Musical Theatre West's production of All Shook Up

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ALL SHOOK UP!

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All Shook Up
February 27, 2008
By Les Spindle

Librettist Joe DiPietro's exuberant jukebox musical shoehorns the songs of Elvis Presley into a narrative that's part camp, part romantic farce. The loopy tale of mismatched lovers in a 1955 Midwest burg incorporates classics that range from sweet romantic ballads such as "Love Me Tender" to the rollicking "Devil in Disguise" and the hip-swiveling title song. Starting with a gender-bending plot device reminiscent of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, DiPietro stirred in a dash of Footloose, then seasoned the brew with humorous flashes from sundry vintage shows such as The Music Man and Bye Bye Birdie. In director Steven Glaudini's effervescent regional premiere for Musical Theatre West, this 2005 Broadway show feels like an underrated gem, driven by sidesplitting tongue-in-cheek humor, those evergreen chart-toppers, and a tinge of genuine heart. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

MTW Shakes

Up the Carpenter Center
by Marchelle Hammack

OMG! You must, must, must go see Musical Theatre West’s latest production “All Shook Up.” Don’t even finish this review. Go straight to the phone (info at bottom) and get some tickets for this very short run (only three weeks and one week has gone by already), because I will be very surprised if this show doesn’t sell out. Luckily the performances are increased with Thursday night runs, as well as Saturday matinees and the usual Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday matinees. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

Review

Fun Cast Sparkles

By F. Kathleen Foley, Special to The Times

Musical Theatre West has scored a coup in securing the first U.S. regional rights to "All Shook Up," the Broadway musical, book by Joe DiPietro, that cobbles the songs of Elvis Prinhabitants from the bounds of middle-class morality. The town works some unexpected magic on Chad as well.

A sort of rock 'n' roll Johnny Appleseed, Chad has so much music in him that he repairs broken-down jukeboxes with his mere touch. That's DiPietro's ironic nod to the fact that he has

esley into theatrical form. Whether the end product justifies the means is another matter. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE....

Review by Steven Stanley

If there were more justice in the world of Broadway theater, All Shook Up would now be in its third year of playing there to standing ovations. It has a clever and very funny book by Joe DiPietro. Ken Robertson and Sergio Trujillo came up with a bunch of sensational dances. It featured a truly star-making performance by Cheyenne Jackson and an equally stellar supporting cast. Most notable of all, it was built around two dozen songs made famous by Elvis Presley, in other words, some of the most recognizable, hummable hits ever on a Broadway stage. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

Who knew the Bard could rock

out in 'All Shook Up'?
By Shirle Gottlieb, Special to the Press-Telegram

This certainly isn't the first time William Shakespeare has been married to musical theater. Two award-winning examples leap immediately to mind: "West Side Story," inspired by "Romeo and Juliet," and "Kiss Me, Kate," adapted from "The Taming of the Shrew."

But who would have thought 25 of Elvis Presley's greatest hits would be the blueprint for a rock 'n' version of "Twelfth Night?" Writer Joe DiPietro, that's who.

If you want to see the knock-down, jump-around, raise-the-rafters musical DiPietro patterned after a raucous comedy by the Bard, make haste to the Musical Theatre West production of "All Shook Up." Judging by the reaction of the opening night crowd, it is guaranteed to knock your socks off. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

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