Ring of Fire
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Conceived by William Meade
Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport (map)
thru Nov 1 | tix: $25-$65 | more info
Check for half-price tickets
June steals the show in entertaining Cash revue
Mercury Theater and Theatre at the Center presents
Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash
Review by Clint May
For a show that disappointed on Broadway, Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash has found its legs at Mercury Theater in 2015 after getting its first run at Theatre at the Center. Now extended through November 1, this pure jukebox musical sums itself up in its title. This is the music of Johnny Cash. If you came looking for the story, you won’t get much. This is a thin stew compared to such other similarly styled and meatier musical revues such as Hank Williams: Lost Highway.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel just a little hungry exiting the show. What small tidbits of biographical details and insider info are sprinkled throughout the first act are all but gone in the second. Watching a young Johnny Cash (a delightful Michael Monroe Goodman—he really has that Cashian sparkle-and-wink in his eyes and the drawl ever on his lips) trying impress a Sun Records exec first with gospel then a love song (“Cry! Cry! Cry!”) and learning how the song’s “unique” arrangement was born of limited skill and not ingenuity—well, those are the little details that add some delicious spice.
Playing an older Johnny Cash, Kent M. Lewis is a brilliant embodiment of the Man in Black’s humble, earnest stage presence. It’s Cory Goodrich as the love of his life (and second wife) June Carter Cash that steals the show with charm and sass, particularly with her literally-breathtaking rendition of “I’ve Been Everywhere.” When the two combine to sing “Jackson,” the chemistry feels authentic. Backed by the rousing skill of Greg Hirte, Malcolm Ruhl, Billy Shaffer and Austin Cook, this revue becomes utterly transportive.
With 30+ songs spanning the long career and many genres of this American master, Ring of Fire is sure to enthrall both fans of Cash and those for whom the man is a stranger. That it doesn’t delve too deeply into the angels and demons behind the music is a ultimately a minor caveat. I had Ring of Fire stuck in my head for days with no complaints!
Rating: ★★★
Ring of Fire continues through November 1st at Mercury Theater, 3745 N. Southport (map), with performances Wednesdays 8pm, Thursdays 3pm and 8pm, Fridays 8pm, Saturdays 3pm and 8pm, Sundays 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are $25-$65, and are available by phone (773-325-1700) or online through Vendini.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at MercuryTheaterChicago.com. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)
Photos by Brett Beiner
artists
cast
Kent M. Lewis (Johnny Cash), Cory Goodrich (June Carter Cash), Michael Monroe Goodman (Young Johnny Cash), Greg Hirte (Fiddle, Mandolin, Electric and Acoustic Guitars), Malcolm Ruhl (Bass Fiddle, Electric and Acoustic Guitars), Billy Shaffer (Drums, Percussion), Austin Cook (Keyboards, Bass Fiddle, Resonator Guitar and Acoustic Guitars)
behind the scenes
Brian Russell (director, associate producer), Malcolm Ruhl (musical direction), Angie Miller (scenic design), Shelley Strasser-Holland (lighting design), Barry G. Funderburg (sound design), Brenda Winstead (costume design), Melissa Geel (props design), Rebecca Green (stage manager), Ann Davis (production manager, technical director), Jeff Lisenby (orchestrations), Kevin Barthel (wig design), William Pullinsi (artistic director, TATC), Richard Friedman (co-producer), L. Walter Stearns (co-producer), Prahlad Friedman (associate producer), Brett Beiner (photos)
15-0417
