‘Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on’: Stolp Island’s ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ celebrates 1st anniversary

Reflecting on Paramount Theatre’s boffo “Million Dollar Quartet” revival, which has played to near-capacity audiences at Aurora's Stolp Island Theatre for the last year, actor/musician Bill Scott Sheets sings his castmates’ praises.

“This is the best dang cast I’ve ever worked with or seen,” said Sheets.

He should know. A nine-year veteran of a dozen “Million Dollar Quartet” and “Million Dollar Quartet Christmas” productions, Sheets plays Johnny Cash in the Stolp Island revival of the jukebox tuner, a fictionalized account of an impromptu Dec. 4, 1956, Sun Studios jam session between rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley.

The best of the best is what Paramount wanted for its intimate revival and they got it, said Sheets, who serves as the production's associate music director and helped bring together the mostly “MDQ” veteran singer/actor/musicians.

“These people are at the top of their game,” he said of Garrett Forrestal (Lewis), Matt McClure (Perkins), Alex Swindle (Presley), drummer Robert Brandon (W.S. “Fluke” Holland), Madison Palmer (as Dyanne, Elvis' girlfriend) and bassist Jake Saleh (Brother Jay Perkins). The cast also includes Max Stewart as visionary Sun Records founder Sam Phillips and Maeghan Looney as Phillips' business partner, Marion Keisker.

Ideal cast, ideal setting

“This is the quartet I had dreamed about when I reached out to these people to get them involved,” Sheets said of the cast, most of whom have been together since the July 19, 2024, opening, performing more than 400 shows before more than 35,000 people.

“The fact that it's lasted a year is amazing,” said Creg Sclavi, who co-directed the show with Paramount artistic director Jim Corti.

Powered by the dynamic titular quartet and backed by a rock-solid rhythm section, this house-rocking, hip-shaking celebration of early rock 'n' roll is as tight as ever musically. Emotionally, the performances have deepened as the actors have uncovered new ways to play the music and the scenes, Sclavi said.

He attributes the production's success to the music's popularity, the cast's musicianship and unique, immersive staging that puts the audience inside a recording session.

The idea — which came to Sclavi after he played Elvis Presley in an in-the-round production of “MDQ” — is Stolp Island's artfully designed space from creatives Jeffrey D. Kmiec (set), Jonathan Berg-Einhorn (properties), Greg Hofmann (lighting), Adam Rosenthal (sound) and Mike Tutaj (projections).

'MDQ' and beyond

Ticket demand prompted several extensions that pose challenges for the actors, who Sheets says keep things interesting by introducing new musical ideas or improvising “bits.”

“It's fresh every single time,” said Sheets. “There's no sitting on the counter under heat lamps … we're cooking with gas every time” under the watchful eye of stage manager Rebecca J. Lister, who makes sure they don't stray too far from the script.

“We give them wiggle room to have a little fun,” Sclavi confirmed. “They're free to play as long as it stays within the world of the show.”

Cast members describe themselves as “chosen family,” and the bonhomie they established transcends the Stolp Island stage.

Six of the original nine cast members, among them Sam Pearson (the original Sam Phillips) and Hayley Jane Schafer (the original Marion), formed a side project that evolved from Palmer's suggestion they put together a holiday show.

Referencing a line from the script, they call themselves The Four Buck Family Band. Their first show last December at a Chicago cabaret led to a monthly residency that ended when the club closed in April.

Earlier this month, they played a sold-out show at The Venue in Aurora. The two-hour set included oldies from Jackson Browne, Heart and Styx that topped the charts before they were born; a rock anthem or two; a number from the Tony Award-winning “Hadestown” and a Swindle original, which the guitarist credited to the entire band. The eclectic set reflects their individual interests.

“We give each other the freedom to indulge our passions,” said Swindle backstage before the concert.

“That's why our set is all over the place,” joked Palmer.

Pearson, the Four Buck Family Band's de facto emcee, says he's humbled by the company he keeps.

“I'm part of an act I'd pay a lot of money to watch,” he said.

Moments later, standing before the capacity crowd, Pearson toasted his bandmates/castmates: “To friendships that endure, sometimes against great odds,” he said.

Pearson and Schafer left the “MDQ” cast earlier this month, but they remain part of the Four Buck Band family.

Sclavi has seen that level of camaraderie before, but it's rare.

“These guys have found ways to continue to connect and be inspired,” he said. “They really care about each other in a way I find incredibly special.”

“Million Dollar Quartet”

When: Wednesdays: 1:30 p.m. as well as 7 p.m. on alternating weeks; Thursdays and Fridays: 7 p.m.; Saturdays: 2 and 7 p.m.; Sundays: 1 and 5:30 p.m. through Jan. 4, 2026

Where: Stolp Island Theatre, 5 E. Downer Place, Aurora. (630) 896-6666 or paramountaurora.com

Tickets: $75.43

Four Buck Family Band

When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4

Where: The Venue, 21 S. Broadway Ave., Aurora. (331) 212-8490 or themusicvenue.org

Tickets: $30 in advance, $35 at the door