Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - The Ballad of Johnny is nostalgic, touching and is crammed with high-quality renditions!

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We were invited to Lowry in Salford to see The Ballad of Johnny and June. Read what our reviewer, Rob Jones, though of this superb Johnny Cash musical...

Everyone has heard the name of Johnny Cash, the American Singer-Songwriter who treated us to Ring Of Fire, I Walk The Line and A Boy Named Sue, just to name a few of his greatest hits. Admittingly, I didn’t know too much about Cash’s life until I had watched the superb 2005 biographical film, Walk The Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. As for June Carter, I wanted to learn a lot more about her even before I had seen the movie, as her name appears in one of my favourite songs, “Emmylou” by First Aid Kit...

“I'll be your Emmylou and I'll be your June If you'll be my Gram and my Johnny too”

(Reference to Emmylou Harris, June Carter, Gram Parsons and Johnny Cash).

Tonight at Lowry, we would step into the world of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in this brand-new musical packed with iconic songs, irresistible chemistry and real heart.

The scene was set in mid 1950’s America. Who doesn’t love this period of time? From its post-WWII economic boom, the rise of the American Dream, the birth of rock and roll, and of course, country music that had transitioned from rural radio barns to mainstream commercial success. The era was brilliantly portrayed throughout The Ballad of Johnny and June as we were about to experience one hell of a musical adventure.

This production wasn’t a tribute concert like many biographical musicals I’ve previously seen, it was the story of Cash and Carter told through the eyes of their son, John Carter Cash.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story will always be a favourite with theatregoers as the production is a drama and a concert, and tonight, I felt the same about this musical. There was something for everyone to enjoy, whether you are an obsessed fan of the country legends, or enjoy a gripping drama on stage. In fact, simply come and watch the show regardless of how great your knowledge is about Johnny and June – it’s brilliant theatre, full stop.

Taking on the challenging role of Cash was Christopher Ryan Grant (Million Dollar Quartet) and boy, he certainly convinced me Johnny was alive and kickin’ in Salford tonight. From the moment he muttered the words, “I’m Johnny Cash” to the final “Goodnight”, Grant had totally morphed into Cash. Not only did Grant perform Johnny Cash’s songs so convincingly and with respect for the original work, he perfectly captured Cash’s mannerism. Any Johnny Cash die-hard would have come away from tonight’s show with only praise and admiration for how Christoper Ryan Grant became Johnny Cash. Simply stunning!

Christina Bianco (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Wizard of Oz) plays June Carter-Cash. Bianco brings her dramatic and vocal talents to the role and she certainly impressed the audience, from her homespun humor, Southern charm, and raw emotion, Bianco portrayed June so well and had more energy than a champagne bottle ready to pop its cork. One of her many highlights was her performance of the amusing “No Swallerin Place”. Bianco deserved a medal for that performance alone. I bet she needed a lie down and a chance to breathe after singing that each night. Her facial expressions throughout that performance was worth the money alone to see this show.

Bianco is famous for performing pitch-perfect, comedic vocal impersonations, which definitely came in handy for this role as June Carter was also a brilliant comedic storyteller. Rather than Bianco doing a simple imitation, it’s a blend of powerhouse vocals, comedic charm, and deep emotional grit.

John Carter Cash was played by the brilliant Ryan O’Donnell (Jesus Christ Superstar, Clueless, The Book Thief). He pieced the whole production together. He engaged with the audience throughout as his narration took us on the journey of his life. He knew all the answer and seemed to be the only one who knew what was coming next. This powerful wisdom had the audience in the palm of his hand. O’Donnell beautiful performed many tracks throughout, with The Ballad of Johnny and June popping up regularly throughout the show. It is a beautiful piece of music, that felt like our safety blanket we could grab after an emotional scene.

A big shout out to all the cast who did an amazing job playing multi-roles, making the production feel so slick. Christopher Short, Chomba S. Taulo, Peter Peverley, Abigail Matthews, Anne-Marie Wojna, Celyn Cartwright, Denis Grindel, Lenny Turner, Michael Mahony, Mia Jae all deserved mentioning as they made us believe by taking us back 70 years in time. Only Marty McFly could have only rivalled them for this.

