I grew up listening to Johnny Cash. On occasion, my dad would take me for a drive in his black Ford pickup truck, complete with crank-down windows. It was sparsely stocked with a few cassette tapes — Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and, of course, the Man in Black himself. In memory, his rumbling voice soundtracked those moments perfectly. My small hand riding the wind, Cash’s music flowing through. There were even stretches of time where I fell asleep to his greatest hits compilation CD.
And so Cash’s music has always carried a sense of sentimentality for me. The "Folsom Prison Blues" crooner holds many identities — an Outlaw Country legend, a rebellious star, a person who grappled with an addiction to prescription pills and alcohol, an advocate for prison reform, husband to June Carter.
Memorial Hall’s current production Ring of Fire attempts to explore these nuances and capture Cash through a selection of his music, from “Five Feet High and Rising” to “I Walk the Line” all the way to “A Boy Named Sue.” Woven between tracks, the show tours through his childhood in rural Arkansas, his early career and eventual rise to fame, his marriage to June Carter and his famous stop at Folsom State Prison. Ring of Fire is largely music-dominated, with brief narrations of Cash’s life slipped in throughout.
But this isn’t a biography — we have the Oscar-winning Walk the Line for that. This show is very much guided by Cash’s music.
It marks director and choreographer Leslie Goddard’s return to Memorial Hall following her 2018 staging of Tommy, based on the story of Psychedelic Rock band The Who. The stage is sparse, but small elements like a Grand Ole Opry mic stand, lend context. There’s also a projection screen that rolls old photographs and stock images that coincide with moments in the musical.
The cast, made up of four undoubtedly talented local actors and musicians, take on multiple roles. This could be confusing, but once I settled into the show I didn’t struggle with understanding who was who. The backing band is steady and impressive throughout, providing the show’s bluesy, crooning Rockabilly pulse. On the keyboards is Steve Goers, who also acts as the show’s music director; he’s joined by bassist Aaron Jacobs, drummer Adam Wheeler and multi-instrumentalist Jennie Malone, who also gives a tender solo rendition of “I Still Miss Someone," a nod to Cash’s first marriage to Vivian Liberto.
Cincy native Zack Steele, Northern Kentucky University alum Hunter Henrickson — fresh off a national tour of Wizard of Oz — and lead guitarist Brad Myers all hand in narrations as Cash himself. Steele embodies Cash’s likeness with the most accuracy, peeling back his cynical, more gritty layers.
Myers, who also acts as Cash’s father, was fantastic, switching between the acoustic and electric guitar and mandolin. He especially shined in the show’s Gospel tunes and was a high-energy force whose passion for the music was palpable. Rounding things out, Henrickson mostly portrayed a younger version of Cash, which was fitting. Though too peppy and earnest to be completely believed in the role, he brought out Cash’s lighter side, imbued with boyish charm.
As Mrs. Cash and June Carter, local actress and musician Beth Harris’ voice carried husky confidence. Also in the local Rock band The Hiders — as well as onstage in several Know and Ensemble theater productions — Harris was sweet, but not soft, as Cash’s counterpart.
As a whole, the musical could have examined Cash’s complex personality and life with a more careful lens. At times, it felt as if the script hesitated when encountering the Man in Black’s darker elements. That’s a miss because it’s that juxtaposition that made Cash not only a legend but also a human who wasn’t afraid to admit his struggles and wrongdoings to the world. The second half of the production moved through Cash hits at a faster pace with less narration, which made it feel inconsistent.
But at its core, Ring of Fire is a celebration of Cash’s music, and in turn, his life. And this talented cast exceeds in doing so with a clear passion and love for the material at hand — enough to bring me back to my elementary years cranking down the windows of that damned pickup.
Ring of Fire at Memorial Hall has dates on Aug. 23 and 24. More info/tickets: memorialhallotr.com.
