[NEohioPAL] REVIEW: All Shook Up in Canton

[Tom Wachunas]

Whole Lotta Shakin’
By Tom Wachunas
    Say what you will
about ‘the King,’ but for those of us caught in the thrall of the mid-1960s
British Invasion, Elvis Presley’s brand of rock-n-roll seemed like a silly
anachronism. Come to think of it, though, I am duly grateful to have survived
that drug-besotted flower-child era with my brain still somewhat intact (though
some might argue to the contrary).
    Seeing the current Canton Players Guild
production of All Shook Up (a “jukebox
musical” inspired by the songs of Elvis Presley that premiered on Broadway in
2005), directed here by Frank J.
Lucas, reminded me that the hip-swiveling crooner’s songs weren’t nearly as ‘silly’
as the conservative backlash they ignited if only for a short while during the
Eisenhower years. I really did once know a few folks who labeled what Elvis did
(along with many other like-minded entertainers) as “the Devil’s music.”
    Enter one Matilda
Hyde, the very uptight, self-righteous mayor of a small midwestern town where
this story unfolds in 1955. In that role, Teresa Houston brings a deliciously
rabid energy and operatic panache to her relentless enforcement of public
decency laws. One of the evening’s several show-stopping numbers is Devil in Disguise, wherein the mayor
rallies a troupe of teetering senior citizen ladies on wheeled walkers through
a hilarious dance.
   Matilda’s fury has
been fueled by the arrival of the lascivious Chad, recently released from jail
in the explosive opening number, Jailhouse
Rock. He’s a guitar-toting roustabout biker whose every pelvic quiver or
throaty utterance makes the womenfolk swoon and otherwise turns the sleepy town
on its ear. Jayson Kolbicz’s captivating portrayal of the troublemaking
troubadour is remarkably well crafted without being a rubber-stamp
impersonation of Elvis. Yes, he can occasionally curl his lip or raise an eyebrow
just so, but he’s nonetheless his own man and, quite frankly, a considerably
more facile singer and engaging actor than Elvis.
     The plot borrows loosely from Shakespeare’s
romantic comedy, Twelfth Night, and
its farcical element of mistaken identities amid wooing intrigues. In this
case, Natalie, a lonely tomboy-ish mechanic hopelessly smitten by Chad’s charms
and desperate to be closer to him, disguises herself as a fellow male
roustabout with startling results. As Natalie, Sarah Karam is an endearing mix
of dreamy longing, vulnerability and spunky determination. Her singing is
infused with a poignant warmth often punctuated with piercing sweetness.
    For that matter, all the core cast members are uniquely
adept entertainers who bring a well-defined individuality to their roles both
as characters and singers. Kudos to: Eva Ashawnti Roberson as Sylvia, the
plain-talking, no-nonsense owner of the local honky-tonk; Ruby Marie Myers as
Lorraine, Sylvia’s infectiously energetic teenage daughter involved in
“forbidden love” with Dean, the mayor’s military academy son, played by Stephen
Robert Carder; Connor Logan Reese as Dennis, Natalie’s lovably nerdy would-be
suitor; Brittany Dolinar as Miss Sandra, the sultry, sensuous overseer of the
local art museum; Scott Warner as the dutiful, silent Sheriff Earl (who boldly
divulges a surprising secret in the end);  and Doug Downie, gentle and delightfully
awkward in his efforts to be “cool,” as the widowed father of Natalie.   
    Whatever snarly edginess
and/or uncomplicated musicality these Elvis songs might have had in their
original incarnations is largely overshadowed here by the elaborate (at times Glee-full, so to speak) and impeccable
ensemble harmonies you’d expect from a big giltzy Broadway production. But unless
you’re an Elvis purist at heart, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This show
injects the material with fresh, soaring choral electricity, further generated
by the thoroughly sizzling six-piece band under the direction of keyboardist Steve
Parsons. Add to that the vitality of Michael Lawrence Akers’ clever,
exhilarating choreography, and all the ingredients for a raucous song fest are
solidly in place. 
   That said, both the
story line and the vocal arrangements here do often drift into purely corny
territory. Still, to the die-hard rockers among you I say hey, you, get offa my
cloud. Viva la schmaltz.    
    All Shook Up, Canton Players Guild
Mainstage , 1001 Market Avenue N., Canton. Shows THROUGH MARCH 17, Fridays and
Saturdays at 8:00p.m., Sundays at 2:00p.m. Single tickets $25; 17 and younger
$19; Seniors $23. Box Office (330) 453-7617  www.playersguildtheatre.com
For other reviews and commentaries by Tom Wachunas on the
performing and visual arts in the greater Canton area, please visit his blog,
ARTWACH, at www.artwach.blogspot.com
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