By Dale King
Lake Worth Playhouse has opened its season with All Shook Up, an energetic musical featuring Elvis Presley’s greatest hits, tucked very neatly into a dramatic frame based on William Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night.
It rolls out so smoothly, you’d think the songs were written specifically for this show. Before long, nearly every cast member is sporting blue suede shoes and swiveling his or her hips. This tuneful blend includes music from Elvis’ portfolio along with the gender-bending twist that Shakespeare offered up in his play 400-plus years ago. But the play’s focus is clearly on love. Consider some of its songs: Love Me Tender, Can’t Help Falling in Love, The Power of Love and, of course, (Hunka, Hunka) Burning Love.
All Shook Up is a 2004 American jukebox musical based on a book by Joe DiPietro. It premiered on Broadway in March 2005 and closed the following September. It takes place in a very sleepy Midwest town in the 1950s. Natalie Haller (Cara Young), a lovely brunette who has become a pro at fixing cars and motorcycles at her dad’s shop, bemoans her boring existence. She unloads on Dennis (Michael Hopkins), a consummate geek who is secretly in love with her, telling him she wants to hop on a motorcycle and just drive off.
Suddenly, a guitar-picking, hip-shaking “roustabout” named Chad (Joel Miller) rides into town. He needs a mechanic to fix his motorcycle. Natalie, suddenly enamored with the new guy, says she’ll gladly do it, hoping he’ll return her difficult-to-hide advances. But he just doesn’t make any moves.
When Chad arrives, he quickly discovers that Mayor Matilda Hyde (Meri Ziev) is enforcing the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act which outlaws “loud music, public necking and tight pants.” Chad then seeks to incite some rebelliousness in the citizens in a brief nod to the film, Footloose.
But love truly seems to be in the air as townspeople begin falling for people once considered out of reach or uninterested. Chad has eyes for Miss Sandra (Jessica Rahrig), the sexy curator of the local museum. Natalie’s father Jim (John Costanzo) does, too, though he is being pursued by saloonkeeper Sylvia (Martina Mehta). And secretly, the mayor’s son, Dean (Keagan Cerny) and Lorraine (Princess Victome), are hopelessly in love, but he fears his mother will not accept their relationship. They decide to run off together (to the tune of It’s Now or Never.)
Clearly, Presley’s songs mesh perfectly with the pattern of the show. Sitting in Sylvia’s saloon, the whole town sings the blues (to Heartbreak Hotel). Chad roars into town on the notes of Roustabout. And quickly smitten Natalie asks Chad for One Night with You. Chad seeks to inspire her escapist bent with Follow That Dream. Later, when Chad meets the glamorous Sandra, he falls instantly in love with her (One Night with You, reprised). Chad tries to smooth-talk her, but she resists (Teddy Bear/Hound Dog).
Bitten big time by the love bug, nearly everyone in town flocks to the old fairgrounds searching for someone to love. Act I ends with a great rendition of Elvis’ Can’t Help Falling in Love. Act II offers a number of reprises and other Elvis favorites — Burning Love, If I Can Dream and Devil in Disguise as well as his final hit, A Little Less Conversation, which went to Number 1 soon after his death.
Everything kind of shakes out in the end — even Natalie’s effort to snag Chad by disguising herself as “Ed,” who becomes Chad’s sidekick. The switch is a Shakespearean plot twist that works well, even today.
Lake Worth’s version offers a marvelous mix of voices. Some are particularly noteworthy. Female lead Cara Young is just 16 and a vocal major at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Her twin abilities, singing and acting, are superb, and she has some major milestones in her eight years of performing, including winning the title of “Wellington Idol” in 2012.
Miller is softly dynamic as Chad. He is good at playing a bad boy, and still comes off likeable. He was part of the ensemble for In the Heights, the summer hit show at LW Playhouse. Costanzo is at his boisterous best in the role of Jim Haller. He has exercised his talents in South Pacific, Sweeney Todd and Annie and was a memorable King Arthur in Entr’ Acte Theatrix’ Spamalot.
Hopkins takes pride in his role as Dennis, elevating his geek from meek to victor. His voice is stunning, too. Rahrig is also a top-notch vocalist who obviously has fun playing the role of coy, sexy Sandra. And Ziev does such a great job as mayor, she should consider running for office.
Plaudits are also in order for director Shonna Rash, musical director Evan Ferrer and choreographer Shenise Nunez, who presided over a lot of fancy footwork.
ALL SHOOK UP is playing through Oct. 27 at the Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 561-586-6410 or visiting lakeworthplayhouse.org.