Photo by Meg Moore/megpix.com.

Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Created by Richard Maltby, Jr., Conceived by William Meade
Adapted from the larger-cast Broadway production by Richard Maltby, Jr. and Jason Edwards
Co-direction: Karen Oster and Correy West
Choreography: Correy West
Cast: Patrick Dinnsen, Nathan Yates Douglass, Jenna Fawcett, Andrew Frace, Celeste Vandermillen

November 26-December 14, 2025
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Lowell Memorial Auditorium
50 E Merrimack St.
Lowell, MA 01852

Review by Craig Idlebrook

Content advisory: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash is suitable for teenage and adult audiences. This musical celebrates the iconic Johnny Cash, featuring details of Johnny’s career, covering topics such as substance abuse, firearms, violence and murder.

Much has changed in the fifty-six years since Cash first recorded A Boy Named Sue. Some may feel that “A Boy Named Sue” is sexist and outdated, and this is certainly a reasonable view. However, just as it did in 1969, the song invites more than one interpretation. Please read here for some additional thoughts:  Further Reflection on A Boy Named Sue

LOWELL, Mass. — It is never a good sign for a biographical staging when the person you came to the play with leans over in the second act and asks, “Which one of those guys is Johnny Cash?”

It may be a testament to the music of Cash and the skillful performance of the small cast that this question only arose in the second act. Too often, we were swept up by the sweet harmonies and Americana-before-it-was-Americana sound on stage.

That’s just the rub. Was this a play or a concert? The title seems to disclose that the performance is intended solely to be the “music of Johnny Cash”, but the action on stage had just enough theater to be confusing. There is brief dialogue, some pantomime, and some direct musical-like interaction to provide a few breadcrumbs into the life and times of Johnny Cash, but not enough to follow the trail to lead to the full picture of his complicated and rich biography. 

Because of this, we lose all the feeling for his climb from poverty and his restless, haunted soul. Even his tortured battle with addiction is trimmed down to one tidy song and mimed action, and we only get glimpses of the dynamo that is his second wife, June Carter Cash.

The strong cast should not be graded poorly for being trapped in this milquetoast structure. The small cast of what was first conceived as a bigger production, each performer exhibited great harmonies, strong energy, and impressive endurance as they vividly played parts of several dozen songs. Together, the five performers brought out a rich, sweet sound that, while it lacked Cash’s melancholy edge, filled the theater with foot-tapping energy despite some unfortunate microphone or mixing issues.

Note that Nathan Yates Douglass was on a level all to himself for his onstage charisma, his musical chops, and his gravity-defying playing on the standup bass. 

I am no fan of the jukebox musical, which tacks on a flimsy fictional plot to feature beloved songs (aside from Mamma Mia!, and this is a hill I will die on), but watching one of those easily tops trying to decipher the clues about the Man in Black in this theatrical performance. 

Too often, biographical musicals and movies descend into hagiography in order to gain approval from the estates to feature beloved songs. As such, we are treated to muddled stories that fail to inspire future generations with the music. In the future, the 20th-century music we love will slip into the public domain. Only then might we get the rich stories of the people behind the music.

Bottom line: If you can’t resist seeing Johnny Cash music performed live, then seek this show as it tours. If you can and want to learn more about him, try watching Walk the Line, the 2005 biopic that features Joaquin Phoenix while he was still having fun as a performer and Reese Witherspoon in arguably her best role.

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