OXFORD HILLS — “All Shook Up,” a musical comedy inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, will come to the stage at the Mark S. Eastman Auditorium at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School in Paris from May 6-8.
Produced by Oxford Hills graduates Kyle Jordan and Jennifer St. Pierre, along with Dennis Boyd, the show is set in 1955 and is not a biographical revue. It’s a burnin’ new musical comedy that tells the story of a small-town girl who dreams of hitting the open road, and the guitar-playing roustabout who brings romance, rebellion, and rock ‘n’ roll into her life.
All Shook Up features such classics as “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 of course, “All Shook Up.”
bout the show, Jordan said, “It’s got this exceptional cast of Oxford Hills residents — current and former students as well as longtime community members — who have worked tirelessly to bring this story to life on stage. They’re incredibly talented and dedicated.”
Since the early 1970s, the biennial Oxford Hills School-Community Broadway Show has entranced and entertained audiences of every age, with recent productions of “The Wizard of Oz” and “Cinderella,” to name just two.
OHSCBS is considered to be the longest-running continually staged production in the state and was designed to feature a mix of students and residents of Oxford Hills. Both Jordan and St. Pierre are veterans of the stage and have been producing together for the past several productions.
Directed by fellow OH graduate Andrew Scott Turner, the show began rehearsals in February and will culminate in three showings.
Turner spoke to the special significance of this show. “We’re helping to bring live entertainment back to the community after two significantly difficult years. I think we all need live theater more than ever. We need to be together, communally. We need to laugh and sing together again. This is important,” he said. The musical was set to be staged two years ago but was cut short due to the pandemic. The majority of the cast are all new to this production.
“Unfortunately, two years ago, the show became a victim of everything being shut down. But really, that’s in our past. Thankfully. This new cast has stepped up. They’ve really embraced the hard work and rehearsals have been phenomenal to direct,” said Turner.
The cast of 25 features Joshua Witham as “Chad,” Savannah Nicole Leavitt as “Natalie,” Jancie Cazneau as “Matilda,” Stephen Sessions as “Sheriff Earl,” Jonny Bolduc as “Dennis,” Jennifer Collins as “Miss Sandra,” Amy Peet as “Sylvia,” Brandon Pullen as “Jim,” Camden Colby as “Dean,” and Gabrielle Beaudoin as “Lorraine.” Both Colby and Beaudoin are current students at OHCHS.
Tickets can be purchased or reserved at The Tribune on Main Street in Norway, or at the door the day of the performance.
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