Million Dollar Quartet

What Million Dollar Quartet does

Million Dollar Quartet is a privately held theatrical production entity operating the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with a staff of 16. The musical dramatizes the legendary December 4, 1956 recording session at Sun Records in Memphis, in which Sam Phillips brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. The underlying "technology" is a live theatrical production: actor-musicians perform over 20 classic rock-and-roll hits ("Blue Suede Shoes," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Hound Dog," etc.) on stage in a 90-minute, no-intermission format. Productions run at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway (225 West 52nd Street, New York) and the Apollo Theater in Chicago (2540 North Lincoln Avenue), with touring productions extending reach across North America.

The core product portfolio consists of the mainstage musical (core product), the Original Broadway Cast Recording (January 2010), the "Sittin' In With the Band" guest-musician encore program (featuring artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Wanda Jackson, Darlene Love, and Lesley Gore), an interactive "Name That Tune" web game, and downloadable Musical Notes e-cards. The revenue model is primarily transactional ticket sales through Ticketmaster and venue box offices, supplemented by one-time licensing/recording royalties from the cast album and small digital content transactions (e-cards, wallpapers). The customer base is B2C — theatre-goers, Broadway fans, rock-and-roll enthusiasts, and family audiences — with no enterprise customers. Distribution relies on the Ticketmaster primary ticketing partnership and Broadway in Chicago as a co-presenter, with promotional reach via earned media (Today Show, Good Day NY, Letterman, CBS Weekend Journal) and owned social channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace) plus email newsletter subscription. Strategic brand alliances include Sun Records, Virgil's BBQ, and Flat Hotel. The show received three 2010 Tony nominations and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Levi Kreis), anchoring its prestige positioning in the Broadway jukebox-musical category.

Name

Million Dollar Quartet

Website

https://milliondollarquartetlive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Broadway Musical Production

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Retail-Record & Prerecorded Tape Stores (5735)

akta.pro primary industry

Record Labels (Major & Independent) (MPAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Broadway musical production
• Live theatrical entertainment
• Jukebox musical theatre
• Rock and roll tribute show
• Cast recording album

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Theatre Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling tickets to live performances of the Million Dollar Quartet musical at Broadway and Chicago venues
2. Original Cast Recording: Sale of the original Broadway cast recording album featuring performances from the production
3. Merchandise and Digital Content: Revenue from downloadable wallpapers, ecards, and potentially other merchandise items available through the website

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Million Dollar Quartet is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the true story of the December 4, 1956 Sun Records recording session in Memphis where Sam Phillips brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for an impromptu jam session. The production features actor-musicians performing over 20 classic rock 'n' roll hits live on stage, with performances at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway and the Apollo Theater in Chicago. Ancillary revenue comes from an original Broadway cast recording album and a guest-musician encore program called "Sittin' In With the Band."

Product overview

Million Dollar Quartet is a single, unified theatrical production — a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that dramatizes the legendary 1956 Sun Records recording session. The production runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and is performed at Broadway and Chicago venues. The show features a live cast performing over 20 classic rock 'n' roll hits. Ancillary offerings include an original cast recording album, a 'Sittin' In With the Band' guest musician program, an interactive 'Name That Tune' game, and downloadable Musical Notes e-cards. The portfolio represents a single core product (the stage musical) with complementary digital and live experience extensions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Million Dollar Quartet (Mainstage Musical) The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical dramatizing the December 4, 1956 Sun Records recording session where Sam Phillips brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins. Performed live with over 20 classic rock 'n' roll hits by actor-musicians; approximately 90 minutes with no intermission; staged at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre and Chicago's Apollo Theater.
• Million Dollar Quartet Original Cast Recording The original Broadway cast recording album featuring the rock 'n' roll songs performed in the production, available as a standalone recorded music product for consumers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Levi Kreis won Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sun RecordscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSun Records is featured as a partner on the Million Dollar Quartet website. The show is inspired by the historic Sun Records recording session where Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together. Sun Records is the legendary Memphis studio where these rock and roll icons recorded.
• Virgil'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVirgil's BBQ is listed as a partner/sponsor of the production, providing promotional support or cross-marketing opportunities.
• Flat HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFlat Hotel is listed as a partner/sponsor of the production.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary ticketing partner for the production. Handles ticket sales for both Broadway and Chicago venues. Phone: 949-879-9988.
• Broadway in ChicagocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-presenter of the Chicago production, working with the production team to bring Million Dollar Quartet to Chicago audiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hamilton: Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that, while not strictly a jukebox musical, shares the Broadway theatrical production business model, high-quality live music performance on stage, and historical biographical narrative structure.
• Rock of Ages: Jukebox musical featuring classic rock hits from the 1980s, sharing the rock and roll jukebox musical format and similar audience demographic seeking nostalgic rock music experiences in a theatrical setting.
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical: Tony Award-winning jukebox musical featuring the music of Carole King, sharing the same biographical jukebox musical format, Broadway and touring presence, and appeal to audiences seeking nostalgic music experiences.
• Motown: The Musical: Jukebox musical chronicling Berry Gordy's founding of Motown Records, sharing the same biographical jukebox musical format centered on iconic music industry moments. Both celebrate the birth of American popular music genres.
• Jersey Boys: Tony Award-winning jukebox musical about The Four Seasons, sharing the same jukebox musical format, Broadway venue presence, and audience demographic as Million Dollar Quartet. Both are biographical musical productions built around iconic rock and roll catalogs.
• Tina: The Tina Turner Musical: Jukebox biographical musical featuring the music of Tina Turner, sharing the same Tony-nominated jukebox musical format with Broadway and touring productions. Both target audiences seeking iconic rock and pop music biographical experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Major live entertainment and ticketing company owning Ticketmaster, sharing the live entertainment and ticket distribution business model. Operates concerts, theatrical productions, and venue management at significantly larger scale.
• Disney Theatrical Group: Major Broadway producer operating multiple Tony-winning musicals including The Lion King and Aladdin, sharing the Broadway theatrical production business model but at much larger scale with diverse IP portfolio and global touring infrastructure.
• Cirque du Soleil: Major live entertainment company operating theatrical productions worldwide, sharing the live theatrical entertainment business model and audience demographic, but at much larger scale with multiple shows and broader scope beyond music-only productions.
• Jujamcyn Theaters: Major Broadway theatre owner and producer operating multiple venues and productions, sharing the Broadway theatrical production business model. Operates as both venue owner and producer, providing scale advantages in ticketing and production partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/milliondollarquartet
• YouTubeyoutube.com/milliondollarquartet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/million-dollar-quartet

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Million Dollar Quartet