All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
#0All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 11:21am
***SPOILERS***
My parents, Jarico and I went to the evening performance of All Shook Up last night and walked away feeling both bewildered and bemused. It's a show with so much potential, but has somehow gone completely awry.
First of all, I'll mention that the musical arrangements and vocal performances were very strong and practically salvaged the evening. The book simply contains a very bizarre plot that is unfocused and most of the dialogue is corny with all-too-deliberate jokes landing with a dull thud and other jokes saved with some rather brilliant comedic performances with some standout work from the supporting cast (I left my Playbill at home, so I'll do my best to recall character names). In short, the book makes Mamma Mia look like Shaw in comparison.
The prologue of Natalie's sister's departure can be scrapped. It really doesn't set anything up vital to the plot and it is not really mentioned again in the show. Chad's arrival on motorcycle is visually cute, but the action and the song are too slow to make it as fun and interesting as it could be. It's like trying to watch a Madonna video to the sound of Puff the Magic Dragon. The two elements don't work together to paint the picture they would like to present. This is the least horrific of this type of mistake in the show. When Chad blows into town just a few minutes into the show, we see some sort of magic powere within him that is never really explained in its use or purpose. It just happens from time to time and everyone pretty much accepts it without much notice. Apparently, this causes a HUGE change among the town's inhabitants, but we only know this because the female mayor blames Chad for being the catalyst of all "immoral" behavior (which she has outlawed) that has recently occurred. Whether or not the behavior is out of character is indeterminable since the audience has never had the chance to really see the town before Chad's arrival, so the huge change does not occur for the audience at all.
Moving on, the show then splinters into about four separate stories, never really focusing on any of them to ground the action of the show. It tackles issues of race, homosexuality, conservative morality, individuality, and self-confidence all within the four stories (actually, five stories by the end) with the thinnest of dialogue to speedily set up the multiple relationships and shoehorn the songs into place. One of the biggest duds of the evening was announced as a change in the program. Return to Sender replaced Surrender, though I have no idea how much the dialogue changed, I don't see how the previous could have been worse than the scene we witnessed.
There are some truly bizarre scenes and elements to the show that are just mind-blowing bizarre to figure out. First of all, the intellectual blonde vamp that arrives in town with a travelling art museum complete with statues of the Venus de Milo and The Thinker, among others. And yes, there is the traditional love song of the high-ICQ Monroe character (who deservedly earns the biggest laughs of the evening) to the cross-dressing heroine complete with dancing statues (one on pointe) as you would expect.
huh?
Then there are the numbers for the extreme moralist female mayor (of which they were in abundance in small-town American in the 50s) one of which included a chorus of nuns with tamborines and the flames of Hell. The other, her fantasy of jailing the town based on lewd and immoral behavior to the tune of, you guessed it, Jailhouse Rock, which ironically consists of men in striped prison uniforms and female officers in hot pants dancing in a very sexually provocative manner.
huh?
Finally, there is the biggest "HUH?" moment of all. In the second act, we have two of our couples that the writers decided to focus on deliver the big love-conquers-all song (though I forget which song it was due to sheer shock). As they sing, a chorus of angelic Elvises (complete with wings) on motorcycles descends from the heavens and sing from 20 feet above the actors on stage. Well, as far as we were concerned, the actors on stage ceased to exist and the rest of the scene was lost. While something like this would work in a show like Hairspray, it doesn't here. All Shook Up is just not campy enough to pull it off. It takes itself too seriously and is not stylized enough in dialogue or staging to make it work. It's completely out of balance.
The one scene that really stands out is Now or Never. The song, staging and performances are stunning and fun and are the model of what the entire show should be. It is the only honest moment in the show and the audience really roots for Lorraine and Dean, who deliver the finest performances of the evening.
Jennifer Gamabetese is ok in a bland role. Her second act ballad is not particularly interesting and falls in the middle of her range. As a lead, her character has been chopped up within too many story lines until you really lose interest in what she is trying to accomplish and her motivations are unclear other than to set up some silly situations. It's a farcial character role disguised as a lead using Shakespeare as a device. Cheyenne just didn't have the spark and charisma to be believable as Chad. Part of this was due to his performance, but once again, the writing just abandonded too many ideas established in the first act to make his character plausible. But that's not to say Cheyenne is making the most with what he has. Something like that can be said of the actress playing the museum owner or the young man who is in love with Natalie. Both of them deliver in what could be the worst roles in the show.
Sets are often cute and clever. Lighting is pretty basic and nothing outstanding. Costumes are cute, with the exception of Cheyenne, in which case they are excruciatingly bland for what is supposed to be the most vibrant character in the show. The entire cast in blue suede shoes by the end of the show really doesn't work as device as it's not properly set up symbolically (like Yellow Shoes in The Visit) or musically (the song is only sung in the curtain call). The choreography could really make up for the book elements, but it is pedestrian at best and intro-to-jazz-dance at worst.
