1955, Somewhere in the Midwest
Babies are booming, the economy is strong, and rock 'n' roll is on the rise.
Our story takes place in a sleepy little town shaken by the arrival of a motorcyclin’ stranger. Inspired by the songs of Elvis Presley and the comedy of Shakespeare, All Shook Up has been a rollicking good time to direct.
However, there’s more to this story then just the silliness of mismatched romance. All Shook Up celebrates the freedom to pursue your dreams without boundaries and without prejudice. A freedom that many of us take for granted today, but that many were fighting for back then. In 1955 the civil rights movement was in its infancy when Rosa Parks famously refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.
How far we’ve come that we can put together a show like this with such a wonderfully talented cast from a multitude of backgrounds.
I’d like to thank Palmdale Repertory Theatre for giving me the opportunity to mount such a fun show. We’ve all had a blast putting this together for you.
Thanks also to the cast and crew for their months of hard work. An extra big thank you to my husband for supporting me so completely in my endeavors, and for building the best bus ever.
I hope you enjoy getting All Shook Up as much as we have.
Clare Durand
Milestones of 1955
> The President of the United States is Dwight D. Eisenhower
> Elvis Presley signs his first contract with RCA Records
> The USS Nautilus, first nuclear submarine, is launched
> Bill Haley and the Comets have a hit with Rock Around the Clock
> Jim Henson builds the first version of Kermit the Frog
> Salk polio vaccine receives full approval of the FDA
> The first McDonald's opens in Des Plaines, Illinois
> Communist bloc countries sign the Warsaw Pact
> Disneyland opens and The Mickey Mouse Club debuts
> James Dean is killed in an automobile accident
> The Vietnam War begins
> Actions by Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks lead to the Montgomery
bus boycott
