Million Dollar Quartet - Bill Ward joins cast
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
FORMER Coronation Street star Bill Ward will play legendary music producer Sam Phillips in the West End transfer of Million Dollar Quartet, which opens at the Noel Coward Theatre on February 28, 2011 (previews from February 8).
The show, which is currently playing on Broadway and in Chicago, recounts the night when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together to make music and ended up making history.
It was in 1956 that the famous quartet were brought together for their historical night by Sun Records’ founder Sam Phillips – the only time that the four artists, all in their creative prime, worked together.
Million Dollar Quartet contains over 20 hits from the legendary musicians, including Blue Suede Shoes, I Walk The Line, Fever, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On and Folsom Prison Blues.
Although Bill Ward will always be remembered as Coronation Street‘s Charlie Stubbs, a role he played from 2003-2007, he has also appeared on television in Robin Hood (as Ruthless Rufus), The Bill (Rob Towler), Doctors and Cold Blood.
However, with credits that include Look Back in Anger, The Lady from the Sea, The Tempest, Oh What a Lovely War, A Chorus of Disapproval and the West End production of Monty Python’s Spamalot (as Sir Lancelot), Ward is no stranger to theatre.
Million Dollar Quartet will be directed by Tony Award-winner Eric Shaeffer, who made his West End directing debut with The Witches Of Eastwick. Further casting has yet to be announced.