From the cotton fields of Arkansas to the Sun Records Studios in Memphis to Folsom Prison, Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash tells the story of the working class and downtrodden through the life and music of the great Johnny Cash. Directed by Rachel Peake the jukebox musical is running at the Arts Club Theatre Company’s Granville Island Stage until August 11th.
Conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby Jr. the brilliant revue puts Johnny Cash’s music front and centre, with the songs loosely strung together by vignettes of Cash’s life. Rather than simply reenacting his life, the music and accompanying vignettes echo stories of the everyman that Cash was devoted to highlighting. Ring of Fire touches on lives formed by depression era tragedy, struggles of breaking out on their own, slings and arrows of career success, lows of addiction, heights of love and devotion through the familiar strains of the iconic songbook. Widely familiar tunes like “Ring of Fire“, “Folsom Prison Blues“, “Walk The Line” and “A Boy Named Sue” placed throughout bring Hootenanny-like energy to the show.
The immensely talented cast of Frankie Cottrell, Catriona Murphy, Daniel Deorksen, Devon Busswood, Patrick Metzger and Tainui Kuru – the later trio making their Arts Club debuts – sing, dance and play all the instruments and represent all the characters throughout the production. Cottrell takes command of the stage providing the main narration as the elder “Man in Black”. Powerhouse Kuru provides the vocals and energy of the youthful Cash, taking him from the family home (“Five Feet High and Rising”) to the ups and downs of his personal life and addictions (“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”) leading to his second marriage to June Carter (“Jackson”). Devon Busswood’s June Carter is integral to the second arc of the revue as well as Cash’s life. Her rapid fire vocals on “I’ve Been Everywhere” is a highlight energizing the opening of act two. Deorksen, Metzger and Murphy fill the stage with their presence as they fill in characters from every era of Ring of Fire. Seeing Catriona Murphy’s name on the bill is always a welcome asset as her talents and charisma anchors any production.
Don’t expect any ground-breaking insight into the life of Johnny Cash, but do expect Ring of Fire and its stellar cast to provide an energizing good time wrapping the icons’ music around grounding life-stories. Ring of Fire: The Music Of Johnny Cash plays at The Arts Club Granville Island Stage until August 11, visit artsclub.com for showtimes and tickets.
