Rock 'n' Roll Meets Shakespeare in Anniversary Production
For twenty-five years, Belmont’s musical theatre program has developed a community of collaborative creatives with a passion for bringing stories to life on stage.
The anniversary celebration culminates March 28 with the program’s performance of “All Shook Up,” a high-energy show inspired by the music of Elvis Presley. Loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “As You Like It,” “All Shook Up” brings the King’s music to life on stage.
Set in a conservative town in the 1950s, the musical illustrates change “arrive with a roar in the form of a leather-jacketed, hip-swiveling outsider named Chad,” explained Associate Professor David Shamburger, who is directing the show. His vision “aspires to bring this town to life as a place that is both familiar and fantastical – a world where the power of music ignites personal revolutions.”
A Backstage Look
The roaring rock n’ roll era brought to life on the Fisher stage is made possible through collaboration between faculty and students in all aspects, from casting to set build, choreography to costume design. Instructor Erica Aubrey, assistant director for the production, said the creative team is “always open to ideas from students and loves when they bring something unique to the process.”
For junior musical theatre major Sachiko Nicholson, who plays Natalie in the show, the freedom allowed for the cast to make their own choices creates “a safe space where [students] can make mistakes and learn from them along the way.”
Though rehearsals are challenging in their fast-paced nature, Nicholson said, “Being able to work with experienced professors and friends who are endlessly supportive is the best part about what we get to do here.”
And this is by design. “Rigorous preparation both on stage and in the classroom prepares students to learn music quickly, to sing in every style needed for a career in musical theatre and to keep their voices healthy during a rigorous eight-show week,” explained Aubrey.
While the musical represents the culmination of the program’s 25-year legacy celebration, the performance is also a full-circle moment for Nicholson’s legacy as a performer. Recalling a moment where she and her sister performed “Heartbreak Hotel” for their family when she was just five years old, Nicholson explains that ‘All Shook Up’ is "the first show [she] fell in love with.” Channeling personal nostalgia, Nicholson explained that her "connection with this show also helps [her] connect with the characters who have been changed by the music and love within it.”
What to Expect
Nicholson hopes audiences notice that the moral of the show is the power of music. “The arrangement of ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ is one of the most moving and heartfelt songs I have ever heard,” with “the horn section at the end being my favorite thing in the whole world,” she explained.
For audiences young and old, the show delivers the key message that “love can conquer all,” explained Aubrey.
Celebrating Belmont Musical Theatre’s 25 Year Legacy
Aubrey explained, “MT 25th means 25 years of excellence: 25 years of exceptional students, 25 years of high-level industry training and 25 years of amazing successes for our alumni. We have graduates working on Broadway, in National Tours, in Regional Theatres and on cruise ships and theme parks around the world.”
When the lights come up on the Fisher stage, cast and faculty alike will carry forward the powerful legacy of community, collaboration and performance that are at the heart of the musical theatre program.
The production brings together the music of the time with the legacy of our performers, illustrating the impact the program has had on the lives of our students, alumni and audiences. Shamburger explains through the choreography, music and staging, the performance highlights “a transition from a static, rule-bound society to one infused with freedom, passion and joy.”
Purchase tickets to 'All Shook Up'