Pauper Players to rock with Elvis

It’s time to slip on that dusty pair of blue suede shoes.

Tonight, the music of Elvis Presley is coming to Historic Playmakers Theatre as UNC’s Pauper Players begins its five-day run of the jukebox musical, “All Shook Up.”

Exclusively featuring the music of Elvis, the Shakespeare-influenced musical explores themes of unrequited love, gender identity and the cultural clash between the young and old in 1950s America.

“All Shook Up” marks a number of firsts for Pauper. This is the group’s first jukebox musical — one where the score is composed only of classic, popular hits from a single artist.

It will also mark the first musical the group has performed in the Historic Playmakers Theatre since its recent renovation.

Though readjusting to the space was difficult for the cast and crew, members are glad to be back in the theater.

“There’s a lot of excitement that we are back in this theater because it’s where Pauper was for years,” said Hayley Wright, sophomore dramatic arts major and the play’s assistant director.

The jukebox musical poses a unique challenge for directors and actors alike. The story line is written to complement the music, unlike in traditional musicals where the music follows the characters’ emotions.

“The only difference (between ‘All Shook Up’ and a standard musical) has been directing the actors to not make the song an ‘Elvis’ song but to incorporate it into how they’re feeling and the scene,” Wright said.

“All Shook Up” is a multi-faceted show that draws heavily from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”

In the play, a conservative small town is romantically rocked when a mysterious, singing drifter — who bears a striking resemblance to Elvis — shows up on a motorcycle.

Couples start falling in love whenever he arrives on scene.
Natalie Pelletier’s character Natalie — who later disguises herself as Ed — resembles Shakespeare’s Viola, who disguises herself as a man in order to become closer to the man she loves.

Both plays become complicated, however, when romances get crossed along mixed-up gender lines.

Pelletier, a sophomore, sees the use of popular music in a musical as beneficial.

“We get to treat the audience to a new show,” Pelletier said. “The thing that’s fun is that they already know the music.”

Meleah Faucette, the show’s choreographer, gleaned inspiration for her dances from watching YouTube videos of the original production and other 1950s dance numbers.

“It’s a really, really heavy ensemble show,” Faucette said. “It probably took us 30 hours of choreography and then teaching everything took much longer.”

Nick Culp, a 2010 UNC graduate, is directing the musical.
“Some people will call it corny and cliché and maybe it is,” Culp said.

“You’re not coming to discuss deep, world issues. It’s a show about being who you are and being with who you want to be with.”

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.