Hurrah Players production of All Shook Up to be performed this weekend, Hugh Copeland tells us all about it

InterviewByYiorgo

Get ready to get all shook up this weekend August 10-13th as the award winning, Virginia’s leading family theatre company, the Hurrah Players presents: All Shook Up at the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing ArtsCenteratVirginiaWesleyanUniversity

This incredible Broadway show inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley is set in 1955 in a quiet, sleepy small town where a young mechanic named Natalie yearns for love and adventure when Chad, a guitar playing young man comes to that small town and changes for the better, everyone that he meets. Some of the songs featured are: Heartbreak Hotel, Jailhouse Rock,OneNightWithYou,HoundDog,Blue SuedeShoesandmanymore

Tickets can be purchased at https:// hurrahplayers.com/

Yiorgo:HeretotellusallaboutAllShook

Up and more is Hugh Copeland, founder andArtisticDirectoroftheHurrahPlayers

What is All Shook Up about, why should people come? What will they see, hear and experience?

Hugh Copeland: All Shook Up is a Broadway musical featuring 24 Elvis Presley songs I knew it would be a hit because peopleloveElvis,hissongsandtheylovethe humor,story,andthewarmthofthisproduction. We did it six years ago and it was a big hit. It’s a perfect summer show because it’s a feel good musical with a lot of joy, lots of dancing and singing with a message too Elvis’s song at the end says, “If I can dream ofabetterplacewhereamancanwalkhand and hand, why can’t my dream come true.” And then everybody is unified and singing that big finale It’s a great feel good musical and you can see it this weekend at Virginia Wesleyan Goode Theatre, one of the most beautifultheatresinthearea.

Y:Whatcanyoutellusaboutthecast?

HC: The good thing about All Shook Up is that it’s for every age and we reflect that withthecasting.Alladultroleslikethelady that owns the Honky Tonk Bar, the father of the mechanic, the sheriff, the mayor are all played by adults. Most of our cast are in theirteensandearly20’swholoveperforming and singing these Elvis songs Stephen Culpepper, who plays Chad, has been with Hurrahsincehewasfive.Thefirstsongshe sangforuswereElvissongs Sothisisreally aculminationoflovingElvisandnowgetting to play the Elvis character in this broadway musical

Y: For those new to the area, can you talk abouttheHurrahPlayers,whatyouofferto who and why should parents register their childrenforclasses?

HC: We are Virginia’s leading family theatre. The Tony Awards gave us honors saying we are one of the 20 in the country

And our secret is that everyday we teach classes When you see our young performers on stage, people ask, how can they do that?Thesecretisthattheycometoclasses after their regular school day, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM and 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. They have the opportunity to learn to sing, act anddance Theyworkonallkindsofdance, musical theatre, acting TV acting, we train themthentheyputitonstageandcontinue to grow As we speak we have eight former Hurrah students on Broadway now. We also teach the importance of sharing your talents, working together and appreciating eachother Weteachthemlessonsinlifelike discipline, responsibility, commitment and thevalueofpartnership

HC:Westartour39thseasonwithJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat We have auditions for it next Tuesday August 15th-17th All those who are interested please call the office 757 627-5437 or register to audition. It’s a big cast. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first musical. It’s a big hit, going for 40 years This will be the third time we have done the production. It is a bigcrowdpleaseranditreallyshowcasesso manyofourstudents’talents.

Y: Can you tell us what else you have in storeforusduringyour39thseason?

HC: Along with Joseph, we have our annual Christmas musical extravaganza Hurrah for the Holidays and for our 33rd season, the Best Christmas Pageant Ever based on the book that teaches us the true meaning of Christmas For Black History, this year we are doing Path to Freedom, in MarchwearedoingMatilda,inMayweare doing Curious George and our big musical next summer is Little Shop of Horrors and wehavea50’sReviewthatwillbetouring.

Y: Let’s learn a little about you. Where were you born and who motivated you to pursueacareerintheatre.

HC: I was born in Belvedere, a little Quaker community in North Carolina and mygrandmother,whowasaSundayschool teacherattheQuakerChurch,unbeknownst to her, was my first theater teacher She would act out her lessons by taking what waswrittenandbringittolifeandthatabsolutelyamazedme Myfatheractuallybuilta theatreinourgaragewhenIwas7yearsold andIwouldwriteplays,rehearsethemwith myfriendsandthenwewouldputthemon, chargingpeoplemoney Thatwasthebeginningofmypassionfortheatre.

The most amazing thing that happened inmylifewasthatIattendedSmithCollege, originallyanallgirls’school.Iwasfortunate in that for 7 years, men were allowed to get a masters degree in theatre there because they had just started the theatre program andneededstudents

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