All Shook UP
At Goodspeed
By: Karen Isaacs - Jul 23, 2025
If you don’t tap your toes or dance in the aisle at the Goodspeed production of All Shook Up through Sunday, August 24, perhaps you should check your pulse. The show is a perfect light entertainment for the summer.
Jukebox musicals get a bad rap. But when done well, they can be a total delight. Jersey Boys and Ain’t Misbehavin’ are two prime examples. But too often songs are shoe-horned into a trite plot.
All Shook Up is an example of a jukebox musical that avoids most of the traps. It is a summer delight.
The list of things All Shook Up does well is long, from the show itself to the outstanding Goodspeed production and the talented cast.
The musical is set in a small town some years ago. Chad, who bears a resemblance to Elvis, arrives in town on his motorcycle and stirs up romance. He meets Natalie, a crackerjack motorcycle mechanic who is promptly attracted to him. So much so that she exchanges her garage overalls for a dress. But that’s not all, we have Dennis who pines for Natalie, and Miss Sandra, the newly arrived and very busty museum director, whom all the men pursue, including Chad. Add in the sterm Mayor Matilda, who is enforcing her “Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act” and her henpecked sheriff, plus her teenage son, Dean, and the girl he is attracted to (Lorraine), plus Natalie’s widowed father and the owner of the local restaurant/bar and you have enough couples to make the entire town seem like it is in love.
Director Daniel Goldstein has cast the show to perfection. Mac Ryan imbues Chad with a touch of the Presley persona but also makes him more than a “lookalike.” He has the moves and the singing style. From the opening number, “Jailhouse Rock,” you find him a likable character, though at times, he misses the obvious, such as his attraction to Natalie.
Kerstin Anderson seems ideal as Natalie (and later Ed). She projects the confusion and naivete of a young woman suddenly finding herself attracted to someone. She is as confused as everyone when she finds Miss Sandra coming on to her.
Although the characters could be played as stereotypes, the cast brings them to life as real people. Jessica Crouch takes Miss Sandra, who could be portrayed as only a “blonde bombshell,” and makes her a woman well aware of how men react to her, and she doesn’t always like it. As Natalie’s dad. Jim, Benjamin Howes allows a note of sadness to creep in. Jordan Matthew Brown, who plays the nerdy Dennis (he pines for Natalie), is more than that. The same goes for Jackson Reagin as Dean and Amy Hilner Larsen as his domineering and puritanical mother. Jackera Davis ups the energy level as Natalie’s friend and Dean’s love interest.
Goldstein has opted to avoid realism; he uses just the handlebars of the motorcycle rather than the entire vehicle. This adds whimsy to the show. He also makes effective use of the aisles for Chad’s arrival in town and at other moments.
Bryon Easley’s choreography is high energy and is outstandingly executed by the entire cast.
The production values are excellent. Beowulf Borit’s set combines realism with almost a cartoon quality, and the costumes by Tilly Grimes capture the 1950s period. As usual, Jay Hilton’s sound design doesn’t blast your eardrums, which is appreciated with a rock show.
But it was Paige Seber’s lighting design that was particularly effective. The Act 1 finale, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” is beautifully lit to highlight the different characters.
It may sound incongruous to combine Elvis Presley songs and Shakespeare, but playwright Joe DiPietro not only does it, but makes it work. Yes, Shakespeare!
A highlight is how effectively DiPietro integrates the Elvis songs into the story in a way that underlines the emotions of the characters and the situations. One example is “It’s Now or Never” sung by Dean and Lorraine.
If you are a Shakespeare aficionado, you may see subtle references to Twelfth Night, particularly in the role of Natalie, who disguises herself as a man (Ed) to get close to Chad, the man she is attracted to. Imagine her surprise when Miss Sandra falls in love with her; imagine Chad’s confusion when he is attracted to Ed! In addition, a Shakespeare sonnet figures in the plot, and the romance between Miss Sandra and Dennis is cemented in a discussion about the sonnets. Like any good Shakespearean comedy, multiple couples find true love, and it ends in weddings for all.
The show began at Goodspeed’s Terris Theatre in Chester in 2004. The next year, it had a 200+ performance run on Broadway starring Cheyenne Jackson and Jenn Gambatese. It then both toured and had productions throughout the world.
Make sure you find your way to East Haddam to see this outstanding show. Tickets are available at Goodspeed.org.
This content is courtesy of Shore Publications and Zip06.com