Two dozen Elvis classics shake up All Shook Up, now playing at the Palace Theatre. The musical — fresh from a successful Broadway run — tells the story of a small-town girl who falls for a ’50s-era greaser who looks, sings, and wiggles his hips just like the King. “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “A Little Less Conversation” guide the way.
Like Footloose, All Shook Up is mostly about sticking it to the Man. After leather-jacketed Chad drives his sputtering motorcycle into town and the local mechanic’s garage, the way-uptight residents have a hissy. Only the mechanic, Natalie, digs his rebel ways. So she dons a fake beard and a hair-hiding hat, and becomes Ed, Chad’s faithful sidekick . . . till he falls in love with her. Believe it or not, Joe DiPietro and Christopher Ashley’s award-winning play is based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Sundays, 1 & 6:30 p.m.; April 17-20, 7:30 p.m.; Wed., April 18, 1:30 & 7:30 p.m. Starts: April 15. Continues through April 22
This article appears in Apr 11-17, 2007.