Review: Opening Night 'All Shook Up' By Bad Weather, Power Outage
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
So this review is limited in that I didn't get to see Act II or the last song of Act I, "Can't Help Falling In Love".
Who ends up together? How is Ed's true identity revealed? What do the dozen songs in the second half sound like? I can't tell you, so you'll have to buy tickets and go find out for yourself (and then e-mail me and let me know how it all turns out).
But what I can tell you is that the majority of Act I that I did get to see was fun enough that I was disappointed that it all had to end just as the show was reaching the climax.
It seemed rather obvious to me that the actors on stage for "All Shook Up" opening night were having a good time and enjoying themselves too.
Not all the song arrangements, however, worked well for me in the show.
For example, when Chad (Jake Klinkhammer) first comes out on stage for opening number "Jailhouse Rock", Klinkhammer definitely puts it out there, but the arrangement and the instrumentation felt more like Lawrence Welk than the King of Rock. I wanted to like the number because it's a classic Presley song and Klinkhammer is an amazing performer and singer, but the arrangement just left me deflated. The song begs to be played up, not played down.
However, other arrangements worked really well, such as "That's All Right". I loved the interplay with the song between Lorraine (Britney Coleman) and her mother, Sylvia (Katie McCreary). The song is used effectively because Lorraine, who is African-American, is in love with Dean Hyde (Matthew Dailey), who is white, and Lorraine's mother doesn't approve. Dean's mother, Mayor Matilda Hyde (Jennifer Dow), also does not approve of interracial love. It is, afterall, 1955 in the show. But the way the song is sung and used, is just brilliant. One of my favorite numbers of the show.
There is a story woven into the 25 Presley songs. It's not just a music revue.
There's a hint of William Shakespeare's story of mistaken identity, "Twelfth Night". If you know your movies, you can also catch glimpses of everything from "Footloose" to "Cry Baby".
Natalie Haller (Caitlin Mesiano) is the leading female role. As played by Mesiano, the character also offers many laughs and lots of heart. She so wants to get out of the small town and fall in love with Chad that she doesn't see someone who truly loves her, her best friend Dennis (Nick Laughlin).
And Laughlin plays Dennis really well, too. He's a guy everyone knows - or is - that you laugh with, not at, and hope he gets the girl.
The other friend of Natalie's is Lorraine. Coleman plays Lorraine as a zesty, peppy, fun-loving kind of girl you just want to hang with. And when Coleman sings - she just showcases all that much more talent. The girl just needs to be on stage in front of audiences more.
While Lorraine has a single mom in Sylvia, Natalie has a single dad in Jim (Mike Yocum). Do they end up together? Again, go see it and let me know! But both McCreary and Yocum play the parental role in a way that's fun to watch.
When Sylvia starts telling Jim why Natalie may be interested in the roustabout Chad, she starts getting into how Chad just has that kind of butt that you want to smack (it's funny, trust me). McCreary, who can't be nearly as old as her character is suppose to be, just does her role so well you go with it.
In "All Shook Up", there's a new museum curator in town named Miss Sandra (Tiffany Dissette). Chad goes totally gaga for her, but so does Jim. Yocum's hilarious number comes to play when Jim goes to Chad seeking advice on women as Jim's wife died not too long ago and he's clueless. Through the song "Don't Be Cruel", Jim learns a thing or two, but neither guy knows the other is in lust with Ms. Sandra.
Speaking of Sandra, in order to get closer to Chad, Natalie becomes "Ed". Well, Sandra, not knowing Natalie is Ed, she falls for him. So to seduce Natalie, Sandra and the statues break into "Let Yourself Go". It works out to be a funny song the way Dissette acts and plays it out. It also is the song that didn't get finished because of the tornado warning that sent everyone into the basement of the Wagon Wheel, but I'd like to see the rest of the number.
By the way, the actors dressed up like statues is genius and well done.
The last parental figure in the show is the Mayor, as played by favorite Jennifer Dow. The Mayor is against sin, necking, dancing, interracial love and, well, fun. She won't tolerate it. It's a role the ever-sweet Dow knows how to play because she is so good at character roles.
Let me go back to the character of Chad. As played by Klinkhammer, it's a fun role to watch. Throw in his voice, the boy can also showcase some amazing musical talent. Even if I don't like all the arrangements of the Presley songs, audiences will enjoy listening to him sing. He's a perfect casting.
Also on the songs, some of them, for me at least, contain too much instrumentation. Less horns, more singing. While the lengthy orchestrations provide an opportunity for more dancing, I'd rather see the songs kept shorter and more focused on the actors' voices.[[In-content Ad]]As a final note, I do want to offer the Wagon Wheel a kudos for the way they handled the storm. They not only got everyone into the basement quickly and safely, but also calmly. Everyone from the production team to the actors helped and assisted as needed. They offered chairs for the older audience members who needed them, as well as water.
In this way, not only did the Wagon Wheel team show they can put on a good show, they also showed their heart.
For what I did get to see of the show, my rating for the musical (out of four) is 3.45. For how the storm emergency was handled and the care the staff showed, they get a 4.
"All Shook Up" runs through July 3. Single adult tickets are $30 for all shows. Tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Opening nights and matinees are $22 for seniors. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more. To order tickets or for more information about upcoming events, call the box office at 574-267-8014 or toll free at 866-823-2618. Visit online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
So this review is limited in that I didn't get to see Act II or the last song of Act I, "Can't Help Falling In Love".
