Million Dollar Quartet

The design invites audiences into Sun Records on the day Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together for their legendary jam session. Collaborating with co-scenic designer Efren Delgadillo Jr., director James Moye, and associate director Kim Martin-Cotten, the work balances authenticity with theatricality, capturing both the intimacy of a Memphis studio and the explosive energy of rock and roll in the making.

The environment stays detailed and grounded: wood floors, period recording equipment, and control-room windows lined with gold records. At the same time, theatrical elements heighten the musical impact. Chief among them is the illuminated SUN sign, drawn from Elvis concert signage, which lets the studio become both a place of work and a stage for myth.

That double identity was important. The room needed to hold the closeness of a rehearsal space while still supporting the heightened, public feeling of history happening in front of an audience.

The set was built to honor the jam-session energy at the heart of the piece. By keeping the musicians facing one another and the room open, the design makes the performance feel shared, rhythmic, and alive.

It is not just a stage for the songs. It is a portrait of artists listening, pushing, and turning a recording studio into a moment of music history.