Alum Plays 'Man in Black' in National Tour
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 13, 2011) – University of Kentucky theatre alumnus Derek Keeling is portraying Johnny Cash in the national tour of "Million Dollar Quartet," a musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins at Sun Records. The musical's tour, which began in Cleveland in October, comes to the Murat Theatre this week Dec. 13-18, in Indianapolis, Ind.
On Dec. 4, 1956, four relatively unknown young musicians gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. "Million Dollar Quartet" brings that historical event to life featuring actual songs performed that day, as well as several hits that would follow from the esteemed careers of Presley, Cash, Lewis and Perkins.
Keeling will be joined on stage by Cody Slaughter as Elvis Presley, Martin Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis, and Lee Ferris as Carl Perkins. Rounding out the cast is Christopher Ryan Grant as Sun Records producer Sam Phillips, Kelly Lamont as Dyanne, and musicians Billy Shaffer as Fluke and Chuck Zayas as Jay Perkins.
Keeling is probably best known for "NBC’s Grease: You’re the One That I Want," in which he placed third in what was described as Broadway’s largest national casting call. He later went on to make his Broadway debut as Danny Zuko in "Grease" in 2008. Other recent credits include the West Coast premiere of "All Shook Up," the pre-Broadway run of the musical "A Tale of Two Cities," the Hollywood production of "Life Could be a Dream," and the off-Broadway production of "Connect-Disconnect" for which he won the Midtown International Theatre Festival Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Keeling has also performed at Feinstein’s Night Club and with the California Philharmonic.
A West Virginia native, Keeling is a 2003 graduate of UK where he earned his bachelor's degree in theatre and appeared in "As You Like It" and "When Pigs Fly" at the Department of Theatre in the College of Fine Arts.
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, (859) 257-8716 or whitney.hale@uky.edu