersonators. Mostly they come across as inspired performers doing great work. As Lewis, Kreis is especially amazing: conceited, mouthy, athletic, witty, goofy and a fantastic piano man.
Jessica Skerritt, as Dyanne, does right by "Fever." As Phillips, Matt Wolfe adds a bit of dramatic depth portraying a man who discovers rough talent, polishes it and then loses it to big money outfits. Adding essential byplay are Corey Kaiser on bass and James "Rif" Reif on percussion.
The explosions of youthful male energy -- combining competition, cooperation and discipline -- are pure exhilaration. The sense of creative, as opposed to destructive, testosterone is driven home by a particularly propulsive styling of "Down by the Riverside" with its emphatic refrain, "Ain't a gonna study war no more."
"Million Dollar Quartet" plays at the Village Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, through Oct. 28, when it transfers to the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett, where it runs through Nov. 18. Issaquah tickets: $20-$55; 425-393-2202, 866-699- 8049. Everett: $15-$49; 425-257-8600 or 888-257-3722. In either case: villagetheatre.org; students and military half-price 30 minutes before curtain, discounts for groups.
09.13.07 | INTRODUCING THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET: AN ORIGINAL ROCK AND ROLL MUSICAL!
Many of you know by now of Levi's involvement in a new rock n roll musical called "The Million Dollar Quartet". Now that his 2-year national tour has finally come to a successful end, Levi will sit down in Seattle for 3 months to play the role of Jerry Lee Lewis opening September 19th and running through November 26th. You guys, this cast is ridiculously talented! With multi-faceted talent such as Lance Guest, Rob Lyons, and Dane Stokinger, the respective roles of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley come to life to tell a little known story about the relationships between four of the greatest legends, and the visionary who discovered them, Sam Phillips.
Playing Sam Phillips is the brilliant Matt Wolfe, who is the common thread in the lives of these four young men. Playing the sultry Marolyn-esque role of Elvis' mysterious Vegas girlfriend is Jessica Skerritt. Skerritt's vocal stylings are impeccible, and so is her ability to bring hope once again to Phillips when everything he's worked for seems to be slipping into the hands of the high powered record labels. Overall, a fantastic team effort by everyone, making for not only a non-stop night of rock and roll, but a heart-warming story about how one man created a legacy.
We want you guys to meet this great cast and get to know this exciting work. We hope that some of you get out to Seattle to see it! Check the tour schedule; the info is all there.
That's all for now. A very special thanks to our iForce team for a third week of "We're Okay" at #1!!!
07.03.07 | “WE’RE OKAY" PREMIERES ON LOGO. OUTFEST FILM FESTIVAL WELCOMES LEVI. ENVYMAN MAGAZINE SPREADS “THE GOSPEL...”.
Hey kids! We know it’s been a while since we’ve run an update for you, but with Levi’s hectic tour schedule it’s been hard to stay on top of everything. And come on, with Levi opening for divas like Chaka Khan and Deborah Gibson, you really think we’re going to sit around in a hotel room and make news briefs? No, pretty babies. But alas, here are the haps!
Levi’s first music video “We’re Okay” premiered June 24th on MTV’s alternative lifestyle programming, Logo. Now, here’s a quick lesson in Logo. They have two different shows for music videos: NewNowNext, and The Click List. “We’re Okay” ran successfully on NewNowNext all last week. Now, we wait to see if it joins The Click List.
The Click List actually involves you! At www.logoonline.com, you will click and vote for your favorite music video. The Click List, the show, will air the top 10 videos voted for that week. As soon as Levi’s video hits The Click List, we’ll let you know as we will be counting on all of you to click and vote as if your mamma’s life depended on it. ;-)
Who doesn’t love Tori Spelling? Just when we thought we couldn’t love her any more, she stars in a brilliant new film called “Kiss The Bride” featuring three of Levi’s songs: “Hardly A Hero”, “U Found Me”, and “We’re Okay” (end credits). “Kiss The Bride” will have its world premiere at Outfest Film Festival on Monday, July 23rd.
You can check to see if tickets are still available at www.outfest.org
Envyman Magazine may be a new addition to our national gay periodicals, but they are quickly on their way to becoming one of the hottest for sure. Impeccable layout and design, they also have a pretty great review of “The Gospel According To Levi” in issue #10; on stands right now!
Since our last brief, Columbia Record’s new LGBT record label, Music With A Twist, released the first ever compilation CD of all-LGBT artists including Levi’s “I Should Go”. We tell you true, this is a great CD worth picking up. It’s called “Revolutions”. Go to iTunes and check it out.
Here’s a random bit. “Futurelove” just won first place in the category Pop/Uptempo Dance at the Unisong International Songwriting Contest. Thanks Darci for submitting yours and Levi’s song! Spread that future-love all over the world!
