The Calhoun On Tour Company presents All Shook Up

Honoring its 30th year of performing Shakespeare, The Calhoun High School On Tour Company is continuing its Shakespeare themed season with the Joe DiPietro’s All Shook Up, a jukebox musical based on the music of Elvis Presley and William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Performances will be held on March 19th, April 1st, and April 2nd in the Calhoun High School auditorium, located at 1768 State Street, Merrick, NY 11566. Performances begin at 7:30 pm. Directed by Mr. Salvatore Salerno, tickets to All Shook Up can be reserved by phone at (516) 992-1377.

This musical comedy features Elvis Presley’s hits, sung through the lense of young love. A dreary town in the midwest faces loneliness and dissatisfaction. Natalie (Rachel Leiner), a young mechanic, is dreaming of an adventurous love when roustabout Chad (Jamie Rosner) arrives unexpectedly due to a broken down motorcycle. Natalie falls immediately in love with Chad despite the unrequited attention she receives from her best friend, Dennis (Zach Neiger). The whole town begins to learn the power of love; Natalie’s friend Lorraine (Alaina Anderson) enters a forbidden relationship with the strict mayor’s son, Dean (Doug Gallo) and Natalie’s and Lorraine’s single parents (Mike Devito and Ashley Starr) once more find themselves falling in love. When Chad declares his love for Miss Sandra (Rachel November), the glamorous museum owner, Natalie decides to disguise herself as a man in order to get closer to Chad. With the return of rock-and-roll, life in this small town has never been more exciting.

The talented cast includes both new and returning faces, featuring Rachel Leiner as Natalie Haller, Jamie Rosner as Chad, Zach Neiger as Dennis, Alaina Anderson as Lorraine, Mike Devito as Jim Haller, Ashley Starr as Sylvia, Rachel November as Miss Sandra, Doug Gallo as Dean Hyde, and Blake Fisher as Mayor Matilda Hyde.

Tickets for All Shook Up are $12 for students and seniors and $15 for adults, and can be purchased at the door. You can reach the box office at (516) 992-1377 to reserve tickets for the show. Further information can be found on the On Tour Company website: www.chsontourco.org.

The rest of the year’s season consists of The Public Theatre’s Public Work’s musical adaptation of The Tempest.

Mr. James Drake and Dr. Dale Parkinson founded the On Tour Company in 1973. The program, under the direction of Mr. Salvatore Salerno, has been performing since 1985, and now it is one of the finest performing arts programs in any high school on Long Island and in New York State. It was voted Best High School Theatre Program in the Northeast for 2012 by Stage Directions Magazine.