Surrendering To Passions- Twin City Stage has a winner in '50s musical All Shook Up
SMART-SILLY: STAGE DIRECTION, CHOREOGRAPHY ARE A-1
The words that the King loved to sing came to mind as I reflected on the musical Twin City Stage is presenting at the Arts Council Theatre. The show, which opened Friday, is All Shook Up. I couldn't help falling in love with it.
All Shook Up, which premiered on Broadway in 2005, capitalizes on the enduring appeal of 1950s nostalgia by integrating Elvis Presley's music into Joe DiPietro's retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The story takes place in a small American town during the mid-1950s. The dreams of mechanic Natalie (Katlyn Shaw) and a surprise visit from a guitar-playing stranger in a leather jacket named Chad (Darren Fuller) lead to several couples finding romance -- and giving into a rock-induced lust for necking.
The hookups run the gamut, growing out of friendships, love triangles, unexpected revelations, the shared love of Shakespeare and efforts to break down class barriers. One of the most memorable -- and funny -- connections happens when Chad falls for "Ed," who is Natalie in disguise. Another very amusing romance is consummated when Sheriff Earl (Daniel Alvarez) finally speaks up and gets Matilda (Margaret B. Gallagher), the town's too-moral mayor, to do with him what she has spent too many years crusading against.
So, yes, this spoof manages to be clever and silly at the same time, having benefited from imaginative stage direction and choreography of Rodney Luck.
And often, Presley classics are converted from solo-vocalist fare into everything from intimate love duets to stirring large-scale choruses; when it happens, the new version is just as appealing as the original or even more so.
Fuller stands out for moves that recall what made Elvis so famous. Watch his pelvis.
Wesley Hudson leads a pit that plays with polish. But the quality of the solo singing is uneven, with faulty intonation or an inability to project marring many of the vocal efforts. The show's best singers, however, really shine.
The technical crew deserves high marks for the nice 1950s retro feel achieved in the show's visuals. These range from small signs that hang on the walls to dresses that extend outward in the manner of an umbrella.
kkeuffel@wsjournal.com
727-7337
Twin City Stage will present All Shook Up through March 28 at the Arts Council Theatre, 610 Coliseum Drive. Evening shows will be at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and March 25-27. Matinees will be at 2 today, next Sunday and March 28. Call 725-4001 for tickets.
