Elvis is definitely in the building and by building I mean Shelton’s Center Stage. If not Elvis himself, then his essence and spirit and his music so plan to rock 'n roll over to theCenter Stage sometime before Sunday, December 10. The play is "All Shook Up", with book by Joe DiPietro and the songs of Elvis Presley. When a black leather jacketed stranger rides into town on a motorcycle in 1955 that is exactly what he does: he shakes up that little Midwestern town from its foundations. The town is repressed and has been under the iron rule of the mayor. Think "Footloose" collides with Will Shakespeare.
Natalie, a sweet tomboy mechanic portrayed by Sandra Fernandez who works in her dad's garage, claims that she can fix anything that has wheels and when this stranger comes to town, Chad, she finds herself falling head over heels in love. Chad, a charismatic and slightly dangerous Scott Sheldon, however, looks at her and only sees a scruffy faced grease monkey. With crinolines and bobby sox, the town is ready to accept everything that Chad advocates. He is a roustabout, a drifter and a rover. His goal is to travel from town to town and to fix them, clearly evident by the fact that he's wearing blue suede shoes. He gets the town on its feet and ready to dance and magically repairs the jukebox that has been broken since forever.
The mayor, a mean spirited Maria Mongillo, is the moral compass of the town and she is angry when this rock 'n roll rebel interferes with her plans. She soon sees her own son Dean, an obedient Zachary Haywood, suddenly change his ways and take up with Lorraine, a fun loving Kira Gray , a girl Mayor Matilda finds unacceptable because she's an African-American. The mayor subscribes to the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act and everything that Chad represents violates that. Elvis's music like "It's Now or Never,” “Love me Tender,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” " Burning Love" and " I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" punctuate the new feelings that Chad is advocating. True to Shakespeare's spirit, Natalie is in love with Chad, her best friend Dennis (Paul Keegan) has secret feelings for her, Chad is in love with the museum director Miss Sandra (Mel Byron), Natalie's dad (Chris Hetherington) thinks he's in love with Sandra too, and Lorraine's mom (Briana B.Dawson) fancies herself falling for Natalie's dad. When Natalie finds she can't get anywhere with Chad, she disguises herself as a boy, calls herself Ed and does a typical Shakespeare ploy trying to inveigle her way into Chad's heart.
The mayor makes her feelings known when she sings "Devil in Disguise" about Chad and soon all the romantic complications are tangled together. Everyone is willing to risk everything for love but you don't have to worry. By the end, wedding bells are ringing over and over and over again and even meek Sheriff Earl (Mike O'Mara) finds his gumption to put Matilda in her place, firmly in his arms. Kristen Santangelo does super duty as director, while Meghan Quinn handles all the jazzy choreography, and Liz Muller keeps the joint jumping musically.
For tickets ($18-36), call Center Stage, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at www.centerstageshelton.org. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Celebrate the holidays with Center Stage on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday at 2 p.m., December 15-17 with “Christmas Carols and Cocktails." Tickets are $25 adults, $15 children.
Get your dancing shoes on and plan to visit Elvis's clone Chad and the gang as they put energy and spirit and heart into this wonderful musical "All Shook Up."
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