December 4, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO Drama department is ‘All Shook Up’

“All Shook Up” has been almost a year and a half in the making.


St. Joseph-Ogden Drama Director Chandler Dalton first saw the show at the 2018 theatre festival.


“I had no clue what it was about and it being about Elvis didn’t click until I was seated in the theatre looking at the program,” Dalton said.


“All Shook Up” is a 2004 jukebox musical featuring the music of Elvis Presley.


Dalton said when she originally saw the show she had no intention of putting it on at SJO.


She was originally planning on having the 2019 Spring musical be “The Addams Family.”


“As time went on I decided that it wasn’t the show for us at the moment,” she said. “I was listening to my daily mix on Spotify and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” from the show came on and it was then that I changed it to “All Shook Up.”


The characters in the play and the plot are based on William Shakespear’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Twelfth Night,” “As You Like It” and “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.”


The music is from Presley’s catalog in the 1950s.


Dalton said the kids have responded well to the music.


“They give me chills every time they sing,” she said. “Most of them knew the songs or have at least heard them before so that really helped when we had music rehearsals.”


Dalton said the plot is a “crazy, comical love story.” The plot takes place in a matter of 24 hours and features some of Elvis’ most well-known songs.

“This show is an emotional roller coaster that will have the audience laughing and crying and the kids have executed this one so beautifully,” she said. “As the saying of the show is ‘the story is all new and the music is all Elvis.’”


The show is being performed at SJO on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for students and $6 for senior citizens and children under 12. Tickets can be purchased from cast members or at the door the night of the performance for $1 more.


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