Performances scheduled for Feb. 9 through 11
Jamesville-DeWitt High School will present the musical comedy “All Shook Up” the weekend of Feb. 9 to 11 in the high school auditorium, 6845 Edinger Drive, DeWitt.
Built around a number of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, “All Shook Up” takes place in 1955, somewhere in middle America, where one girl’s dream and a surprise visit from a mysterious leather-jacketed, guitar-playing stranger help a small town to discover the magic of romance and the power of rock and roll. Among the 24 songs featured in the score are classics like “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Love Me Tender,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and the title tune.
Directing and choreographing the 41-member student cast is Brian Marcum with vocal music direction by Elizabeth Quackenbush. The rock’n’roll score is performed live by a 41-member student pit orchestra, directed by Daniel Blumenthal. Additionally, 19 students work on technical crews under the supervision of Brian Rieger, Dylan Spencer, and Doug Wilson.
Written by Joe DiPietro, loosely based on William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” “All Shook Up” mixes a little bit of Shakespeare with a whole lot of The King.
The cast features Natalie (Hayley Quackenbush) a young mechanic and her best friend Dennis (Jack Wenner); Natalie’s widowed father Jim (Blake Lucas); local honkytonk owner Sylvia (Catherine Cargian) and her daughter Lorraine (Samantha Aitken); straight-laced Mayor Matilda (Marissa DiGennaro) and her military schooled son Dean (Colin Palladino); the law enforcing, yet silent Sheriff Earl (Chaz Stynes); and the new-to-town museum owner Miss Sandra (Jenna Vespi).
The cast is rounded out by a high-energy ensemble who make up the kids of the town: Madeline Becker, Libby Blair, Catie Brigandi, Chloe Butler, Gabe Cahill, Sophie Clinton, Philomena Coles-Carruthers, Olivia DeAngelis, Emma DeForest, Alexis Gantos, Kai Gesek, Acadia Gilchrist, Ryanne Kanaan, Yuval Kelchner, Molly Kotzin, Nick Kuci, Piper Markowski, Kyra McDevitt, Teddy Mulvihill, Emily Ninestein, Chloe Parratt, Markos Petkopoulos, Bella Picciano, Will Quackenbush, Trey Romano, Alethea Shirilan-Hewitt, Ben Staples, Angeline Sutherland, Ari Tzetzis, Chryssa Tzetzis and Jeremy Wells.
“All Shook Up” is directed and choreographed by Syracuse University instructor Brian J. Marcum, with vocal music direction by Elizabeth Quackenbush and instrumental music direction by Daniel Blumenthal. Set design is by Navroz Dabu with set construction by Larry Stroh, lighting design by Brian Rieger, sound design by Dylan Spencer, and costumes by Kathryn Rauch and CNY Costumes. Brenda Neuss is producer.
“All Shook Up” will play Feb. 9 to 11, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12 and are available online at jdmusic.ticketleap.com or in person half hour before curtain.
