An Irresistible Hip Boppin', Winter Escape!
We welcome you to have a hip-shaking good time as Mayor Matilda and her conservative townsfolk get rock n’ rolled into the modern 1950s era. All Shook Up is an irresistible story of love and rebellion – reminiscent of the classic tales Twelfth Night, Footloose, and Mamma Mia! However, what sets this high-energy musical apart, and on fire, is the incorporation of twentysix Elvis Presley-inspired hits that will positively razz your berries. All Shook Up, written by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change; Tony Award-winning Memphis), has been a crowd-pleaser since its 2005 Broadway debut. In fact, the lip-curling 1950s musical fantasy has become such a delight that it is now performed internationally on professional stages and at dinner theatres, colleges, and high schools every year.
The story that has tickled and charmed audiences at every run is as entertaining as it is profound; told through the antics of a madcap cast of characters who offer a surprisingly touching reminder that the right person can rock you to your soul. Domineering Mayor Matilda has outlawed loud music, dancing, making out, and all the other kicks that had the hipsters on cloud nine in her town. Thinking she’s got all her problems in the bag, she’s rattled when a guitarplaying, motorcycle-riding roustabout peels into town. Determined to rid the townsfolk of their dull ways, this new cat can’t help but raise the interest (and the tensions) of men and women alike. Amid the conflicts and lovetriangles that form, a group of love-torn dreamers, oddballs, kooks, dolls, and bad boys are propelled into searching for answers to their desires for romance and freedom. This conservative little mid-west town is on the cusp of eternal change, and it seems that everyone might be cruisin’ for a bruisin’. Does Mayor Matilda “get with it” in the end? Will the townsfolk follow their hearts, or follow the leader?
The solution to their turmoil is felt deeply by theatre-goers, due in part to the musical swagger of the King. All Shook Up’s non-stop playlist of Elvis Presley-inspired songs don’t just provide a backdrop for high-energy choreography, creative costumes, and ingenious sets of 50s rocker-whimsy. The hits amplify the emotion in each character’s tale, and bring moments of anxiety, heartache, and jubilation directly into the hearts of the audience.
For the Chemainus Theatre Festival’s second production of 2012, All Shook Up has been a potent and fun project. We applaud the professional skills of all those involved in bringing the full spectrum of snappy 50s-era dialogue, eye-popping sets and costuming, howling music, and peppy dance to our stage, including: Director Simon Johnston (Kingsclare; Sisters; Rice Rockets & Yacht People; Theatre BC National Playwrights award-winning Running Dog, Paper Tiger), Choreographer Ken Overbey (Thoroughly Modern Millie; What About LUV?; Guys and Dolls; Dreamgirls), Musical Director Nico Rhodes (Patsy Cline; Countryside Christmas; Tonight Piaf; Anything Goes), a cast of returning favourites and new faces to the Chemainus Theatre Festival stage; a talented crew of set, lighting, sound, and costume designers, and stage and production professionals.
We chose this heart-warming production to be your perfect winter escape. We hope you enjoy watching how this fat city jives into the future, after everything gets All Shook Up.
