Elvis Presley has definitely not left the building.
In fact, his songs, his swivel, his sexiness and his spirit are quite alive at The Paramount Theatre. And do stay for the encore.
The leading man in the new musical “All Shook Up,” playing for the final weekend at The Paramount, is a sort of Elvis, James Dean-ish, Danny Zuko type who takes this spellbound cast of lonely hearts on a rollicking ride of romance. Strap yourself in because the pace is fast and the music will make you want to bop in your seat.
“All Shook Up” is based around Presley songs such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Love Me Tender” and, you know it, “All Shook Up.” The songs create the perfect backdrop for this comedy in which a guitar-playing, motorcycle-riding bad boy pulls into Squaresville, USA, and proceeds to, excuse me, rock their world by turning a young girl’s head, encouraging rebellion and sending love sparks from one end of this Puritan town to the other.
Joe Mandragona plays the lead role of Chad, whose awful name aside is truly so sexy that even the guys want to be near him. He is the “roustabout,” a word that is just fun to say and funnier to hear. But Chad is a roustabout with a message. When he’s not singing or swaying his hips, Chad delivers the poignant, such as, “You’ve got to kick-start your life,” to the priceless, “No public necking, what’s the point of living?”
Chad is joined by a cast of cut-ups. Sylvia, who runs the local eatery, serves up zingers with her stingers. She corrects her daughter for calling the eatery’s clientele drunks: “They are not drunks. They are alcohol enthusiasts.” Sylvia expresses her happiness at being single by uttering, “When I wake up in the morning and there’s no man on that side of my bed, I know it’s going to be a good day.” Sylvia was played Tuesday night by understudy Aurelia Williams, whose gospel version of “Heartbreak Hotel” should earn her a guaranteed seat in heaven.
Other strong cast members were Natalie, the perky girl mechanic whose head is permanently turned by Chad. Natalie was played by Jenny Fellner. Dennis, the man Natalie spurned, was played by Dennis Moench, hilarious as Chad’s sidekick.
Lorraine, played by Valisia Lekae Little, belted out songs as Sylvia’s love-starved daughter. Lorraine couldn’t help but fall in love with Dean Hyde, Brian Sears, who was sensitive, could sing and do the splits. Wally Dunn played a remarkably versatile Jim Haller, Natalie’s widowed dad. Beth Glover was wonderful as Mayor Matilda Hyde, whose version of “Devil in Disguise” was deliciously campy. The silent Sheriff Earl, played by David Benoit, surprised us in the end with his sultry voice in “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The stunning Miss Sandra, Susan Anton, was stirring enough to make statues come to life.
Another strong character was the set, which had an amusement-park array of moving vehicles from a bicycle and a bus to a motorcycle and little love boats.
At the end, the cast does an encore of sorts and sings “Burning Love,” encouraging the audience to stand up, dance in their seats and clap along. The King wasn’t there, but it kind of felt like it, a little.
Arts writer Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424 or goffredo@heraldnet.com.
“All Shook Up”: 2 and 8 p.m. today and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. $22 to $70, 206-628-0888, www.theparamount.com.
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