The Equity production will play 35 cities in 2006-07, including Orlando, Indianapolis, Boston, Appleton, Louisville, Philadelphia, Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Fort Lauderdale. Christopher Ashley, who directed the brightly colored Broadway production, which had a six-month run at the Palace Theatre in 2004-05, will again direct.
Joe Mandragona will play Chad, the handsome stranger who shakes things up in a drab 1950s-era American town, and Jenny Fellner will play Natalie, the girl who falls under his spell. Also in the cast are Susan Anton as Miss Susan, David Benoit as Sheriff Earl and Wally Dunn as Jim Haller.
Completing the cast are Beth Glover (Mayor Matilda Hyde), Valisia Lekae Little (Lorraine), Dennis Moench (Dennis), Brian Sears (Dean Hyde), Natasha Yvette Williams (Sylvia), Alicia Albright, Nick Cearley, Abbie Cooper, Randy Davis, Josh Franklin, Erin Greiner, William Hammonds, Tiffany Janene Howard, Matthew Kiernan, Mary Jo McConnell, Kevin McGlynn, Jermaine Rembert, Betsy Struxness, Kyle Vaughn, Aurelia Williams and Carla Woods.
The Broadway design team, including David Rockwell, is expected to be represented. Richard Martini is the tour's producer.
All Shook Up has an original book by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change). Among the Presley tunes heard in the show are "Heartbreak Hotel," "Burning Love," "Love Me Tender," "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Jailhouse Rock," "Blue Suede Shoes," "A Little Less Conversation," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up." A cast album was released in spring 2005. One of the selling points of the Broadway run was the potent work of music supervisor/arranger Stephen Oremus (Wicked), who flirted with rock, soul, gospel and rockabilly when addressing songs written by many composers and lyricists (Elvis tended to sing the work of other writers).
The Broadway cast included Cheyenne Jackson, Jenn Gambatese, Jonathan Hadary, Leah Hocking, Curtis Holbrook, Nikki M. James, John Jellison, Alix Korey, Mark Price and Sharon Wilkins.
The Broadway run of All Shook Up ended Sept. 25, 2005. It began previews Feb. 20 with an official opening March 24. The musical played 33 previews and 213 regular performances.
