Artist: Ring of Fire
Genre: Theater
Background: A musical
about the life and music of the late country
legend Johnny Cash will be ready to tour
the US in 2005 before opening on Broadway
in 2006. The new project, titled Ring
of Fire after one of Cash's hit records,
will include more than 40 of his songs.
"There will be no Johnny Cash impersonator
on stage as the star of the show is the
music," said producer Bill Meade.
The director is Richard Maltby, who won
a Tony Award for Ain't Misbehavin'. Songs
used in the musical will include I've
Been Everywhere, Folsom Prison Blues,
A Boy Named Sue, and Hurt, alongside Ring
of Fire.
Surprise, everybody! The jukebox musical
is alive and well, thanks to some fresh
thinking from the man who virtually invented
the form nearly 30 years ago -- Richard
Maltby Jr. "Ring of Fire" (in
Buffalo on the initial stop of its pre-Broadway
tour) is being called the Johnny Cash
musical show and at first glance, it may
seem to be light years apart from Maltby's
classic 1978 Fats Waller revue, "Ain't
Misbehavin'." But on closer examination,
it shares many of the admirable traits
of its predecessor.
Although Ring of Fire producer Bill Meade
stands to potentially make millions, he
is not out simply for the, um, cash. Instead,
he says he is committed to presenting
a show respectful to the Man in Black.
"More than three years ago, we planted
the seed for a theatrical show based on
the life of Johnny Cash," Meade said
in a press release. "Since then,
the concept has grown, evolved and developed
into a musical celebration of the disparate
stages of Mr. Cash's extraordinary life.
There will be no Johnny Cash impersonator
on stage as the star of the show is the
music. Through the music, loyal fans and
mere observers will discover the soul
of this man who touched so many."
Ring of Fire, the new musical based around
the country standards of Johnny Cash,
has found a theatre; the show will start
its run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre
(243 West 47th Street) in mid-February.
The musical is currently playing a test
run at the Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo,
NY from through October 9th; it began
performances there on September 2nd. The
show will come to San Francisco's Curran
Theatre in January 2006 before moving
to Broadway.
Conceived by Richard Meade, the small-scale
show employs six actors and eight musicians
who "bring to life through words
and music the stories made famous in Johnny
Cash's songs. The show features 38 of
the music legend's songs such as 'Country
Boy,' 'A Thing Called Love,' 'Five Feet
High and Rising,' 'Daddy Sang Bass,' 'Ring
of Fire,' 'I Walk the Line,' 'I've Been
Everywhere,' 'The Man in Black,' and his
final hit, 'Hurt,'" according to
production notes.
