N.C. town 'All Shook Up' over theater

The pink, white and purple beauty of the rhododendron that greets you at the sharpest curve of a mountain road; the sweet smell of mountain laurel with its greenish-yellow blooms; the splash of a waterfall.

These are all images that spring to mind from childhood visits to the village of Flat Rock and its neighboring North Carolina towns, Hendersonville and Asheville.

However, for many of us, as adults, the main attraction of Flat Rock is the Flat Rock Playhouse, which was started in 1937 by a group of struggling performers called the Vagabond Players who journeyed from New York and decided to present summer "straw hat" performances in verdant Hendersonville at Highland Lake and then at nearby Lake Summit.

As the Vagabond Players quickly grew in reputation, in 1952, they moved to Flat Rock to lease a large home built by Richard I'On Lowndes. In 1956, the theater became known as the Flat Rock Theatre after the board helped the Vagabonds purchase the home and 8 acres.

Fifty-two years later, the playhouse, also known as the State Theatre of North Carolina, features an extended season from the early spring through Dec. 14, presenting a mix of musicals, plays, oldies-but-goodies and new works.

If you're planning a trek to the mountains, you may want to make plans to see the premiere of the musical "All Shook Up," running through Aug. 17.

Written by Joe DiPietro, who wrote the off-Broadway hit musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," the rock-'n'-roll musical features 25 songs made famous by Elvis Presley, which serve as the backdrop to a romantic story involving a mysterious stranger, Chad. Wearing a black leather jacket and blue suede shoes, he arrives in a tiny town in Middle America, where a decency law prohibits public displays of affection or dancing.

After running on Broadway in 2005, "All Shook Up" recently has been given new vocal arrangements and orchestrations of such Elvis tunes as "Love Me Tender," "Jailhouse Rock" and "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You."

Prolific playwright DiPietro, who wrote the book and lyrics for the recent off-Broadway show "The Thing About Men," also penned the acclaimed "Over the River and Through the Woods."

Asked why he uses the songs made famous by Presley as the driving force behind the plot of "All Shook Up," DiPietro says, "These are songs that have made a lot of people very happy for a lot of years. Elvis sang with such passion that you really felt all of the joy and heartache behind the lyrics."

He adds, "Listen to the lyrics of the song 'All Shook Up.' It's really about needing someone so much they rock you to your soul."

The show stars Nicholas Cobey as Chad, patterned on Elvis. Cobey, who has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater from the University of Miami, has starred in regional productions of "The Full Monty" and other shows, and has appeared on television's "All My Children."

Music direction is by George Wilkins, who is Flat Rock Playhouse's resident musical director and has served as company pianist for th

e Dance Theatre of Harlem. The show, to be directed by Paige Posey with choreography by Amy Elizabeth Jones, is considered suitable for the entire family.

"All Shook Up" will be followed by the mystery "And Then There Were None" to be performed Aug. 20-Sept. 7.

Based on Agatha Christie's novel of the same title, "And Then There Were None" has been adapted for the screen nine times, including a Russian version and an Indian version, complete with musical numbers. The stage version closely adheres to the novel, which tells of 10 people who are brought to an island by a mysterious host, isolated there, and left to wrangle with a secret they would rather not have revealed.

For other shows in the season, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.