Shake it up
Theater department debuts spring musical “All Shook Up.”
photo by Gabriella Herrera
The ensemble poses around junior Jarrett Warner at the end of the first number, “Jailhouse Rock.”
Sets have to be finished, costumes need to fit, performers need to have their lines memorized and there cannot be a foot out of place in the choreography. The spring musical “All Shook Up” will premiere on Apr. 8 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Showings will continue running until Apr. 10-12 with socially-distanced seats and tickets are $13 at the door.
“All Shook Up” is a musical inspired by William Shakespeare works like “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Twelfth Night.” Set in the 1950s, the story follows a variety of different love triangles in a small midwestern town and tackles what it truly means to be in love.
Given a tight time constraint, the preparation for “All Shook Up” was cut from 16 weeks to a mere six. While this was overwhelming for some, sophomore Veronica Yanes-Nadal loves the challenge. Despite it being her first Hagerty production, she is excited to participate.
“I tend to struggle more on the memorization side of things,” Yanes-Nadal said, “but when Solomon put up the [characters] and the show we were doing I was very excited and I wanted to audition.”
Yanes-Nadal was cast as Lorraine, the hopeful 16-year-old daughter of the local bar owner Sylvia, and best friends with lead female character Natalie Haller, the local adventurous mechanic played by Avery Sullivan. For audience members who tend to prefer more optimism and romance, Lorraine can be relatable.
Their work is not without acknowledgment. Theater director Jamal Soloman continues to work with all members of the production each day after school, and constantly encourages them to work hard and succeed.
“You can really see the love that has been poured into it because it’s a lot of work in a short amount of time,” Solomon said. “They are doing a phenomenal job.”
No matter their struggles, the cast, and crew are determined to put on a show that demonstrates the power of love and spending time together. Junior Avery Newton has spoken about how uplifting such a positive environment can be during times of great stress and hopes their lighthearted production can help the audience as well.
“It was just so eye-opening to me how much a performance can change someone’s heart,” Newton said. “I hope the audience gets away that it doesn’t matter who you love, it just matters how you love and when you love. Love is love, everyone should win.”
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