The revue RING OF FIRE: THE JOHNNY CASH MUSICAL – currently playing at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse – showcases more than 30 of songs by Cash, whose deep, distinctive voice and singular persona made him a music legend.
I’ll skip the standard complaint about tribute shows and revues that can’t decide if they are concerts or musicals, and the usual mini-rant about tribute shows that try to work the musician’s songbook into scenes from a life story. (Please let me know if you mind.)
It is possible to skip those frequent complaints because this show, conceived by William Meade and directed and choreographed by Ann Nieman, doesn’t really have the traditional problems.
Instead of attempting to make musical numbers seem organic to a scene, this show begins by weaving a slender bio among songs that are thematically similar. For example, songs about family, growing up in the country and the loss of a loved one show up early in Act One; love songs cluster around a slight, too-vague-to-not-notice mention of Cash’s relationship with June Carter Cash.
The introduction by way of "Montage," which features a half-dozen ensemble members each introducing themselves using the signature line, "My name is Johnny Cash," might be too precious for some, but it makes for a dramatic opening that has major impact. Act Two clusters songs around major influences and thematic albums, with the general result being a concert-style presentation of many of the most popular Cash songs.
And the result is nigh on fabulous.
An ensemble of six singers and five musicians – though almost all of them do double duty at least once – does excellent work on song after song, sounding great pretty much all the way through. There’s just one exception (a strange opener for Act Two that is something of a "Pore Judd is Daid"/"Jets and Sharks" melange), but almost every other song in the show is a winner.
Nieman has resisted the urge to over-choreograph the rest of it, too, and several numbers are really cute, including the delightful "While I’ve Got It On My Mind," featuring Tom Walljasper and Kimberly Furness. Both of these experienced, popular performers shine on song after song – in top form from start to finish – and even their longtime fans (like me) will find their performances a revelation.
Furness turns in a pugnacious and darling Minnie Pearl-esque performance on "Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart," which also features string-meister Buddy Olson. She and the wonderfully expressive Steve Lasiter render "Waiting on the Far Side Banks of Jordan" with a wonderful tenderness, and they lead the impressive rendition of "Ring of Fire," too.
Furness pairs with Walljasper again to lead the fantastic "Oh Come, Angel Band," which is just as rich as it should be. Walljasper and Lexie Wollan are featured in the powerhouse closing of Act One, a kick-ass "Jackson" that is simply awesome. And Walljasper leads "Why Me Lord" with a nuanced beauty that is a wonderful thing.
There are also a few more Nieman showcases here, too. "Five Feet High and Rising" and "If I Were a Carpenter" include footwork with a lively naturalism that proves totally effective. Meanwhile, many other numbers – from comedy and confrontation to glorious gospel– let the music take center stage.
Olson, musical director Travis Smith (who also handles conducting and keyboard duties), and bass player Justin Droegemueller sing three-part harmony on the comedic "Egg Suckin’ Dog," which (deservedly) generates great mirth. "Sunday Morning Coming Down," one of Cash’s best, also features gorgeously rendered three-part vocals combining the talents of Furness with those of Wollan and Katy Gentry – and the result is enormously moving.
Tristan Layne Tapscott, a major standout even in this exalted company, gets things going early with a strong performance on "Country Boy." And he delivers big-time with "I Walk the Line" (a duet with sweet-voiced Gentry, who also pairs with him on the lovely "If I Were a Carpenter"), yet it is his simply delivered "Man in Black" that is a complete stunner.
Likewise, the gorgeous Wollan simply wows every time we hear her voice. In addition to her work on the duet and trio mentioned above – and her many contributions to company numbers – she trumps nearly everything else in the show with her beyond-terrific belting of "All Over Again," a show-stopper that also features the fiddle player Amberly Rosen. (Wollan looks fantastic in a jeans-and-black-leather-jacket ensemble, too, which is only one of many costuming successes by costume designer Gregory Hiatt).
This company moves together and blends their sound flawlessly, and their rendering of the iconic "Daddy Sang Bass" is – even among so many great songs – just about as good as it gets. And as if this surfeit of vocal talent were not more than enough to make us all happy, the musicians perform at the same stratospheric level.
Rosen, flinging her lovely hair all over, plays fiddle with saucy flair and soulful grace by turn – and sometimes even dances while she plays. She, Olson, Droegemueller, Smith and awesome percussionist John Ladson II – plus most of the rest of the company – provide rich, superb live music for the entire show. This blending of company and orchestra into one fluid whole may be Smith’s greatest contribution to RING OF FIRE, but it’s hard to be sure when there is so much great music to be heard.
Fans of Cash and of American music are certainly the target audience for RING OF FIRE, but I can’t imagine anyone not loving this show. Despite the common association of Cash with classic country music (which sometimes gets marginalized), half the songs here come from a distinctively American sound track with other major influences – so it’s not just for country music aficionados.
It’s the kind of musical that people will take their friends to see rather than just tell them about it – because they will want to see (and hear) all of it again.
