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Elvis tunes return to the Fox
McCOOK, Nebraska - The cast and crew of Southwest Nebraska Community Theatre Association are embracing their tradition of excellence and pushing community talent to a whole new level with their production of "All Shook Up."
The musical, featuring songs made popular in the '50s and '60s by Elvis Presley, will be performed at the Fox Theatre in McCook Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Repeat performances will occur next Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with the final performance next Sunday, March 16 at 2 p.m. Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children under 12 and are available at Hershberger Music Store and Janssen-Kool Honda in McCook and Amy's Salon in Cambridge. If seating remains, tickets will be on sale at the door on the days and nights of the performances for $15 and $10.
While the tradition of top-notch vocal and instrumental performances continues with this production, it is not a traditional musical. The songs and dances will have audience members tapping their toes, snapping their fingers, and clapping their hands from the opening number of "Jailhouse Rock" to the finale of "Burnin' Love." The excellent band, an ensemble of twelve talented area musicians under the direction of Oberlin resident Neal Russell, is the glue that holds the entire production together.
Forbidden relationships, unrequited love, and following one's dreams are all themes carried out in the story line of "All Shook Up," as characters, young and old, fall in and out of love. This is not a musical about Elvis Presley, but the songs he made popular fit perfectly into the story line, and are the highlight of each scene.
A womanizing roustabout named Chad, played by Connor DeWalt, comes to a small 1950s community and immediately has every lady in town smitten, particularly Natalie, played by McCook High School student Rachel Gordine. But Chad is more interested in the beautiful, sophisticated, and sexy Miss Sandy portrayed by SWNCTA veteran JeriLynn Karr. Natalie goes to extreme measures to capture Chad's attention with the help of the nerdy aspiring dentist, Dennis, played by Joseph McCarty. Dennis has a secret crush on Natalie but is too shy to let her know how he feels.
While the story is entertaining and enduring with some great comedic lines throughout, the real draw for this production is the music. Conner DeWalt and Rachel Gordine are both talented vocalists that can pull off a toe-tapping "C'mon Everybody" equally as well as a ballad like "One Night With You." But they are not the only ones with great musical numbers. Joseph McCarty sings a wonderful rendition of "Love Me Tender." Jim Coady, who plays Natalie's lonely widower father, moves the audience with his "Don't Be Cruel." A surprise performance by the ever-silent, brow-beaten Sheriff Earl, played by Mark Carmen, happens when he sings a reprise of "Can't Help Falling In Love." The audience will also hear great numbers by SWNCTA veterans Kathy Latta, JeriLynn Karr, and Sheryl Havens. The mixture of young and not-so-young make this musical special.
One of the young actors new to a SWNCTA leading role is Cambridge High School student Karlie Sines, who plays a romantic and rebellious teenager that falls in love with the reserved and proper son of the town's mayor, a self-proclaimed decency monitor. The son, Dean Hyde, is played by another high school student, McCook's Dakota Hutchins.
The music in "All Shook Up" is so upbeat and beautifully performed, the audience is sure to come out of the theater with a tune in their heart. In fact, one of the main themes in the play is that music has the power and magic to change a person's heart, and with the kind of music that makes you want to get up and dance, that theme seems totally possible.
The intimate Fox Theatre is the perfect venue for this production. While set changes undoubtedly presented challenges for the production crew, the theatre allows the audience to feel a connection to the music and the characters. One of the exciting things about seeing a full dress rehearsal is that you get an inside perspective on all the details that a production encompasses. Tuesday night's dress rehearsal had Director Charles Coleman and the cast and crew putting finishing touches on the choreography -- not only the moves to the music, but also the scene changes, lighting, and timing of the entire production.
"All Shook Up" is the kind of musical that one could easily sit through multiple times. This year, Director Charles Coleman has incorporated understudies into the production, meaning that a main character on opening night may be portrayed by a member of the chorus on another night's performance. "I'm extremely proud of the people involved with this production," said Coleman. "We have a very strong cast and both the cast and crew have worked very hard, both on stage and behind the scenes."
With the inevitable buzz that will be created after opening night, advance tickets are highly recommended.