ALL SHOOK UP Opens July 4 At Hackmatack

The 25 songs in "All Shook Up" are mostly about love, which makes sense because that is what Elvis Presley sang about. And as is true in most musical theater, the women in "All Shook Up" sing mostly about finding, losing, or holding the perfect man.

But, this will be changed up a bit when this musical opens Wednesday, July 4, at Hackmatack Playhouse in Berwick.

"It is my pet peeve that in every musical theater piece the women sing about men and finding a perfect life," said Allison Mosier Sheff of Newton, Mass., director of the Hackmatack production. Thus, she said, she has found a way around it, while still staying true to the script and characters.

"You will have to come see the show to see how we did this," said Sheff, 37, as she guided her actors in the art of swooning, revealing just the challenge she faces. What she would say, though, is that "the actors and I really dug into the text and the intention of each of these characters to make sure they were being portrayed as something other than one dimensional stereotypes."

Featuring songs of Elvis Presley, "All Shook Up" is set in a square little town in the midwest, where a guitar-playing man enters the picture and changes everything and everyone he meets. The show dares audiences to sit still during songs like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Don't Be Cruel."

Last performed at Hackmatack 10 years ago, "All Shook Up" has been among its most Popular Productions.

"We have a rule we have to wait a decade to repeat a show," said Hackmatack owner Michael Guptill. "We - and our audiences - have been waiting patiently, or not so patiently, to be able to do this one again."

Despite its rock 'n roll backdrop, the show's characters, romances and twist plots were influenced by Shakespearean comedies. It was written after Presley's estate asked writer Joe DiPietro to develop a musical around the Elvis' songs.

Directing "All Shook Up" is Sheffs' maiden voyage at Hackmatack. A native of Los Angeles, she moved to the Boston area in 2016, having made the transition from performer to director.

Before directing, Sheff spent 11 years in New York as an actor and a children's guardian, the artistic liaison between the creative team, management, parents and the chid actors. While in rehearsal rooms, she rubbed shoulders with the likes of theater legends Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Daldry and James Lapine.

"Spending so much of my time in the rehearsal room, I discovered I liked the creative process far more than I liked the routine of performance," said Sheff, who went on to earn a certificate in stage directing from the Yale School of Drama.

When she was invited to direct "All Shook Up" in Berwick, she quickly agreed, having loved the show when worked "front of the house" passing out sound devices on the Broadway production when it opened in 2005.

Directing the production at Hackmatack will be a far cry from working shows in New York. Sheff recalls a SWAT team showing up on the street outside one rehearsal there. In Maine, she is thrilled to be surrounded by fields.

"This is such a beautiful space to create in, no florescent lights and just natural lighting," Sheff said. "And I think Hackmatack's history and legacy are inspiring. Plus I have the most beautiful commute every day."

All Shook Up" will show 8 pm Wednesdays to Saturday, July 4 to 7, 11 to 14 and 18 to 21 as well as 2 pm Thursdays, July 5, 12 and 19. More information and tickets available at www.hackmatack.org or by calling 207-698-1807.

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