“All Shook Up” at Goodspeed Musicals by Zander Opper

“All Shook Up”

Goodspeed Musicals

Goodspeed Musicals is currently presenting a super production of the musical “All Shook Up.”  With a book by Joe DiPietro and inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, this show is a joy from beginning to end and it is also a very clever musical, with more than its share of humorous moments.  Director Daniel Goldstein (who worked on the original Broadway production of “All Shook Up” twenty years ago) certainly is completely in tune with the assets that this show has in spades.  Indeed, this musical finds the most inventive moments to introduce each Elvis Presley song and the superb cast is pretty great. “All Shook Up” at Goodspeed Musicals is something of a must and is almost a guaranteed good time.

The setting of “All Shook Up” is an unnamed town in the 1950s and it is the arrival of the Elvis-like character Chad (played by the unbeatable and good-looking Ryan Mac) which quite literally shakes the entire town up.  And, except for one major couple in the story, the mode of this musical is unrequited love, with the song, “One Night With You,” sung numerous times throughout the show at the exact moment when one character immediately gets attracted to another character.  Amongst the folks in town are Natalie (the delectable and winning Kerstin Anderson), who is something of a grease monkey and she falls hard for Chad right on sight. 

If Chad and Natalie are the main characters in the show, the stage is filled with a number of terrific performers in supporting roles.  Playing Natalie’s father Jim, Benjamin Howes is quite wonderful and he is especially fine in the number he shares with Chad, “Don’t Be Cruel.”  Also shining is the excellent and curvy Jessica Crouch as Miss Sandra and she ignites the stage with the tune, “Let Yourself Go,” where she gets to show off a strong singing voice.

That said, pretty much all the actors get their moments to stand out, including Jordan Matthew Brown as the very funny Dennis.  He is matched by the adorable couple, Dean and Lorraine (portrayed, respectively, by the lively Jackson Reagin and Jackera Davis), especially in their amusing duet, “It’s Now or Never.” At the performance I attended, the role of Sylvia was played by Montria Walker and it is saying a lot that she made the part completely her own.  And, there is also Mayor Matilda (the deliriously silly Amy Hillner Larsen), who keeps trying to uphold the rule of no music and no dancing in the town.  She is closely followed by the mostly quiet Sheriff Earl (the comedic Kilty Reidy), who eventually does get his big chance to speak his mind.

In addition to the fantastic work of the company of actors, the design elements of “All Shook Up” are totally first rate.  Beowulf Boritt presents the perfect set, with pieces of scenery moving on and off the stage.  Tilly Grimes does wonders with the costumes, with each character enhanced by what they wear.  The lighting design is enormously effective (courtesy of Paige Seber) and the crystal clear sound design is by the expert Jay Hilton.  Music director Adam J. Rineer leads the orchestra beautifully throughout and choreographer Byron Easley keeps all of the numbers bopping along to delicious effect.

“All Shook Up” was not a hit when first presented on Broadway in 2005, but the fine production of this musical at Goodspeed Musicals belies that fact.  Indeed, this show can be crazy, rambunctious, tender, and romantic all at once, with a number of hilarious scenes thrown in for good measure.  So, let “All Shook Up” shake you up, for this show practically overflows with thrills, fun, and an enormously delightful plot and characters which you will definitely want to savor.

“All Shook Up” runs through August 24, 2025 at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT. For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.goodspeed.org. 

Photo (L-R): Kerstin Anderson and Ryan Mac

Photo by Diane Sobolewski