The boys over at Outvoice.Net have been doing a lot when it comes to getting the word out about “The Gospel According To Levi”! Levi landed the number 3 album on May’s Top 40 list. You guys go over to their cyber-home and say howdy, and keep an eye out for June’s Top 40 to post; we’re anxious to see if Levi will climb!
Levi is finally staying in Los Angeles for a while as the bulk of his touring has ended. Can we tell you how excited we are about a new album that will start recording in late July/August? In the meantime, Levi’s been talking about a small church tour. This Sunday, July 8th, could be the start of several future church dates as Levi does a special performance at WeHo Church in West Hollywood. We hope to reach out to MCC churches abroad, so keep an eye on the tour schedule.
That’s all for us. We hope that you all have a wonderful summer! Blessed be!
04.10.07 | Columbia Records soon to release "Revolutions" CD including Levi's indie hit "I Should Go". / New Music Video Released to networks.
On May 15th, Columbia Records new GLBT music label, Music With A Twist, will release their first compilation CD of all gay songsters, an anticipated move for the new label created to provide mainstream exposure for out artists. Heavy speculation began to build in the GLBT music community as to whether Twist would build a quick reputation for sacrificing their initial mission statement for the safety of mainstream acceptance when their last compilation, The L Word sountrack, became more about a collection of already established, non-gay artists. We, at levikreis.com are here to tell you truly; they now have a line-up of artists on their coming release that has the potential to shut everybody up. Here's hoping they play their cards right and find effective ways to work these out indie artists into the limelight. We're rootin' for ya!
Perhaps one reason we're invested in their success is because our very own Levi Kreis has a song on the new compilation. "I Should Go", from his critically acclaimed album "One of the Ones", had a great life last year with heavy radio rotation, a feature on "Days of Our Lives", and national television appearances performing the hit indie single. We encourage all of you to check out the link we provide here (Twist's myspace page) and take a listen to the other incredible artists that have come together to make this such a powerful project. We would also encourage you to email them when you visit their myspace site and tell them you are thrilled that Levi is a part of the project and that you wanna see as much of him as you possibly can. Letting them see first hand by your email the incredible support you guys have is sure to be a positive statement, and may increase the level of participation Levi might have with touring this compilation cd, participating in promotion, etc. So go get 'em, guys and dolls! You know WE don't mind if you badger the shit out of them. :-) So here's all the album info you could ever wish to know:
"Revolutions": on Music With A Twist
April 24th- Digital release: Available exclusively on Rhapsody.
May 8th- Digital release with all other Digital Distributers
May 15th- The physical release date.
Myspace them, email them, push Levi down their throats, and most importantly, SUPPORT YOUR INDIE OUT ARTISTS! MAKE SURE TO PICK UP A COPY FOR YOURSELF!
Well kids, we are all wiping the sweat off of our brow as we look at the DVD of the new video sitting on our desk. We have no words other than, thank God it's finally done! "We're Okay", the music video, is being copied as we speak and should be heading out to the wonderful, beautiful people at Logo by Monday. Other video outlets will be considered, and we'll let you know whose got their hands on our little ditty. We'll be adding a link here at levikreis.com in order to provide you viewing pleasure...very soon.
That's all for now. Don't forget, the shooting of "Southern Baptist Sissies" begins in May! Levi will be playing the role of Jared, a club stripper that seduces a questioning Baptist boy to reconsider his inhibitions and experience his desires. Levi will also be in the studio recording songs for the coming soundtrack. All this and more; keep checkin' with us. We love you very much!
03.05.07 | LEVI FEATURED IN AUSTRALIA'S SEXIEST MAGAZINE / "IN THE NAME OF GOD" REACHES #7
Levi talks about God, sex, his music and Will Fennell in the March issue of DNA! This one may be a little hard to get your hands on, but it's sure to be one hot read. Check the gay mag section of Borders and Barnes and Noble. You'll find it there, but it is an import magazine so there may be a few weeks delay in stocking it.
Sirius Out Q posted their Top 20 Charts for this week. "In the Name of God", a very unexpected single, has climbed from #11 last week to #7. The Hot 20 is based on the amount of airplay from Jeremy Hovies’ music show Last Call which airs every weeknight on Sirius OutQ 106 beginning at 1 a.m. Eastern/10 p.m. Pacific. We encourage you to visit their web site, and listen to their programming at http://www.sirius.com/outq. FEEL FREE TO CONTACT JEREMY AS MUCH AS YOU WANT TO REQUEST "IN THE NAME OF GOD" AND MORE MUSIC OFF "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LEVI'! We love it when you guys get aggressive. LOL!
We also have a great review for you to read from the people at Logo-online. Cut and paste the following link.
http://www.365gay.com/entertainment/musicchannel/top10/022807top10.htm
More to come. God Bless.
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