A brand-new musical about country music royalty Johnny and June Carter Cash comes to Birmingham this month. As well as being a celebration of their enduring music, The Ballad Of Johnny & June is a warts-and-all account of the couple’s often tempestuous love story. What’s On caught up with the show’s stars, Christopher Ryan Grant and Christina Bianco, to find out more...

The Ballad Of Johnny & June is far from just another musical tribute to legendary country singer Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash. Rather than being a vehicle to air a multitude of hits, the critically acclaimed production takes audiences on a journey through the highs and lows of fame, covering the controversies that dogged their lives and careers - not least the addiction and substance abuse that affected them both.

Created with the support of their family, and told through the eyes of their son, John Carter Cash, the show is effectively based on fact, something which its lead actors are especially excited about. Christopher Ryan Grant reprises the role of Johnny, having starred in the original US version, while Christina Bianco - who has a string of musical credits to her name and a growing side hustle impersonating divas in YouTube videos - plays June.

Chris, you’re the only cast member from the American production to appear in the UK version. Has working with a British cast - albeit with an expat American in Christina - changed the dynamic for you?
Christopher: Honestly, it’s been so refreshing. That isn’t to say anything poor about my previous cast mates, but I’ve been working on this show for almost four years and almost entirely with the same company. While they are near and dear to my heart and I consider them family, it’s so interesting to do a piece that you’ve been working on for so long with an entirely new company. We’re finding new things together - new moments, new beats and new energies.

You’re completely new to the show, Christina. What drew you to the part of June?
Christina: I was very interested because I’m a fan of Johnny Cash, June Carter and that genre of music in general. That surprises a lot of people, but I grew up listening to it. When I saw that the script had been put together with the blessing and help of John Carter Cash, I thought, wow, this is the real deal, we’re going to get to the nitty gritty of it! And that sets it apart from other tellings on stage and screen. It checks a lot of boxes for me, as I’m such a big fan. It’s also odd to be happening to me at this point in my life, living in England and all that; it’s like a bunch of wonderful worlds coming together as one!

Despite being a big star, June hardly seems like the sort of diva you’ve been impersonating on YouTube…
Christina: “No, no, no, not at all! That’s one of the things I always loved about June - I’ve watched a lot of old clips and couldn’t believe how quick and witty and funny she was. She’s so sweet and bubbly but also fiery. Very often she’d say things that maybe she shouldn’t have, but I love that energy of hers.

Chris, you first played Johnny 15 years ago, so clearly know him and his music pretty well by now. Were you a fan prior to starring as him?
Chris: I’ve been listening to Johnny Cash since I cut out a picture of him from a newspaper when I was about 10 years old - it now lives in my dressing room - and I’ve been playing his songs since I could make my hands into chords. I made my Broadway debut as Johnny back in 2010, in a show called Million Dollar Quartet. I was understudying, but the actor playing Johnny got lost on his way to the theatre - true story. With about 15 minutes to go, the stage manager was like “Okay, you’re on.” The show ran for a year, and I got to go on about 30 or 40 times. Then I took over for the national tour.

The Ballad Of Johnny & June seems quite different to a typical musical, with arguably more drama as well as a story arc that effectively puts the ‘happy ending’ in the middle. Does that make it more satisfying for an actor?
Christina: It truly does. Their relationship is so tumultuous - with all the good came a lot of bad as well. This isn’t a story that just takes you through to the, quote unquote, happy ending. What happens after the happy ending? And where does it take these two humans as they grow in their lives together in addition to their careers? It’s really beautiful because at the end of Act One, you’re going to get a very exciting Act Two.

Chris: I think what’s most important for the audience to know is that this isn’t a jukebox musical. It’s a love story that happens to have iconic music in it, but at the heart of the show there’s a kind of love triangle between Johnny, June and addiction. Ultimately the show is about redemption. Obviously people are going to leave tapping their toes, but what’s so beautiful is that it also leaves people with a sense of hope; a sense that even if they’re going through some particularly troublesome times in their lives, there’s always hope on the other end. That’s what’s rewarding [and] gratifying about playing these characters.

The show covers Johnny’s and June’s childhoods and their first meeting, as well as their 47-year relationship (the couple died within months of each other in 2003) - that seems an awful lot to cram in…
Christina: It is, and what’s great about this show is that you really do get something for everybody. It sounds so cliché to say that, but there’s so much laughter and comedy, so much incredible music, and it’s also going to tug at your heart strings. It’s gonna break your heart, but it’s also going to inspire you. As Chris says, it’s a three-way love story between Johnny, June and addiction, but it’s not a tragedy; it’s still a love story.

Chris: I don’t think there’s anything wrong with exploring these concepts or depths within the framework of a musical, and it may actually help to lend more credence to it in this artform. When you couch this in the framework of musical theatre, it kind of sneaks in under the skin like a Trojan horse. We’ve got [the audience’s] attention looking this way, and then all of a sudden we drop some pretty heavy material.

And as much as people will be familiar with Johnny’s issues, they might not know about June’s addiction to prescription narcotics, which was only really revealed in John Carter Cash’s biography after both of his parents had died...
Chris: Johnny’s addiction was very public, but I don’t think a lot of the viewing audience will know that June Carter also had her struggles, and that it ran very deeply in both families. John Carter has been very open about his struggles with addiction, so it’s a very personal exploration of these darker themes. The fact that it’s wrapped in the framework of a musical makes it all the more palatable and all the more important.

The Ballad Of Johnny & June shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 April.

By Steve Adams