A Note From The Director
It is my honor and pleasure to be making my Coppell High School directorial debut with All Shook Up! I'll be honest, choosing a musical for a group of students I had never met was an enormously tall order. I had heard the kids were extremely talented, passionate about theatre, and that the boys were pretty much all baritones. Normally, this isn't QUITE enough information for a director to select a suitable production, but sometimes, you take what you can get! Armed only with the knowledge of my deep-voiced gentlemen, I dove into pages and pages of musical perusals. I knew I wanted to choose a show that was not only fun and upbeat, but also challenging enough to keep my new students' interest. I read through the classics (lovely but dated), I skimmed the new releases (too much cheap shock value), and on one particularly rough night, even found myself considering Moby Dick! The Musical. Then, I stumbled across All Shook Up - and I knew I'd found my show.
Despite the fact that All Shook Up was first produced fairly recently (2004), there's nothing particularly "new" about this musical. The story isn't new: it follows along with that of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night pretty closely. The music isn't new: it belongs to The King himself, Elvis Presley. The genre isn't new: jukebox musicals have taken Broadway by storm in the last decade. Even the social issues tackled in the piece aren't new: racism, prejudice, and acceptance are concepts that have been and, unfortunately, continue to be experienced in our country. But All Shook Up somehow skillfully weaves all these "been there, done that" aspects into something bright, fresh, toe-tapping, eye-catching, and culturally relevant.
The small town you're about to encounter starts off a little backwards, a little stuck in their own ways, and a little close-minded. But when a handsome stranger, Chad, arrives on his motorcycle, his passionate nature and free thinking open the town's eyes to all the love they've been missing. He's the breath of fresh air they didn't know they needed, and the pelvis-shaking roustabout they secretly wanted!
I may not have known these students when I chose All Shook Up, but now that I do, I'd still choose it over and over again. These kids have put their hearts, souls, and burnin' love into bringing Elvis' lyrics and Shakespeare's words to life in this heartwarming performance that reminds us to never be ashamed of whoever finds their way into your heart - sometimes, you just can't help falling in love. I could not be prouder of the cast, crew, fellow directors, friends, family, teachers, and administrators that have all come together to help make this production possible. Thank you for welcoming me into your Coppell family - I can't wait to make art with you all for years to come. Sit back, relax, enjoy the show...and marvel at all the tenors I was told didn't exist!
Karen Ruth
Director; Coppell High School Theatre Department
