Jonathan Larson’s rock musical is the joyous, breathtaking and inspiring story of a group of New York City East Village artists struggling to find their voices and find love in today’s tough times, broaching controversial themes like homelessness, AIDS and drug addiction with compassion.

Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, RENT stars Justin Barnum as Roger, Chase Kamata as Mimi, Matthew Burns as Mark, De’Lon Grant as Tom Collins, Taylor Hilt Mitchell as Angel, Alicia Kelly as Maureen, Kami Smith as Joanne and Brendan Cataldo as Benny. Amanda Bailey, Chad Parsons, Humberto Figueroa, Skye Mangrum, John Moser, Anesha Ross and Hannah Carmona round out the cast.

Although the national tour has played Nashville, the Roxy Regional Theatre is proud to be one of only two regional theatres in Tennessee granted the rights to this award-winning musical.

RENT runs July 10 thru August 21, playing Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm and Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, with a 2pm matinee on Saturday, July 18.  Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org or by phone at (931)645-7699 during regular box office hours (9am-2pm, weekdays).  This production is strongly recommended for mature audiences.

Natalie (Maria Maloney) falls instantly in love with Chad (Bryan Davis), who’s ridden into town a bold Red Harley.

It’s the third show I’ve seen in a year that has taken this route of mixing one singer or groups’ music and parlaying that playlist into a new form, integrating the music as part of the storyline. The film Across the Universe did a masterful job with the repertoire of the Beatles’, while the Mama Mia movie fared less well with its ABBA soundtrack. This live theatre production, All Shook Up, and this fabulous Roxy cast come out on the highest end of that scale.

• First, as we baby boomers know, you can’t go wrong with a good Elvis song.
• Second, this Roxy cast was perhaps its strongest ever ensemble of singers/dancers/actors/comics.
• Third, they had clever material and fine hand in direction and choreography.

The cast of “All Shook Up”

This is a strong show. It opens with a rousing rendition of Jailhouse Rock as the hero, Chad [Bryan Davis] is released from jail. Vibrant dancing, the bold costuming of jailhouse stripes, immediately caught audience attention and set the rock and roll pace for the rest of the story. The scene shifts from the jail to a small town diner and a rendition of Heartbreak Hotel, reflecting the restrictive morale standards and the human yearnings of people — young and old — who want to be loved.

Chad sings, and all Natalie can think of is “One Night With You…”

The arrival of the leather-clad Chad, the Elvis “roustabout,” immediately shakes the sleepy town, beginning with the young dusty, dirty, grease-covered mechanic, Natalie [Maria Maloney], who takes one look at the pelvis-twitching psuedo Elvis and burst into the song One Night With You, a tune that becomes a recurring theme and recurring gag throughout the show. While Natalie is instantly enamored with Chad, Dennis [De'Lon Grant] has been secretly nursing unrequited love for Natalie.

Davis had all the Elvis moves down pat: the hand slicking back the hair, the grinding pelvis in tight leather pants, the wild knock-knee’d rhythms that once upon a time had TV stations required to show Elvis only from the waist up. He exuded a swagger,a machismo, a leader of the pack attitude that set everything else in motion. Maloney, who will be joining the Roxy for the 08-09 season, was a revelation; this young actress exuded a wide array of emotions from innocence to passion to proverbial “double takes” with an animation that touched genius. We want to see more of her. Grant, in simply stepping on stage, immediately reminded me of a young, earnest and intense Sidney Poitier (yes, I am old enough to remember those early years of Poitier in film). The facial similarities include the intense expressions, the jut of his jawline, a commanding stance, the intensity in his eyes as he played out his lovestruck part panting after Natalie. I was dazzled by the impeccable comic timing in each of the cast members.

From left, Bradley Vile as Dean, Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva as Sylvia (back), Linda Ellis as the Mayor, Anthony Scarsella as Sheriff Earl, and Brendan Cataldo as the widower, Jim Haller

Rounding out the cast are Brendan Cataldo as Natalie’s widowed father, Jim; Bonnie Kramer spoofed the Marilyn Monroe-like Miss Sandra t the delight of the audience; Jennifer Whitcome-Oliva as Sylvia emerged with a powerful and poignant voice; Lea Anderson as the young Lorraine is proof that dynamite can come in small packages — petite in stature she has a powerhouse voice and vocal range that is staggering. Bradley Vile plays Dean Hyde, military school dropout looking for love. Anthony Scarsella is Sheriff Earl — yes, Sheriff Earl — who is primarily a strong silent presence who gets his chance to shine only as the play is winding to its conclusion. Linda Ellis is a hoot as the strict moral compass known as Mayor Matilda Hyde (Dean’s mother). The supporting cast/dancers are Beth Koperwhats, Harmony Livingston, Jacob Moyer Moats, Humberto Figueroa and Brinna Fuller.

Lorraine (Lea Anderson) gets a talking to from Sylvia (Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva)

The magic is in the integration of music comic timing. All Shook Up runs like a Shakespearean comedy, each character lusting after someone who doesn’t love them back. It is a comedy of errors and runs the gauntlet of pure slapstick at times, with “double takes” and recurring humor that builds upon itself akin to a snowball rolling downhill. The humor just keeps getting bigger and better. Insert into that equation the Presley songs and the energy explodes. The audience was top tapping, humming, even mouthing the lyrics to the familiar tunes.

The highlights in music include a Hound Dog/Teddy Bear medley that produced tears of laughter, and a stunning ensemble number Can’t Help Falling In Love With You.

Other Elvis songs include C’mon Everybody, Follow That Dream, Blue Suede Shoes (yes, the blue ’suede’ shoes were evident — everywhere), Don’t Be Cruel, the title song All Shook Up, A Little Less Conversation, Devil in Disguise, If I Can Dream, Fools Fall In Love, and Burning Love.

The orchestra backing up the performance was vibrant, rhythmic and perfectly moderated, never overpowering the singers. Musicians included Tom Thayer on piano, Jack Propps on Percussion, Tom Tapscott on reed, Thad Wallus on Bass and Brandon Wilson, guitar. John MacDonald directed. Choreography (which was impeccable) was designed by Tom Thayer, Bradley Vile, Harmony Livingston,and Michael Hartman.

This is one show you will want to see — more than once. The shows runs through August 23. For times and ticket information, call the Roxy Box office at 931-645-7699. Then put on your blue suede shoes and get ready to rock and roll.

Photos by Debbie Boen