My All Shook Up Review! (February 26th, 8:00pm)

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 12:23am

Ok.. So I went to see ALL SHOOK UP today! I'll make it short:

The show started on time (8:02) and everybody was in. I had front
row (balcony) tickets, and they were fine.. worth my $19!
My general opinion on the show: I loved it. This show definitely takes jukebox musicals up to a new, higher level.

The cast was all amazing (including the great TRISHA JEFFREY from Little Shop! I <3 her!). Cheyenne was terrific! He is a great Chad, everybody fell in love with him! JENN GAMBATESE was also very good, I really liked her as ED.. haha.. :) Oh, and SHARON WILKINS (Sylvia) can sing!! wahhh

I absolutely loved the lightning in this show - very special. The Music sounded amazing. The set (like everyone else said) gives you a Hairspray feeling. The choreography was probably the best part of the show, amazing dancers!!! Now, unlike GOOD VIBRATIONS, the songs DO work in this show, that's the fun part. The audience loved the show (I believe the big palace was sold-out); I did not see a single person leaving the Palace without a big smile on his face (again, unlike good vibrations where the audience wondered why people put their money on such crap).

I'm sorry Good Vibrations shills and fans (HA), but GV is 100% CRAP compared to All Shook Up. I hated MAMA MIA, I thought GV was just another bad show, but All Shook Up showed me how good songs can be put into a great Broadway jukebox musical.

There was a nice old lady seating next to me who was a big Elvis fan, she always shouted like crazy and had some funny Elvis goods in her bag.. haha.. ehhhhh

So yeah, that was my short ALL SHOOK UP review.. I will go see it again soon with friends, can't wait!

Updated On: 2/27/05 at 12:23 AM

[Matt_G]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 12:27am

Wow, Tiny. We finally agree on something!

[TGIF]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 12:38am

Great review Tiny! *squeal* I am so happy people are liking it, I really can't wait until I see it!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 12:39am

YAY CHEYENNE!

[Tiny-Toon]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 1:12am

Thanks everybody!
Matt, I knew this day will finally come. :)

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 1:50am

You're calling other people shills? That's funny.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:07am

I saw it Friday night. Thought it was terrible. I wont say more till it officially opens, but wow...i left thinking theatre really is dying. This thing doesnt even belong in Vegas.

[tmz814]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:08am

I'm getting the feeling that you might not like Good Vibrations all that much... hehe!

Glad to hear good news from All Shook Up. I love Jen Gamby and am glad to be seeing her in a lead part finally. I'll have to get tickets to see this soon, although it will be sad going into the Palace and not seeing Aida..... sniff.... sniff!

[PennyLou]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:11pm

YAY Tiny-toon I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the show!

and tmz814 Jenn Gamby is fabulous in the show! It'll be worth going to the theater without Aida to see I promos!

[jjdude2000]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:16pm

I really loved the show. I thought it was funny, entertaining, and very well done. Liked it better than GV and Mamma Mia!.

[kim1061]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:22pm

great review!

Matt G i love your icon! Dot is my favorite haha

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:24pm

Theatreboy33: Have you seen anything else lately?

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:25pm

If theyre just going to dig up old Elvis hits and put them to a weak story line set in the 50s, why don't they just revive Bye Bye Birdie? It has a story, an original catchy score, and was just done at Encores. Id much rather spend my money on that than another jukebox musical.

And yes, I have seen things lately, namely Spamalot, Little Women and a slew of off broadway. Why does this apply to my opinion of the show? If we are expected to form oppinions based off of comparisons, we'd get nowhere. If i had my way, Mamma Mia, Good Vibrations, and All Shook up would announce closing notices tomorrow. That way maybe we could get some good new work into those theatres. To compare the jukebox musicals to each other (or for that matter, to compare ANYTHING to good vibrations) is just stupid. Judge the material for the material, not for the current context of broadway material that surrounds it. Updated On: 2/27/05 at 02:25 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:29pm

Did you read my review on ALL SHOOK UP?

It totally stole elements from BYE BYE BIRDIE, HAIRSPRAY, and MAMMA MIA. It's definitely a cop out - and everyone knows I hate jukebox musicals - but I felt like this one succeeded in ways past ones didn't. I gave it a fairly positive review, but also said that I didn't judge it based on theatre as a whole - I reviewed it AS a jukebox musical, which I think the critics are likely to do. After deeing such bombs this year (Dracula, La Cage, Brooklyn, Good Vibrations,) ALL SHOOK UP was a welcome show, in my opinion. Timing is everything.

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:33pm

I suppose, but if we are to lessen our judgement of these unoriginal, cookie cutter pieces of crap just because they aim for nothing higher, then I say AIM FOR LAS VEGAS--NOT BROADWAY. The center of the Theatre world is Broadway. The center for the Entertainment world is Vegas. God, how i would KILL for a new musical that would just make me think, not clap along!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 2:50pm

I totally agree with you on that. I just feel like ALL SHOOK UP does have some merit to it.

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 3:04pm

I went into All Shook Up thinking that I was going to suffer a long excruciating death having to sit through *shiver* Elvis songs..just another Mamma Mia..But I LOVED this show! It was so cute!

[boatsintheghetto]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 3:39pm

whats the plotline...like i get the basic idea...but what's the more to it? and is the cd out yet? or do you know when it will be?

[batchels]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 5:06pm

What is the current running time for the show? How are the orchestra seats on the side? I am debating between row J on the side or row O center. Suggestions?

Thanks.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 5:14pm

The show is about 2 hours, maybe even shorter.

I'm sure the seats are fine...there are seating charts online.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 5:17pm

Theatreboy- have you seen DessaRose?

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 5:19pm

batchels, if they're the orchestra seats on the side meaning the ones that look like they're in a little separate section on the seating chart, you'll be okay if you're closer to the inside of those, but the nearer you are the outside, the more chance you have to miss some of the action on the very side of the stage. Not bad, but just a heads up. The Palace is a little weird like that.

[WiCkEd4LyFfE]

Posted: 2/27/05 at 6:18pm

glad you liked it! Great review!

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 1:30am

to whomever wanted the plot--it's Twelfth Night set in the 1950s. Girl wants guy. Guy wants another girl. Girl dresses as guy to get close to guy she wants, other girl falls for her, etc. Everyone gets love in the end, though not who they might have expected. I have to say, the book writer of this show is a friggin genius. Not only did he not have to work with original music, he didn't even bother to think of an original storyline. Well done sir. Well done.

[BroomstickBoy]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 2:04am

Forgive me if this has already been posted, but will there be (of is there a possiblity of) an All Shook Up cast recording?

I'm becoming a Cheyenne fan and I'd love to hear him on cd.
I've only seen pictures of him and recently found out he's openly gay so WEEEEEE.

Yes, I'm blonde and I find things out a bit late.