Nashville native Austin Dean Shaw stars as rock ‘n’ roll pioneer, Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet, playing now at the Metropolis Center for the Performing Arts. He nearly steals the show with his shenanigans while playing the piano in such classics as Great Balls of Fire and Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.
Austin Dean Shaw playing the piano backwards while playing Jerry Lee Lewis (Photos courtesy of Jennifer Heim Photography)
Yet, as entertaining as his piano playing is in these rockabilly hits, his background astounded opening night audience members even more. During a “talk back” with the cast, moderated by Metropolis Executive Director David Victor, the first question from the audience elicited his surprising background.
One audience member asked: “What kind of musical training do you all have that prepared you for this show?”
Shaw was one of the first cast members to answer, explaining that for nine months out of the year he is a college music professor. Turns out he is an adjunct professor and collaborative pianist at Austin Peay State University in Clarkesville, TN. Though he has an extensive musical theater background, his training is in classical music.
“That was one of the biggest things for me to overcome,” he said in answering another question from the audience, “that I don’t have to always hit the right note.”
Austin Dean Shaw
Coming from the classical world, it’s all about playing the music as it is written, he said. But in this show — which recreates an impromptu jam session with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley at Sun Records’ studio in Memphis — he might hit a wrong note while sitting on the keyboard or while improvising during one of his playful piano gimmicks, and it’s OK.
Shaw earned his bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Millikin University, before earning a master’s degree in piano performance from Northern Arizona University. His music has taken him across the country, including to such high-profile venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, the House of Blues in New Orleans and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
With his extensive musical background, Shaw was selected to serve as music director of the show. In an interview with Metropolis staff, Shaw was asked what it was like to serve as music director — and play Jerry Lee Lewis.
Jerry Lee Lewis with record producer Sam Phillips
“It’s been an interesting challenge for sure, but my amazing cast has made it easy on me,” Shaw said. “They all came in super prepared from the get-go, so music direction-wise I really didn’t have to teach anything. I just had to make small tweaks here and there. That allowed me to put more focus on Jerry Lee Lewis.”
As for his favorite song in the show? That’s easy, he says.
“Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” he says, of the Buddy Holly hit, “because it’s the first song in the show where we’re all really busting loose.”
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