QUARE bedfellows, Will Shakespeare and Elvis Aaron Presley, but their great body of work informs every line of Cecilians’ current hit ‘All Shook Up!’.
At Lime Tree Theatre until Saturday 26 at 8pm, the musical society is giving socks to a storyline of serial entanglements, inspired by the Bard’s ‘Twelfth Night’ and Elvis’ jukebox musicals.
Company stalwart Brian Henry plays “Jim Haller, Natalie’s dad, and Jim is the female love interest. I’ve two songs to sing, ‘Don’t be Cruel’ and ‘The Power of my Love’.”
Exactly how many Elvis numbers are laced through this complicated, upbeat show?
“A lot”, he laughs, “about 24 and everyone will know them. I really like this show on account of the music.
“These songs are well known but arranged so brilliantly for chorus and solo. For example, ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love’ – Elvis sings it as a ballad but here it is written for eight soloists and full chorus in three-part harmonies”.
“On top of that, some of his musicals don’t have the best script and are a bit naff but this one is brilliantly written”.
Brian Henry references AIMS winning Barbara Meaney’s 1950s style choreography. Affairs of the heart are integral as the principal cast of 10 en up paired off together – but following “a lot of high jinks in the middle”.
What’s not to thrill? An orchestra of 12 supports this love parade, directed by Des Henn.
