Chicago Critics Check Out Broadway-Bound Elvis Tuner All Shook Up

All Shook Up, the musical featuring songs made famous by Elvis Presley, won't arrive at Broadway's Palace Theatre until February 23. But Chicago theatergoers are getting a taste of new tuner now where it is currently running at the Cadillac Palace, having opened on January 13. Did area critics say they could not helping falling in love with the production?

Here is a sampling of what they had to say:

Hedy Weiss of The Chicago Sun-Times: "Though derivative in almost every way, shape and form—including the now-trendy use of established songbooks spun around newfangled storylines a la Mamma Mia!—the show also is surprisingly enjoyable. For that, thanks goes to the pure early rock pleasure of the songs; the powerfully gifted if decidedly non-star-studded and mostly young cast; the brilliant Americana folk art whimsy of set designer David Rockwell; some of the most hilarious, character-defining bridal gowns this side of Vera Wang's workshop; deft choreography by Ken Roberson, and a playfully light touch in most all things, courtesy of director Christopher Ashley."

Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune: "DiPietro and director Ashley haven't done the right groundwork. I know it's a fairy tale, but this is pre-Civil Rights era 1955. Right away—in a stunningly well-integrated saloon of white and black patrons—you're unable to fully buy the world of All Shook Up. Act 2, set in an abandoned fairground standing in for a Shakespearean forest, is a fair bit better and wittier bookwise... The leads are more likable than memorable, which is generally true of the show itself. In the supporting ranks [Mark] Price's uber-nerd Dennis excellent knee-knocking dance moves, in particular, does wonders with DiPietro's patronizing hick-town gags. When Price and a jittery, surprisingly unrelaxed [Jonathan] Hadary share a scene, you may be seeing the least rural, least authentic heartland portrayals imaginable, even within the realm of musical comedy. All Shook Up is not authentic in any way, shape or form. It is an efficiently paced fraud, yet a fraud with more audience appeal than many might expect."

Chris Jones of Variety: "By stuffing the King's greatest hits into a self-contained new romantic-comedy narrative, All Shook Up borrows a Mamma Mia! modus operandi that has attracted more dollars than there are blondes in Sweden. But that savvy Abba tunertuner had qualities—wit, self-deprecation, invention, surprise, dramatic tension—sorely lacking in Joe DiPietro's clunky, irony-free book. There's a raft of very decent lead performers here, along with some fresh and rich musical treatments. But unless the formulaic middle-of-the-road book is radically retooled, fast, it's hard to see All Shook Up making much of a Broadway gyration."

Damien Jaques of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "The result is a surprisingly entertaining musical that doesn't take itself seriously. That is a key to its success... When Gambatese gets to Broadway with this show, she will be the cutest thing in New York, and she sings awfully well, too. Cheyenne Jackson finds a way to make machismo light and airy without mocking it. Mark Price, Nikki M. James, Sharon Wilkins, Alix Korey, Leah Hocking and Broadway veteran Hadary make sizable contributions to the fizzy fun that is All Shook Up. Here's hoping the show shakes up New York."

Betty Mohr of the Daily Southtown: "By show's end, the standing ovation wasn't just for the Elvis tunes, but also for the musical comedy's slick fun-loving blast to the past that had you rocking with laughter and wanting to jump on stage and break out into a jitterbug. This light-hearted musical has just about everything going for it. It features a cute and clever script of campy nostalgia by DiPietro, smart staging by director Ashley, inventive special-effects set design by Rockwell, high-octane energetic choreography by Roberson, imaginative costume design by David C. Woolard... What really keeps the show burnin', though, are the performers, whose delectable vocal deliveries make this a perfect-pitch musical."