By 1956 Elvis Presley was already a full-blown rock icon, Johnny Cash was a country star, Carl Perkins was a famed performer and Jerry Lee Lewis was a rising rock rebel.

The young singers all had one thing in common: they started at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn. All these soon-to-be legends initially recorded under the tutelage of label owner, and legend in his own right, producer Sam Phillips.

One fateful December night the four rockers all, coincidentally, happened upon Sun studios. This is when a groundbreaking recording session took place and the legend of the Million Dollar Quartet was born. After that night (Dec. 4, 1956) the guys never recorded together again. The true story is now a Broadway production and hits Wharton Center Jan. 10-15.

British-born actor Martin Kaye plays the role of Jerry Lee Lewis, who is known for hits like "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" — both are featured in the production

"It's the greatest jam session of all time with the greatest super group of all time," Kaye said. "This show has really raw rock ‘n' roll music. It's got rock ‘n' roll, gospel, country and rhythm and blues. Its 23 songs people love. You really get to feel that you're a fly on the wall."

The musical also includes the tunes "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "I Walk the Line," "Who Do You Love?," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Hound Dog," to only name a few.

Kaye said this Million Dollar musical isn't a faux rock concert; it's the real deal with authentic live performances.

"There's no track, everybody is playing their own instruments and singing their own songs," Kaye said. "It's all live. I know in Jersey Boys they don't actually play their own instruments, they kind of pretend and they have an orchestra that plays it for them. For that reason, we stand out."

For those who've yet to acquire a taste for Broadway, but love raucous rock ‘n' roll shows, Kaye said this production has been pleasing both audiences.

"The finale is a mini concert of all four artists and it's quite the treat," he said. "Even if you're not into theatre, if you like music you should just wait until the end because it's quite a concert."

Fans of the Sun Records roster that were never able to witness these rockers live now have a chance to get the feel of the magic. Kaye said he feels this production is spot on.

"We get those fans in - the Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash fans — it's great," Kaye said. "Afterwards they feel like they've really been a part of that little snippet of history and really experienced that night with the artists they grew up listening to. I think we do a good job of sounding and getting some of the character traits they're famous for."

Aside from ample rocking, the story also tells a dramatic, and sometimes humorous, story through dialogue — all taking place inside the recording studio, aside from a few smoke breaks on Sun's sidewalk. Kaye said the production "isn't just a string of hits."

"You've got these four different dynamics," he said. "If you think of them like brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis is at the beginning stages of his career, he's the youngest brother and the comedy aspect of the show. He's trying to get under everyone's skin, trying to wind people up. Johnny Cash is like the oldest brother, Carl Perkins is bitter and Elvis Presley is the golden boy.

"Some of the things didn't actually happen that night, but they did happen," he added. "For example, Johnny Cash leaving Sun Records, they put that in to the show to create a little drama, which it really works."

Today, the only living member of the quartet is Lewis. Kaye said even in his old age, Lewis was able to cause a stir when he appeared at a Broadway performance of the show.

"Last year he went to see it on Broadway, he got on stage and sat down at the piano," Kaye said. "They had to walk him onstage because he's had three strokes now so he's very frail -- then he played ‘Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On.'

"It was really funny because halfway through the song he got up slowly and picked his leg up and kicked the stool behind him like he always would," he added. "He's 76 years old now, so it was very slow and not as dramatic as it used to be — but the audience went crazy."