REVIEW: Grab Your Blue Suede Shoes and Get ‘All Shook Up’ at Meadow Brook Theatre

Come in from the cold and get warmed up with the white-hot musical, All Shook Up, running until February 1, 2026, on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan

 

All Shook Up is the second collaboration between Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) and Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance (OUSMTD). Last year’s inaugural partnership between MBT and OUSMTD was an electric presentation of Footloose, but in my opinion, All Shook Up blows that production out of the water.

Set in a no-name Midwest town in 1955, the story takes place over a 24-hour period. And as the R&B singer Dinah Washington sang, “What a diff’rence a day” makes in the lives of these individuals.

With a book by Joe DiPietro, All Shook Up is a jukebox musical inspired by and featuring over 25 Elvis Presley songs, infused with a new attitude and fresh perspective. For example, I didn’t know I needed a mashup of “Hound Dog” and “Teddy Bear” until I heard it. Creative arrangements and smooth harmonies give these well-known classics new life, and I promise you, you will never hear these songs the same way again.

The central figure in the story is Chad (Nick Cortazzo), a troubadour roustabout who brings swagger and his blue suede shoes attitude to the dead and dull town (“C’mon Everybody”). Cortazzo has a mesmerizing magnetism, and what I appreciate most about his portrayal of Chad is his sincerity. Thankfully, Cortazzo doesn’t try to do some cheesy Elvis impersonation. The general vibe is there, but he puts his own flavor on the role, and that’s what sells it. He gives off mysterious bad boy vibes without being smarmy and has you swooning from his first hip swivel (“Jailhouse Rock”).

Before Chad’s arrival, the locals are just existing (“Heartbreak Hotel”). Sylvia (Milika Cherée) is a single mother who runs the local honkey-tonk, while trying to keep her idealistic daughter Lorraine (Lauren M. Smith) rooted in reality. Widower and garage owner Jim Haller (Danny Gurwin) also has his hands full raising his tomboy daughter Natalie (Mirabella Ziegler, MBT debut), who longs for adventure. Dennis (Jackson Cole Cook, MBT debut) is sweet and slightly nerdy with a massive crush on Natalie. Miss Sandra (Kassandra Aguilar-Haddock, MBT debut) is the intellectual and curvaceous curator of the town’s museum, and Dean Hyde (Chase Williams, OUSMTD) is a sheltered teenager whose life turns upside down when he meets Lorraine.

Between his velvety vocals and magnetic personality, Chad casts a spell on the residents of this stuck-in-the-past town. His presence awakens desires long forgotten and inspires everyone to dream beyond their past and what they’ve always known.

But not everyone is under Chad’s spell. Specifically, Mayor Matilda Hyde (Amy Hillner Larsen), who is Dean’s mother, and her shadow, Sheriff Earl (Kilty Reidy). Mayor Hyde strictly enforces the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act, outlawing “loud music, public necking, and tight pants.”

Undeterred, Chad starts working his magic by trying to help Jim get his mojo back (“Don’t Be Cruel”) to pursue a woman who has caught his eye. Meanwhile, Sylvia and Lorraine have a mother-daughter showdown (“That’s All Right”) over Lorraine’s desire to be with Dean, no matter the cost.

“I Can’t Help Falling in Love” brings the first act to a fitting close and is filled with the longing that each character harbors in their hearts.

The second act begins with a rousing version of “All Shook Up” with everyone converging at the abandoned fairgrounds. It was one of many times during the show where the powerhouse talent of the OUSMTD was on full display.

By now, multiple characters are chasing after each other: Jim and Chad want Sandra, who wants “Ed” (Natalie in disguise). Dennis wants Natalie, who wants Chad, and Sylvia realizes she wants Jim (“There’s Always Me”). If this all sounds Shakespearean, that’s because it was modeled after the comedy “Twelfth Night.” At the fairgrounds, all illusions are stripped away, and decisions/revelations are made. The only characters who seem confident of what they want are Lorraine and Dean. They decide not to run away. Instead, they stand their ground, determined to change the situation and truly live (“If I Can Dream”).

Mayor Hyde and the Sheriff elicit lots of laughs from the audience, especially during “Devil in Disguise.” And Sheriff Earl delivers one of the best surprises of the show during “Can’t Help Falling in Love – Reprise.”

Who gets their happy ending? Well, you have to see the show to find out.

What I can tell you is that All Shook Up is filled with energy and packed with personality that hooks you from beginning to end. As was evident by the standing ovation on opening night. The town’s awakening to love and freedom is visually represented through stunning costume changes, imaginative props (“Let Yourself Go”), and captivating vocals. The OUSMTD can hold its own against any musical theatre program in this country, and All Shook Up is an excellent example.

All Shook Up proves that the right shoes really can change your life, so get your tickets and treat yourself to the irresistible rhythm of All Shook Up!

The running time for this show is approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission.

MBT has rated this show for middle school and up.

Tickets range from $40 to $48 and are available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300 or by going online to www.Ticketmaster.com. Student discounts are available at the box office. Groups of eight or more should call 248-370-3316 for group pricing.

Meadow Brook Theatre is a professional theatre located on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. For additional information, please visit www.MBTheatre.com or call 248-377-3300.

Additional cast of this amazing show are Mathew Bautista (ensemble, MBT debut), Zander Brown (ensemble, OUSMTD), Andrew Burke (ensemble, MBT debut), Paul Butterfield  (ensemble, OUSMTD), Jennifer Furey (swing, OUSMTD), Tyler Girand (ensemble, OUSMTD), Faith Green (ensemble, OUSMTD), Yeshua Hardy (ensemble), Leo Hellar (pit singer), Kayla Henderson (ensemble, OUSMTD), Alexa Huss (pit singer), Naomi Jarvis (ensemble, OUSMTD), Avery Linden (ensemble, OUSMTD), Alexa Jade McLean (ensemble, OUSMTD), Caroline Moulios (ensemble), Matthew Sell (swing, OUSMTD), Emily Ann Stys (ensemble,), and Dominic Zwagerman (ensemble, OUSMTD).

All Shook Up is directed by Travis W. Walter with choreography by Jacob ben Widmar and music direction by Eric Shorey. Scenic design is by Jen Price Fick, assistant scenic design by Annie Eloise Findlay, lighting design by Matt Fick, assistant lighting design by Ash Ritter, costume design by Whitney Locher, wig design by Chad Harlow, assistant costume design Trish Brown, sound design by Kyle Jensen, assistant sound design by Lorelei Preiss the Dance Captain is Emily Ann Stys, and the Assistant Dance Captain is Naomi Jarvis. Brittanie Nichole Sicker is the stage manager, and Ellen Marie Peck is the assistant stage manager.

Eric Shorey also plays keyboard and directs the band, which is comprised of Ed Birch (drums), Jeffrey Beyer (reed 2), Jessica Cates (trombone), Cat Dacpano (keyboard 2), James Ferden (trumpet 2), Liam Kelley (guitar), Matthew Kwiecien (reed 3), Andrew Toering (guitar 2), Ian McEwen (reed 1), Jackson Stone (bass), and Nicholas Voisich (trumpet).

The running time for this show is approximately two hours with a 15-minute intermission.