Recently, our fellow students staged the musical All Shook Up, an upbeat show inspired by Elvis Presley’s music. With rock ‘n’ roll hits, quirky characters, and a heartwarming story about being true to yourself, the play brought both energy and emotion to the stage.
All Shook Up follows a mysterious, guitar playing stranger who rides into a small, quiet town and turns everything upside down. Through classic Elvis songs, hilarious misunderstandings, and unexpected romances, the characters slowly discover how to follow their hearts and embrace who they are. Packed with dancing, comedy, and catchy tunes, it’s a show that leaves audiences smiling and maybe even humming when they leave the theater.
A few cast members spoke about what it was like to bring All Shook Up to life.
Aiden Hanlon, one of the performers, shared how much he enjoyed the creative freedom the show allowed him.
“My favorite part about being in the show was the freedom I had with my body and being able to do what I wanted,” Aiden said.
He noted that the shows connections to Elvis made it especially appealing to older audiences, and that despite the challenging work during long rehearsals, especially on Sundays, there were always laughs to be had.
“There were funny moments at practice, like when we had to get coarse to our partners and everyone would joke around and mimic the scenes,” he said.
Aiden also recalled a memorable on-stage moment involving a joke about joining the navy in the show.
“Every night, a group of older guys would crack up, and then talk to me after the show about how good it was,” he said.
Even when things didn’t go perfectly, the cast kept their cool.
“The orchestra didn’t get the cut off to stop playing, and everyone just stood there silently, but we played it off,” Aiden said. “Something always goes wrong in live theatre, but the audience usually never notices.”
Ryan Noonan echoed the energy and fun that made the show so special.
“My favorite part was getting to sing and dance to all the fun rock ‘n’ roll songs,” Ryan said. “The energy in the room during the performances was awesome.”
Ryan also highlighted the strong cast dynamic and some rehearsal bloopers.
“Our inflatable guitar kept popping during practice, which made everyone laugh,” Ryan said. “We even brought extras just in case.”
He recalled a standout moment during one of the big dance numbers.
“Everyone was really in sync, and the crowd was cheering,” Ryan said. “It felt amazing. That showed all the hard work paid off.”
Even a dropped microphone couldn’t shake the casts focus.
“The actor kept going, and the rest of the cast helped cover it,” Ryan said. “That’s the fun of live theater, you never know what’s going to happen.”
Both Aiden and Ryan agreed that All Shook Up had a message of joy, self-expression, and fun.
“I hope the audience left happy,” Aiden said.” If they went home feeling like they didn’t waste their night, then we did our job.”
Ryan added, “The show is about being true to who you are and finding love in unexpected places. I hope people left smiling and maybe singing one of the songs.”