Notes to producers:
There is some fun stuff happening, but almost none of it works. Tighten the focus, drop some of the extraneous stories and only use them as farcical fun surprises at the end of the second act. Beef up the painfully trite dialogue of the first act. Get rid of the museum and statues (did they have Bookmobiles back then?). And most importantly, if you want nonrealistic camp fantasy sequences, you have to commit to the style throughout the show from beginning to end, otherwise it makes absolutely no sense. Camp and musical comedy are two completely different genres that do not mix well. If you make such a strong statement regarding homosexuality, find a a way to commit to it. As it is, it is a strong statement that gets completely thrown out as a mistake by the end, completely negating its importance. The ending is too long (after the wedding) and the curtain calls and medley are a complete bore. If you're going the medley route, find a way to make it the second most exciting moment in the show. Otherwise, what is the point?
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 12/27/04 at 11:21 AM
Mamamia Sammy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/15/04
#1re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 11:38amAs someone who does not speak English as their primary language, I would be interested to hear Jarico's point of view.
"I knew this was probably going to happen." - Rathnait62
leomaxfrank
Broadway Star Joined: 3/19/04
#2re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 11:38amNow there's a review - nice Mister Matt. I knew my fellow Parade fan would know how to write with clarity. The kind of clarity that escapes from this show -- sad to say.
But I won't live alone in a house of regret.
#3re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 11:57am
Nice review. 
"Chicago is it's own incredible theater town right there smack down in the middle of the heartland. What a great city! I can see why Oprah likes to live there!" - Dee Hoty :-D
ChicagoBwayFan
Featured Actor Joined: 12/24/04
#4re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 12:13pm
I saw All Shook Up on the 23rd and enjoyed it as a cheesey musical. However, I do agree with Mister Matt's review.
One of the most humerous parts of the musical was the fact that even the actors had to laugh when they would begin singing some of Elvis' songs and trying to match them up to the storyline!
Some tweaking will definately improve the storyline. Perhaps they are trying to accomplish way too much with only a couple hours that are available.
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
GirlfriendFromCanada
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/7/03
#6re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 12:25pmAmazing is that all of the things you pointed out (Natalie's sister storyline, CHORUS OF NUNS?!, Angelic Elvises) didn't exist in the CT production of the show. Maybe it should have stayed that way?
#7re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 1:06pmNatalie's sister wasn't even a storyline. She was just a 30-second prologue at the top of the show. She's in a convertible leaving for her honeymoon thanking God for getting out of the town. Natalie catches her bouquet and her father is sad that his eldest daughter has left the nest. That's it. Nothing else is mentioned of her or her departure in the show again (at least, not that I can recall). It's one of many ideas that gets completely abandoned through the course of the show.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
PennyLou
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/15/03
#8re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 4:41pmooooh! In CT it was an old boyfriend of hers leaving for his honeymoon.. that when she sang love me tender as she was pumping his gas. then He father cam in and said "Didn't you date hime" and she replied "Only for 5 years" and that was it.
Grace: My love for you is like this scar (points to elbow) ulgy but permanent!
#9re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 4:47pmShe still sings a bit of Love Me Tender and pumps gas into the car, but it's her sister leaving for her honeymoon instead.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Link Larkin Wanabe
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#10re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:07pm
Hey MisterMatt, thanks for the review. If you have any time later could you please describe the sets in as much detail as possible. I am really interested in seeing what David Rockwell cooks up for this show. Thanks.
Akiva
Razz77
Broadway Star Joined: 11/22/04
#11re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:09pmHow was Alix Korey's performance as the Mayor? She's a teacher of mine so I'm looking very forward to seeing her in the show.
#12re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:29pm
Alix Korey did a decent job as the mayor, but the role was not too well written. It's a very flat character whose songs are very oddly positioned in the book and even more oddly staged, but she does a decent job with what she was given.
***SET SPOILERS***
There are four basic scenic designs:
The center of town including four buildings with coartoonishly skewed forced perspectives similar to that seen in Hairspray.
Rita's Saloon which is a diner/bar decorated with hundreds of various aclohol bottles around the bar and hundreds of old automobile license plates that form the walls.
Rolling hills landscaping used for the travelling scenes with the motorcycle and in the Now or Never scene involving a Greyhound bus and a bicycle. These are the most effective sets used in the show as they are several layered flats that resemble hills that rise and fall from out of the stage floor. During the motorcycle scene, the motorcycle is on a hydraulic lift between them and it appears he is driving through the hills. During Now or Never, the bus and bicycle are on stage from a side view and telephone poles can be seen whizzing past at various levels and speeds behind them to appear that they are moving quickly.
Finally, there is the old carnival which mostly includes pieces of a rollercoaster that is used as a three-piece bridge. Each piece can be separated and turned for different combinations. Imagine the elephant skeleton from Lion King, but using the rollercoater pieces from Assassins instead of bones and there you have it. Also in the carnival is a giant clown's head (like an entrace to a fun house) and a portion of a carousel. All of them are distressed to appear as if they have been decaying for years. The bridge set makes up what is most of the second act.
There is one minor set used for the curtain call that is really just a platform upstage center with a giant 45 record hanging behind it with huge neon curlicues on either side to try and look something like a jukebox. The motorcycle makes a 2-second appearance in the hole of the record with the leads just before the blackout.
