DEKALB, IL, January 19, 2023 – Elvis Presley has always been the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. This March his music will reign over stage and under the lights at Stage Coach Players’ (SCP) Theatre when DeKalb County’s oldest and foremost theatre group presents the jukebox musical dedicated to the music and moves of Presley, All Shook Up. All Shook Up opens up SCP’s 76th season on March 16, 2023, and runs for two weekends. It is sponsored by Luke Butler Improvements of DeKalb.
The rock and roll musical will be directed by Jan Kuntz (Something Rotten) with musical direction from John Feken. The book for All Shook Up was written by Joe DiPietro featuring music and songs from the Elvis Presley catalogue of songs. The original arrangements were done by Stephen Oremus with additional orchestration from Michael Gibson. The musical also borrows some of its storytelling from the William Shakespeare plays Twelfth Night and As You Like It.
It’s the mid 1950’s, and Chad, a hip-swinging hooligan is being released from prison. He arrives in boring, small, Midwestern town where he’s in need of a mechanic to fix his broken-down motorcycle. There, he meets Natalie, a young mechanic who’s been dreaming of love and a way out of the small town. Instantly love-struck, she promises to fix his motorcycle.
Excitement disrupts in the town, and Chad will soon discover that the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act, a law prohibiting loud music, public necking and tight pants, has been enacted. All Shook Up touches on racial, and other social injustices prevalent during the 1950’s and will have audiences thinking about them while entertaining audiences with the wonderful music of Elvis Presley.
All Shook Up is a hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy, filled with one classic Elvis Presley after another. Presley songs featured in the production include the following: “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Me Tender,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” and “A Little Less Conversation.” The original Broadway cast soundtrack can be found on YouTube or on Spotify.
The Curtain Up review said of the original Broadway Production, “It’s like seeing one of Elvis’s own movies, but live and in living color.” All Shook Up was nominated for several Outer Circle Awards, including one for Outstanding New Broadway Musical and another for Cheyenne Jackson for Outstanding Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Chad.
Performances for All Shook Up are March 16 – 18, 2023 and March 23 – 25, 2023, with a curtain time of 7:30 p.m. along with Sunday matinees on March 19 and March 26, 2023, with a curtain time of 2:00. Tickets are $20 each or $18 for seniors and children aged 13 and under. Tickets are currently on sale through the box office phone at 815-758-1940. To purchase tickets, visit the online website at www.stagecoachplayers.com. You can also call the SCP box office at 815-758-1940. The box office will open Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Thank you for being understanding as SCP navigates COVID-19 guidelines. For this production, masks are suggested but not required. If the state of Illinois guidelines change, our guidelines will change also. Thank you for helping us keep our patrons, cast and crew safe.
