London’s West End will see another US import early in the new year – Million Dollar Quartet will open at the Noel Coward Theatre in February. The concept is one half jukebox musical, with the added depth of some historical clout.

On the 4th December 1956 Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis came together at Sun Records in Memphis for the first and only time in their careers, resulting in probably one of the ultimate ‘jam sessions’ of the twentieth century.

The historical reference should provide the necessary interesting plot moments, and of course it’s always fun to see ‘Elvis’ on stage. I think where this show will really take off is the jukebox part – that is, the songs. The show description boasts that over 20 classic hits are incorporated into the musical, including: Blue Suede Shoes, I Walk The Line, Great Balls Of Fire, Hound Dog, Riders In The Sky, and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.

Million Dollar Quartet is an extremely popular production in New York, and it’s easy to see why; the story combined with fantastic music is an easy sell. We’ll have to see if the Brits are just as interested, but judging by the success of shows like Jersey Boys, I reckon that they will be.

Million Dollar Quartet is booking from 8th February to the 1st October 2011 and tickets start from just £12.50

Buy Million Dollar Quartet tickets here.

Is the West End changing tact, trying to emulate its cousin in New York?

At Discount Theatre, we’ve noticed that a number of shows are introducing a Sunday show (usually a matinee) and having a weeknight off in return. This makes perfect sense when you consider that theatre is a leisure pastime and most people do not work Saturday and Sunday.

Generally speaking, the West End had run a generic schedule of Monday to Saturday evening, a Saturday matinee and a weekday matinee, equalling eight performances a week with Sunday as a rest day.
On Broadway, you can guarantee that most shows will run on Sundays and traditionally Monday was the day of rest for the actors (although nowadays anything goes and quite often you will see Tuesday or Wednesday as the night off)

Personally, I don’t understand why West End producers haven’ t thought about this sooner. Tourists who take weekend trips to London usually stay for most of Sunday; leaving only Saturday to see the show. Saturdays are notoriously busy, with productions booked months in advance, so any hope of buying a ticket on the day goes out the window. To open up on Sundays as well, gives the paying public much more choice and if it is a matinee, the actors will still have the night off.

For years the staple of Sunday matinees in the West End were either Stomp or The Lion King. Desperate people milling around Leicester Square on a Sunday were left out as they didn’t realise that most theatres were dark. Now we are seeing Thriller, Jersey Boys, Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Prick Up your Ears already performing or introducing a Sunday show in the next few months, which is great news for the consumers.

Finally The West End seems to be thinking about the routines of punters. Now, if we could just get the government to revoke Sunday trading hours so we can go grocery shopping after 4pm, life would be bliss!

Check out the great shows with Sunday performances here.