Directed by Des McAnuff, who brought us the incredible Jersey Boys, continues to show off his trademark style of dynamic staging and rapid scene changes. It is what makes Jersey Boys a huge hit. He has now stamped his mark again in this Johnny Cash musical. He could use his magic wand to create more jukebox musicals as I feel The Bee Gees, Queen, Michael Jackson, Elton John and David Bowie, all deserve the same treatment. So much love for McAnuff!

The set was basic, and even though very simple, did the job it needed to do. Only the odd prop, occasional caption or background image was needed to a scene change. Throughout the 2 hrs 30 mins, the cast performed in a prominent wooden design that evokes a looming barn or rustic country hall. As theatres and productions battle through tough times, I feel this is the way forward with many productions needing to be more resourceful and allow the audience to use their own imagination too. Saying all that, I was a little disappointed by the prison scene. It was a major scene in the movie and also a key moment in Cash’s life and I felt more could have been done to bring the prison environment to life.

The cast didn’t have to make many costume changes throughout either which kept the speed of the show ticking over nicely. Regarding the high-pace of the production, this was something I want to address. The first half is very fast. It’s not frantic, just quick. There are so many scenes and songs that need cramming in, it’s understandable. The film, “Walk The Line” was definitely used as a template of what was included and what went where. Due to this rapid rate we witnessed Johnny and June’s love story, at times I felt that the audience couldn’t digest a few major milestones and feel the emotion as we were quickly on to the next moment. It needed to slow down a little. It was only when Johnny and June had a big argument about his drug abuse, I could feel empathy. This was the turning point. As the whole second half of the production couldn’t have been written any better. It was the perfect speed, the actors could now really show and express their feelings, and the audience could fully engage in the production. A bit of tweaking in the first half would have allowed us to feel Johnny and June’s failed marriages and allow the true love to blossom between them and feel more believable.

As for the music itself - utterly flawless! There are so many numbers to pack into one show. Picking out some highlights wasn’t easy but I’ll share a few.“I’ve Been Everywhere” was perfectly performed by all the cast as all the places could be seen at the top of the screen as they rattled through them. I am forever pondering how actors remember such a long list when performing without visual aids. I was playing detective scanning the theatre and couldn’t see any. Clearly the actors have learnt them by heart. They must chanting out these names in their sleep - so impressive.

Of course,“Ring Of Fire” has to get a nod of approval. Everyone knows that song, even if you had no knowledge of Johnny Cash’s vast catalogue.

“The Carter Family Tree” was also fast-paced, maybe a little too fast, but I suppose it was a big family. Also being a massive fan of “Oh, Brother, Where Art Thou?”, hearing “Keep On The Sunny Side” warmed my cockles.

“Jackson”, “If I Were A Carpenter”, “Baby Ride Easy”, so many great tunes performed to perfection. I’m sure everyone will have a personal favourite they want to play in the car on their way home.

The Ballad of Johnny and June is nostalgic, has high-quality renditions and is filled with touching exploration of a tumultuous but enduring romance.

I particularly enjoyed how the show was concluded. With the more sombre second half, it didn’t feel right to have a mini concert and tribute show at the end with the audience rocking in the aisles. I know Buddy - The Buddy Holly Musical went down that route which maybe more understandable as the last memory of the musical shouldn’t be news of the plane crash, but in this production, a final rendition of Ring Of Fire and Johnny Cash shouting, “Goodnight!” felt fitting.

So should you go and see this jukebox musical? Well just like June’s reply to the question “How can you eat cheesecake at 10am?” It’s simple – “With a fork!”, it’s a no-brainer. Go and see The Ballad of Johnny and June. It’s a fantastic night at the theatre and you’ll be reflecting long after you return home on what a brilliant production you’ve just seen.

WE SCORE THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY AND JUNE...