Additionally there is an old 50s convertible which, like the Greyhound bus is somewhat miniaturized and at a skewed perspective. The vehicles are very cute and effective. Then there are the motorcycle Elvis angels that fly in from above. They are freakish and meaningless.
The Jailhouse Rock set is a large jail with inmates playing fake musical instruments behind bars. It is only used for the one musical number and once again uses the stylized forced perspective and disproportionate sizes and angles to appear somewhat cartoonish, yet three-dimensional at the same time.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Link Larkin Wanabe
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/04
#13re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 5:50pm
MisterMatt,
Thanks so much for that. Excellent details. I can't wait to see pictures.
Akiva
ChicagoBwayFan
Featured Actor Joined: 12/24/04
#14re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/27/04 at 6:05pmThe set seemed to be very creative to me, and definately matched the time period the story takes place. Also give them credit for having a hilly background and special effects for the motorcylce scenes - many musicals would have probably just rolled the motorcycle out on stage. Also, the minature style vehicles (Greyhound bus, police car, etc.) were really cute!
#15re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 10:01amI did like the sets and costumes (with the exception of Cheyenne's costumes because they were way too bland). All Shook Up is a really fun show trapped inside a mess. I think it has been picked apart by too many people and needs one person to hone it into a singular vision. If they could just focus on the Now or Never scene and see why it works, they would have the springboard for making the rest of the show work as well.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
ChicagoBwayFan
Featured Actor Joined: 12/24/04
#16re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 10:06am
I think Cheyenne's costumes worked for his character - he's just a country biker roaming the states, so I don't think you'd want him to be dressed in jumpsuits or anything wild!!
Also, I think Miss Sandra would fit into the storyline much better if rather than owning a museum she owned an old country hotel instead - perhaps Heartbreak Hotel?!!
#17re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 10:18am
Cheyenne's costume would have been fine if he wasn't made out to be some sort of major catalyst that influences an entire town and has magical powers. Visually, he was much more bland than every other male in the show. I think it would more clearly define him as an influential, charismatic and magentic character. As it is, he's just a muscular guy in a white t-shirt and jeans who can turn on electrical equipment by touching it.
I do like the Heartbreak Hotel idea, but she has to be a newcomer in town (and it would be nice if they made it clear) in order for the situations to work out. Otherwise, it's a small town full of people who have never met, which is implausible. But the problem with her being a newcomer is that so is Chad and both seem to have the same influence on the members of the town, yet the mayor only points the finger at Chad's behavior.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
AnothaPartofMe
Broadway Star Joined: 5/22/04
#18re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 12:00pmWhere did you see ALL SHOOK UP?
And if she'll say, "My darling, I'm yours!" I'll throw away my striped tie and my best pressed tweed, all I really need is the girl...
#19re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 12:05pmIt's currently only running in Chicago at the moment.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
AnothaPartofMe
Broadway Star Joined: 5/22/04
#20re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 12:11pmOh okay. I was going to say, the sign on the Palace said they start previews in February. Glad you saw it.
And if she'll say, "My darling, I'm yours!" I'll throw away my striped tie and my best pressed tweed, all I really need is the girl...
Rentaholic2
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/14/04
#21re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 1:49pmSo how was the music? Did they do any neat reprises or overlapping of songs? If Blue Suede Shoes is the curtain call, does that mean Burning Love is the Finale, because that would be cool. I really wanted to see this show when I go to New York in March, so I hope it improves!
#22re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 2:22pmBurning Love is pretty much the finale, which is very much like You're the One That I Want (or All Choked Up) in Grease. It seems like there was one mix of two songs together, but I can't remember what it was at the moment. The song arrangements were pretty good, but unless you're an Elvis fan, many of the songs were not that memorable.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
saddle shoe side kick
Broadway Star Joined: 6/24/04
#23re: All Shook Up 12/26 (long review)
Posted: 12/28/04 at 7:47pmIn CT, Teddy Bear and Hound Dog were overlapped as a bit of a medeley bewtween Miss Sandra and Chad. I haven't seen it in Chicago yet but it sounds like a lot has changed since CT. I liked "Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello" in CT but that has been cut, as well as "Hard Knocks" which I also enjoyed. In CT they only sang a little bit of "Blue Suede Shoes" at curtain. I liked Miss Sandra running the museum because she wanted to bring culture into the town and such. Maybe they've changed it but it worked in CT. I also liked what PennyLou mentioned (an old boyfriend of hers leaving for his honeymoon.. that when she sang love me tender as she was pumping his gas. then He father cam in and said "Didn't you date hime" and she replied "Only for 5 years") which has also been changed. So much is different and Im sure it will change even more between now and my trip to Chicago. I guess i'll see in a few weeks.
"I'm a pretty girl, mama." -Penny Lou Pingleton, Hairspray
"You like football, Ed?" "Yeah..." "Good. Me too." -Chad & 'Ed', All Shook Up
"You like football, Ed?" "Yeah..." "Good. Me too." -Chad & 'Ed', All Shook Up
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