All Shook Up Cast Shapes Up for Broadway

Jonathan Hadary, Leah Hocking, Nikki M. James, John Jellison, Alix Korey, Mark Price and Sharon Wilkins, who were all featured in the developmental Goodspeed Musicals mounting of the Elvis musical All Shook Up, will each continue with the project, a production spokesperson confirmed. They will appear alongside fellow Goodspeed star Jennifer Gambatese and new lead Jarrod Emick in the upcoming Broadway tuner.

A comedy set in middle America in 1955, All Shook Up, which features a book by Joe DiPietro, is not a biographical revue. The musical tells the story of a small town girl Gambatese who dreams of hitting the open road, and the guitar-playing roustabout Emick who brings romance, rebellion and rock 'n' roll into her life. Songs in the show include "Heartbreak Hotel," "Love Me Tender," "Don't Be Cruel," "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "All Shook Up."

The ensemble of the musical will include Justin Brill, Paul Castree, Cara Cooper, Randy A. Davis, Jennie Ford, Curtis Holbrook, Cheyenne Jackson, Trisha Jeffrey, Michelle Kittrell, Anika Larsen, Michael X. Martin, John Eric Parker, Justin Patterson, Jenelle Lynn Randall, Michael James Scott, Jenny-Lynn Suckling and Virginia Woodruff.

All Shook Up premiered at Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theater this spring. That mounting's male lead, Manley Pope, is not moving on with the show, having been replaced by Emick. One other featured player, Ashton Holmes, has left the project to star in the upcoming David Cronenberg film A History of Violence, which starts shooting this month. A replacement for him has not yet been named.

All Shook Up, directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Ken Roberson who, as we previously reported, is taking over for Jodi Moccia, will try out at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre, where it is scheduled to run from December 19, 2004 through January 23, 2005. It is then set to land at Broadway's Palace Theatre, with performances beginning on February 20, 2005 in preparation for a March 24, 2005 opening.