Love Me Tender: “All Shook Up” Delivers Familiar Fun with Heart

All Shook Up, directed by Laura Zimmerman, is the newest community theatre production produced by Seven Angels Theatre. The production captures the spirited nature of the show and maintains an upbeat rhythm that keeps the audience engaged throughout.

All Shook Up, a jukebox musical, features the music of Elvis Presley with a book by Joe DiPietro that is based loosely upon Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The musical blends mistaken identities, chance romances, and small-town issues into an upbeat production.

Set in the 1950s, the story follows a motorcycle-riding “super cool” stranger, Chad (Josh Brooks), whose arrival disrupts the monotony of a quiet town.  As a result, residents challenge expectations and pursue “interesting” and unusual romances. While the plot is pretty straightforward the well-known score is the real star of the show.

Elvis's music provides the evening's main entertainment. Classics such as "Jailhouse Rock," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Can't Help Falling in Love," and “All Shook Up,” along with other hits, are woven effectively into the story, offering lots of opportunities for moments of nostalgia. The musical direction (Marianna Vagnini Dadamo) keeps the score moving and the ensemble harmonies help reinforce the production's overall energy.

The cast is enthusiastic, allowing the humor to happen naturally rather than forcing it. The ensemble works cohesively to create a welcoming atmosphere that supports the storytelling and invites the audience to join in the fun on stage from the comfort of their seats.  Fior Rodriguez returns to the stage at Seven Angels as a hilarious Mayor Matilda with on-point comedic timing and strong vocals.  In addition, Michele Marie Clay (Sylvia), Elle McPhail (Lorraine), and Lilah Pape (Natalie) deliver great vocals on each song they perform. Phil Maiorano (Jim) stands out with great physicality and strong characterization.

The choreography (Kailey McCarthy) compliments the era, the music, and the personalities of the characters. Dance numbers feel like they are part of the storytelling, helping to maintain the pace between scenes.  Kudos to Leanne Thomas (Ensemble) for her work on stage.  Her vocals and dancing definitely stuck out from the pack for all the right reasons!

Visually, the production makes effective use of simple set design, costumes, and lighting (Charles O’Connor) to evoke the happy simplicity of small-town America in the 50’s. Scene transitions are handled efficiently, allowing the action to flow without unnecessary interruptions.

Community theatre is often most successful when it creates a shared experience between performers and audience members.  This drives the vision of Constantine Pappas, the theatre’s new Artistic Director.  He said the theatre’s patrons have been requesting a return to local faces on stage telling familiar stories and singing familiar songs they can sing and clap along to. The audience seemed joyously satisfied with Pappas’s efforts to do just this at the performance I attended.

 All Shook Up is a feel-good musical that reminds us why classic jukebox musicals continue to resonate with audiences of all ages.  Seven Angels Theatre has produced an enjoyable experience that invites the audience to relax, laugh, and sing along—out loud or internally— as a community to songs they already know and love.

All Shook Up runs through August 9th at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, CT. Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at https://www.sevenangelstheatre.org/