PUTNAM COUNTY
Let’s travel back in time to Dec. 4, 1956, to a night known in rock-n-roll history as the night stardom was born.
Four early rockers – Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley – gathered that night at Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis for a jam session that ultimately nicknamed these stars, “The Million Dollar Quartet.”
And now, you can relive that magical evening March 2, at The Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton.
“One Night in Memphis” is a tribute to that memorable night featuring nationally acclaimed cast members sporting the uncanny look, feel and sound of the original legends. This highly acclaimed production is family-friendly, too, as its music truly knows no age.
The show gets off to a rocking start with “Carl Perkins” performing hits like “Honey Don’t,” “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man,” and “Blue Suede Shoes,” while offering up anecdotes about life as a sharecropper’s son and his musical influences.
Midway through his set, Carl invites session musician “Jerry Lee Lewis” to join him and Lewis seizes the opportunity to front the band and lead the audience on a musical journey from New Orleans to Nashville and eventually into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.
As Jerry puts the finishing touches on a set that includes “High School Confidential,” “Breathless,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin' On,” and “Great Balls of Fire,” the audience will barely have the opportunity to catch their breath before “Johnny Cash” steps up with his signature greeting, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash.”
And then the musical journey through Cash’s timeless catalog begins, including smash hits like “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” and “I Walk the Line.”
Then finally, the king of rock-n-roll, “Elvis Presley,” steps up and electrifies the audience by transporting them back to his late-‘50s beginnings, when he went from driving a truck to delivering 11 No. 1 hits, including “Shake, Rattle & Roll,” “All Shook Up,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” and “Hound Dog.”
Whether you favor any one of these music legends or you absolutely love them all, “One Night in Memphis” is a show not to be missed. This group will take the audience a step back in time to that special Tuesday night late in 1956, complete with dancing and singing along.
Experience part of The Plaza’s 15th-anniversary celebrations and enjoy a night to remember for years to come. This show offers top-notch entertainment right in your own backyard.
“One Night in Memphis” will be live on The Plaza stage on March 2 at 7 p.m., with tickets on sale now at plazacenter.org.