Who ends up together? How is Ed's true identity revealed? What do the dozen songs in the second half sound like? I can't tell you, so you'll have to buy tickets and go find out for yourself (and then e-mail me and let me know how it all turns out).
But what I can tell you is that the majority of Act I that I did get to see was fun enough that I was disappointed that it all had to end just as the show was reaching the climax.
It seemed rather obvious to me that the actors on stage for "All Shook Up" opening night were having a good time and enjoying themselves too.
Not all the song arrangements, however, worked well for me in the show.
For example, when Chad (Jake Klinkhammer) first comes out on stage for opening number "Jailhouse Rock", Klinkhammer definitely puts it out there, but the arrangement and the instrumentation felt more like Lawrence Welk than the King of Rock. I wanted to like the number because it's a classic Presley song and Klinkhammer is an amazing performer and singer, but the arrangement just left me deflated. The song begs to be played up, not played down.
However, other arrangements worked really well, such as "That's All Right". I loved the interplay with the song between Lorraine (Britney Coleman) and her mother, Sylvia (Katie McCreary). The song is used effectively because Lorraine, who is African-American, is in love with Dean Hyde (Matthew Dailey), who is white, and Lorraine's mother doesn't approve. Dean's mother, Mayor Matilda Hyde (Jennifer Dow), also does not approve of interracial love. It is, afterall, 1955 in the show. But the way the song is sung and used, is just brilliant. One of my favorite numbers of the show.
There is a story woven into the 25 Presley songs. It's not just a music revue.
There's a hint of William Shakespeare's story of mistaken identity, "Twelfth Night". If you know your movies, you can also catch glimpses of everything from "Footloose" to "Cry Baby".
Natalie Haller (Caitlin Mesiano) is the leading female role. As played by Mesiano, the character also offers many laughs and lots of heart. She so wants to get out of the small town and fall in love with Chad that she doesn't see someone who truly loves her, her best friend Dennis (Nick Laughlin).
And Laughlin plays Dennis really well, too. He's a guy everyone knows - or is - that you laugh with, not at, and hope he gets the girl.
The other friend of Natalie's is Lorraine. Coleman plays Lorraine as a zesty, peppy, fun-loving kind of girl you just want to hang with. And when Coleman sings - she just showcases all that much more talent. The girl just needs to be on stage in front of audiences more.
While Lorraine has a single mom in Sylvia, Natalie has a single dad in Jim (Mike Yocum). Do they end up together? Again, go see it and let me know! But both McCreary and Yocum play the parental role in a way that's fun to watch.
When Sylvia starts telling Jim why Natalie may be interested in the roustabout Chad, she starts getting into how Chad just has that kind of butt that you want to smack (it's funny, trust me). McCreary, who can't be nearly as old as her character is suppose to be, just does her role so well you go with it.
In "All Shook Up", there's a new museum curator in town named Miss Sandra (Tiffany Dissette). Chad goes totally gaga for her, but so does Jim. Yocum's hilarious number comes to play when Jim goes to Chad seeking advice on women as Jim's wife died not too long ago and he's clueless. Through the song "Don't Be Cruel", Jim learns a thing or two, but neither guy knows the other is in lust with Ms. Sandra.
Speaking of Sandra, in order to get closer to Chad, Natalie becomes "Ed". Well, Sandra, not knowing Natalie is Ed, she falls for him. So to seduce Natalie, Sandra and the statues break into "Let Yourself Go". It works out to be a funny song the way Dissette acts and plays it out. It also is the song that didn't get finished because of the tornado warning that sent everyone into the basement of the Wagon Wheel, but I'd like to see the rest of the number.
By the way, the actors dressed up like statues is genius and well done.
The last parental figure in the show is the Mayor, as played by favorite Jennifer Dow. The Mayor is against sin, necking, dancing, interracial love and, well, fun. She won't tolerate it. It's a role the ever-sweet Dow knows how to play because she is so good at character roles.
Let me go back to the character of Chad. As played by Klinkhammer, it's a fun role to watch. Throw in his voice, the boy can also showcase some amazing musical talent. Even if I don't like all the arrangements of the Presley songs, audiences will enjoy listening to him sing. He's a perfect casting.
Also on the songs, some of them, for me at least, contain too much instrumentation. Less horns, more singing. While the lengthy orchestrations provide an opportunity for more dancing, I'd rather see the songs kept shorter and more focused on the actors' voices.[[In-content Ad]]As a final note, I do want to offer the Wagon Wheel a kudos for the way they handled the storm. They not only got everyone into the basement quickly and safely, but also calmly. Everyone from the production team to the actors helped and assisted as needed. They offered chairs for the older audience members who needed them, as well as water.
In this way, not only did the Wagon Wheel team show they can put on a good show, they also showed their heart.
For what I did get to see of the show, my rating for the musical (out of four) is 3.45. For how the storm emergency was handled and the care the staff showed, they get a 4.
"All Shook Up" runs through July 3. Single adult tickets are $30 for all shows. Tickets for students 13 through college are $16, and children 12 and under are $12. Opening nights and matinees are $22 for seniors. Special rates are available for groups of 15 or more. To order tickets or for more information about upcoming events, call the box office at 574-267-8014 or toll free at 866-823-2618. Visit online at www.wagonwheeltheatre.com
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