Cartoonish 'All Shook Up' sanitizes the sex, swagger of rock 'n' roll

Marriott Theatre's "All Shook Up" almost has it all. The entire cast is energetic and super-talented, Marc Robin's choreography and direction is peppy, and the production design boasts a snazzy set of neon and twinkling light effects.

The only problem? The show itself.

Chicago-area audiences may remember "All Shook Up" from 2004 when it tried out at the Cadillac Palace Theatre before transferring to Broadway for a middling run in 2005. It's yet another jukebox musical blatantly trying to cash in on pop chart toppers the way that "Mamma Mia!" became a gold mine by exploiting ABBA.

Playwright Joe DiPietro, famed for long-running and long-titled populist hits like "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" and "Over the River and Through the Woods," came up with "All Shook Up's" concept: Shoehorn Elvis Presley song hits like "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog" or "Teddy Bear" into a 1950s variation of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

There was potential in DiPietro's concept. He even touched upon controversial issues of the '50s like interracial dating and the notion that rock 'n' roll caused juvenile delinquency.

Yet DiPietro squandered his dramatic opportunities by making the whole show into a harmless cartoon. The perceived menace of Presley's down-South sexuality gets watered down to hip-swiveling caricature, while the era's life-and-death struggles over race relations get brushed aside for a facile "love conquers all" finale.

The script is a dog, but Marriott's cast and crew go all out to make it look like a winner.

Tyler Hanes has charisma to spare as Chad, the Elvis-like motorcycle roustabout who tries to inject some life into this Midwestern Anytown, U.S.A. Jessie Mueller brings loads of spunk to the mechanic Natalie, who pursues Chad.

Ross Lehman won plenty of laughs as Natalie's widower father who jabbers when trying to speak to the curvy Miss Sandra of Christine Sherrill (who garners guffaws from her own love-struck giggles). Dennis Moench's nerdy tics as the aspiring dentist Dennis are also finely calibrated.

Chasten Harmon and Matt Raftery make a cute couple of Lorraine and Dean, while Paula Scrofano and Don Forston make do with their underwritten and nonthreatening roles of the town heavies.

Injecting some serious soul into the proceedings is Melody A. Betts as the tavern keeper Sylvia. When Betts infuses powerful gospel-tinged melismas into the music, you're reminded that Presley appropriated his sound from pioneering African-American musicians. The fact that "All Shook Up" fails to explore this angle shows yet another reason why this musical is a lost opportunity.

"All Shook Up" may not be the only show that candy-coats American history, but it lacks the depth and panache of "Hairspray," which also tackled similar issues. Plus, if you're going to spoof Elvis Presley on stage, why not do "Bye Bye Birdie" instead?

"All Shook Up"

Rating: 2½ stars

Location: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire

Times: 1 and 8 p.m. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 5 p.m. Sundays; through Dec. 7

Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes with intermission

Tickets: $45-$55 (excludes handling fees)

Parking: Ample lots

Box office: (847) 634-0200 or marriotttheatre.com

Audience: Some same-sex gender confusion, but generally squeaky clean

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=1&type=video&item=208">Clip of 'All Shook Up' </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>