Family-friendly ‘All Shook Up’ gets summer off to solid start

Get ready to rock-n-roll over to Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista to immerse yourself in the music of Elvis during an enjoyable performance of “All Shook Up.”

The musical, which played on Broadway in 2005, combines 25 Elvis Presley tunes with a 1955-set story line inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which was written in 1602.

While the show seems frivolous on the surface, there is actually a much deeper discussion about love. This includes reopening oneself to love after loss, finding love, unrequited love, overcoming ‘50s era societal prejudices over mixed-race love and a hint of possible same-sex love.

Chad (Michael James Byrne), a roustabout just released from jail, rides into a small Midwestern town seeking a mechanic to fix his motorcycle. When they meet, tomboy Natalie (Katharine McDonough) is immediately love struck. She is also the best mechanic in town and promises to fix Chad’s bike within a day. Unfortunately for her, Chad is not attracted to her. Instead, the self-proclaimed ladies man (an Elvis-inspired character) falls for the town’s museum curator, the sophisticated Sandra (Christine Hewitt). Of course, Chad is like a bothersome fly to her that she keeps swatting away.

Meanwhile, Natalie’s best friend Dennis (Jake Saenz) has a secret crush on her; Natalie’s widowed father Jim (Todd Nielsen) is finally ready to open his heart again after a heart-to-heart talk with good friend and cafe owner Sylvia (Vonetta Mixson); and mayor’s son Dean (Nick Eiter) falls for Sylvia’s daughter Lorraine (Yvonne), even though his white mother, Mayor Matilda Hyde (Tracy Lore), forbids it because Lorraine is black.

A number of different pairings occur over 24 hours as people fall in and out of love, apparently inspired to change their behavior by Chad’s arrival. He shakes up a town whose mayor has outlawed “loud music, public necking and tight pants.”

As the 2 1/2-hour show progresses, Natalie decides to pretend to be a guy named “Ed” so she can get close to Chad. But of course, there are unexpected consequences and some soul searching for Chad when “Ed” and Chad kiss.

Like in Shakespeare’s comedic play, “All Shook Up” has a lot of confusion over relationships, unexpected attractions and misunderstandings. But in the end, everything works out with not one, but three weddings for some surprising pairings.

Moonlight’s cast does a good job in portraying their characters. The music is lively and loud, songs are well-known to probably everyone in the audience and the high-energy ensemble dances are fun to watch. In all, it’s a light-hearted bit of family-friendly, multi-generational entertainment to kick off the summer.

“All Shook Up” can be seen at 8 p.m. June 18 to 21 plus June 25 to 27 in the Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive in Vista. Tickets are $24 to $52, with senior, student and military discounts available. Family Night lawn seating tickets are $10 to $15 for children 15 and under. Theater seating and free lawn chairs are provided. Purchase tickets at www.moonlightstage.com or 760-724-2110.

Gates open 90 minutes before the show for dining (purchase on site) and picnicking. Non-alcoholic beverages and food may be brought into the venue. Parking and shuttle are free. It is advisable to bring jackets or blankets to the outdoor venue.