All Shook Up
at Mater Dei High School

Reviewed on November 23, 2013

Alexis Stary
Newport Harbor High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

Can't help falling in love with Mater Dei's All Shook Up

What happens when a roving roustabout wanders into a PDA-repressed town? People start falling in love left and right! Set against a slew of Elvis' songs, All Shook Up explores different romantic relationships in true Twelfth Night fashion.

Leads Chad and Natalie (Mackin Carroll and McCallister Selva) set the tone of the show with their marvelous connection to one another. Selva adds a flair of comedy with her impeccable timing and smooth transition into being a man, slathering grease paint all over her face and dropping her voice an octave. Carroll's suave "jiggly-wiggly" movements and sultry Elvis-esque voice make both cast and audience fall in love with him. Together, both are to be commended for playing instruments flawlessly on stage.

The supporting cast is riddled with standout performers. As Dennis, Sean Soper delights with his deliberately awkward movements, adorable quirks, and beautiful vocals as the nerdy boy next door. Another lovely vocalist is Talia Stewart (Sandra), who belts out classic Elvis tunes such as "Hound Dog" like nobody's business. Jim and Sylvia (Massimo Napoli and Kyrsten Head) create a believable blossoming romance between two middle aged friends. Mayor Matilda Hyde (Hailey Detterich) entrances in her number "Devil in Disguise", where she is accompanied by a Sheriff Earl (Phillip Venti) in a devil costume. Venti's brilliant physical comedy and hilariously high voice create a delightfully endearing bumbling cop.

As a unit, the ensemble is bubbly and engaged, contributing a huge amount of energy to the show. They are consistently synchronized and energetic during dance numbers. Though there were some problems with pitch and volume, the cast overall displays strong vocals in difficult numbers. Each actor, leading to ensemble, creates a definitive and memorable character with their physical movement and attitude.

Stage manager Ben Dilsisian keeps the show running flawlessly through a plethora of scene changes and times the recorded music perfectly. Publicity by Lauren Hughes, Julia Brock, Sarah Salvatierra, and Jordan Kessler features a bright, energetic poster that captures the energy of the show.

As a whole, the cast and crew of All Shook Up delight audiences with their high energy, memorable characters, and unique renditions of classic music.

Erin Bola
Fountain Valley High School
Submitted for publication to Orange County Register

A hunk of burning love at Mater Dei

As the opening guitar chords of "Jailhouse Rock" float through the air, a young man and his fellow prisoners celebrate his long-awaited release from prison. This rebel spirit soon brings his contagious sense of adventure to a sleepy small town, which soons springs to life with a complicated love heptagon and the captivating sounds of rock and roll. In Mater Dei's production of "All Shook Up", a show influenced by the music of the King of Rock and Roll himself and Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the audience is transported into a magical world where love is always just around the corner.

Mackin Carroll stars as the rebellious heartthrob Chad, whose smirks and sauntering walk perfectly display his confident and cool persona. His indifference to love stricken Natalie, portrayed by McCallister Selva, serves as a striking and enjoyable contrast to her adoring obsession and overbearing actions.

Furthermore, Selva establishes an evident character arc seen when Natalie dissolves from a bold mechanic to a yearning admirer ready to throw away her true identity in order to have Chad fall in love with her. Her disguise as the rough and masculine Ed is thoroughly amusing, yet also sends a clear message of how desperate Natalie is to get close to Chad, no matter how daunting it may be.

The quirky aspiring dentist Dennis is expertly portrayed by Sean Soper, who demonstrates a clear understanding of his character's awkward personality and unrequited love for his best friend Natalie. His slightly nasal voice and meek, unsure gestures paint the picture of a young man scared of losing the love of his life to a man that does not appreciate how wonderful she really is.

The true energy of the show is delivered by a lively ensemble, who brighten up the stage with their electrifying voices and nicely synchronized harmony in numbers such as "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Devil in Disguise". Each individual member clearly developed their own character which was perceptible every moment they were on stage, with distinct movements and reactions to the story unfolding before them.

With bright and eye-catching posters, the publicity done by Lauren Hughes, Julia Brock, Sarah Salvatierra, and Jordan Kessler expertly capture the lively flavor of the show.

This delightful journey of heartbreak, love, and rock and roll results in a production of "All Shook Up" that audiences "Can't Help Falling in Love" with.

Avril Carrillo
Fountain Valley High School
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Mater Dei High School is Rockin and Rollin

Love can't get any more complicated than it does in Mater Dei's "All Shook Up"; Dennis is in love with Natalie, Natalie is in love with Chad, and Chad's in love with Sandra. Top off all this chaos with rock and roll musical numbers that make you want to get up and dance and you're sure to have a good time with this play.

"All Shook Up" follows the story of a crazy with love town where Natalie, a talented mechanic, dreams of leaving home on a motorcycle with a sweet guy behind her. When rebellious musician Chad rides up on his hog trouble is sure to brew.

Chad roams from town to town, never bringing more than a fun loving, attitude and a passion for music, which Mackin Carroll portrays perfectly. Carroll's smoky voice fills with a bravado that captures the audience's attention. Everything from Carroll's flirtatiousness with the girls on stage to his cocky hip thrusts creates the rebellious teen dream of the 50s on stage.

McCallister Selva, playing Natalie, channels her character flawlessly on stage, whether it is the yearning in her eyes as she looks at Chad, or the hopeful quiver her voice contains as she sings about her dreams. Her chemistry with Carroll produces a vibrant spark on stage.

Hailey Detterich and Phillip Venti are the highly comedic duo, Mayor Matilda Hyde and Sheriff Earl. Detterich slinks around on stage with her nose in the air, uttering snobbish reprimands on everyone's moral behavior. Venti trails her every step with an air of desperation and adoration. Together they shine in the musical number, "Devil in Disguise", with Venti gallivanting about on stage in a devil costume.

The stage crew, under Stage Manager Ben Dilsisian, is highly efficient, navigating sound and light cues that smoothly transition the cast around stage. The cast transitions from scene to scene with no trouble at all.

Mater Dei's musical is full of life, love, and music. It truly embodies the spirit of the 50s, so much so that everyone leaves ready to dance, feeling "All Shook Up."