All Shook Up, the Broadway show constructed around the songs that Elvis Presley sang, is a feel-good musical from start to finish. It's a first-class entertainment with great singers and dancers, brilliant arrangements by Stephen Oremus, an active, spectacular, imaginative set (that should win awards) by David Rockwell, amazing costumes by David C. Woolard, marvelous innovative choreography by Ken Robertson for perhaps the best chorus in town, and a book by Joe DiPietro that perfectly integrates the songs in this imaginative concept, directed with pizazz by Christopher Ashley.
Cheyenne Jackson stars as a Presley type, and with tongue-in-cheek bravado, a terrific voice, and great charm and charisma - he's perfect. They all are: the gamine Jenn Gambatese as the ingenue, gorgeous Leah Hocking as the temptation, sympathetic nerd Mark Price, compelling Sharon Wilkins, Alix Korey, Curtis Holbrook, Nikki M. James, John Jellison -- they're all real singers who fill the huge Palace Theatre with their powerful voices, good acting and comic sensibilities. And Jonathan Hadary is just fine as Gambatese's father - he can put over a song.
You want a good time where you exit humming? Try this one - it's terrific.
