Meadow Brook Theatre Excites With ‘All Shook Up’
As someone who grew up on show tunes and Elvis Presley’s music, all thanks to quite a bit of time with my grandmother, who loved both, I have often wondered why there hasn’t been a musical featuring his extensive songbook. We’re in the age of jukebox musicals with songs from some of the most influential singers ever, and yet the King of Rock and Roll’s show seemed all but nonexistent. At least that’s what I thought until Meadow Brook Theatre’s announcement of All Shook Up, a musical featuring Elvis songs coming to the local theater in collaboration with Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance!
With a book from Joe DiPietro, writer of Memphis, and off-Broadway’s long-running I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, All Shook Up blends the rock and roll songs from the King with a story inspired by one of the greatest playwrights ever, William Shakespeare. With elements of Twelfth Night, this musical is ready to bring the charm and excitement to MBT, just in time to kick off the new year. Travis Walter returns as director of quite possibly the most ambitious show at MBT to date. Traveling audiences back to the 1950s is no easy task, but with the talented cast and crew, Rochester Hills is ready to get All Shook Up.
[Warning: spoilers from MBT’s All Shook Up are below!]
Trouble arrives in a small town in All Shook Up
Welcome to life in small-town America during the 1950s. Life is quiet, peaceful; a place where nothing ever happens and nothing ever will. That is…unless something forces the town to change its conservative ways, and it just so happens that the quaint town in All Shook Up is about to get a wake-up call in the form of a handsome roustabout who rolls on in with a cloud of smoke and a broken-down motorcycle.
Chad (Nick Cortazzo) is the epitome of cool. Tight clothes, greased back hair, the bluest suede shoes you will ever see. He’s everything that this Midwest town is not, which is both a good and bad thing for all parties involved. Ruling over the town with an iron fist, Mayor Matilda Hyde (Amy Hillner Larsen) doesn’t allow anything deemed deviant in her eyes, including any and all kinds of music. In the same vein as Footloose, Chad arrives just in time to save this Midwest city by reintroducing music and dance into its infrastructure.
All Shook Up embraces the Shakespearean comedy of Twelfth Night by thrusting our hero into a love triangle (more like a hexagon if we’re being real) of epic proportions. Between the mechanic, Natalie (Mirabella Ziegler), who falls head over heels for Chad, Miss Sandra (Kassandra Aguilar-Haddock), a museum curator whom Chad becomes obsessed with, and Dennis (Jackson Cole Cook), who is in love with Natalie, there are a lot of moving parts and people who are finding love as the story progresses.
As Chad’s love situation grows messier as the story progresses, the town’s musical spirit awakens, prompting other residents to make choices based on their hearts rather than their heads. From Sylvia (Milika Cherée), who finds herself melting for another, to her daughter Lorraine (Lauren M. Smith), who finds herself intertwined with the mayor’s son Dean (Chase Williams), there’s no end to the burning love in All Shook Up. How exactly does everything shake out in this musical? You’ll have to come to Meadow Brook Theatre to see the story and love unfold.
Meadow Brook Theatre’s All Shook Up is full of surprises
Conceptually, when I first heard about All Shooked Up, I was worried about how all the pieces would fit together. While the idea of an Elvis Presley musical is super exciting, the thought of it infused with William Shakespeare’s work felt odd. How exactly does Twelfth Night blend with The King? The answer is quite good, actually, as MBT continues to deliver on its promise of quality and thrilling shows with this musical.
Story-wise, All Shook Up is simple, although not in a bad way. It’s easy to follow, as most rom-coms are, which makes it easier for audiences to engage with the show, and boy, was the audience engaged. All Shook Up had our audience rolling with laughter, exclaiming with excitement, and as the kids would say, kicking our little feet with joy. However, with such an easy, simple story, the true art of the show comes from the artists on stage.
While this is an ensemble piece, it feels like Nick Cortazzo and Mirabella Ziegler are the show’s focal point. As Chad, our Elvis look-a-like, Cortazzo is an artist in every sense of the word. Chad volleys between suave and cool, and completely love-sick, which is a range many people would get lost in. Cortazzo not only feels comfortable in the role, but he’s also infused Chad with so much emotional depth. Chad could easily be a one-dimensional character, but in this production, he feels incredibly expansive. Ziegler, on the other hand, is fantastic as Natalie. Natalie is looking for love, but she discovers that what she truly needs is self-love. Ziegler is a powerhouse performer with raw talent across her acting and singing. Whether it’s as Natalie or Ed, Ziegler exudes charm in every scene she’s in.
As we’ve come to expect from a theater such as Meadow Brook, the entire cast is quite talented, from the pros to the students of Oakland University. Everyone is giving their all to create something special with All Shook Up. Amongst the shining, brilliant stars that are each of the cast members, there are moments where they get to shine brilliantly.
Milika Cherée’s performance as Sylvia was a scene stealer every time she walked onto the stage. There are moments when Cherée gave me chills, making me crave more of Sylvia in the show. She’s not just a love interest; she’s the main character of her own story, and Cherée’s performance gave that in every move.
Like mother, like daughter, there’s equally as much star power in Lauren M. Smith, playing Sylvia’s daughter, Lorraine. Where Syliva is practical, Lorraine is a dreamer, wanting to find love at any cost. Smith gives Lorraine such naivety, which is charming, and makes the moments where she belts a song with such power even more surprising. There is an immense amount of talent in Smith, which makes All Shook Up not just a joy to watch, but a must-see.
There’s one final shout-out to Jackson Cole Cook, who brought life to Dennis on stage. Dennis is your typical nerd, a role that is typically relegated to a bit or the butt of a joke; however, in All Shook Up, Dennis is the whole package. Yes, he’s intelligent, but he’s also incredibly kind and a wonderful friend. He’s the type of person someone should aspire to be. Where some people might fall into the trope of this character type, Cook layers Dennis perfectly, giving him dimensions in a multitude of ways
All Shook Up is undeniable fun!
Whether you love musicals or not, All Shook Up will have you tapping your foot and humming along in no time. There’s nothing quite like a fun romp of a jukebox musical to take your mind off heavier things. Right now, with the state of the world, we could all use just a bit of light, and this Meadow Brook Theatre production is just that.
All Shook Up runs at Meadow Brook Theatre through February 1st, so get your tickets now! Have you headed to MBT yet to check out this musical? What’s your favorite part of the show? Let us know your thoughts @bsb.insider on social media!
Exclusive Interview: Nick Cortazzo and Mirabella Ziegler of Meadow Brook Theatre’s All Shook Up
