Rick Charles knows how to Shake, Rattle & Roll
Published on 12 November 2024
Entertainer, Rick Charles, knows rock and roll. He’s been singing, strumming, shaking, rattling and rolling for decades.
Amongst many other accolades he was the youngest, then greatest Elvis impersonator in Australia. In 2021, he joined his son Adrian Jemale onstage during The Voice blind auditions to strut his stuff as Elvis with Adrian. They brought the house down.
Since 1994 Rick has been showing off his crooning, hip shaking, rocking and rolling glory in the stage spectacular, Shake, Rattle and Roll coming to Frankston Arts Centre on Friday 15 November. He positively bursts with enthusiasm talking about this show. Every cast member brings that same level of passion to their performance.
Shake, Rattle and Roll revolves around American disc jockey Wolfman Jack’s legendary radio show when he spun all the greatest tunes of the rock and roll era announcing each song in his iconic gravelly voice. In the early days of Shake, Rattle and Roll, the dancers used to step out of an enormous juke box. Now, instead of the juke box, the production incorporates vivid video projections, classic TV advertising, spectacular costumes and sound that will blow the audience away.
The show has evolved over the years and Rick has been there every step of the way. Shake, Rattle and Roll has doubled its number of dancers and expanded from music of the 1950s into the 1960s too.
Frankston Arts Centre will be getting a special treat . While the show normally runs 90 minutes, the Frankston audience will get two blockbuster one-hour acts as the singers and dancers travel in time through the history and evolution of rock and roll.
“The beauty of rock and roll is it has melody, simplicity and stories everyday people can relate to,” Rick says.
He has passed his Elvis jumpsuit on to the amazing Anthony Petrucci who now plays Elvis, but Rick embodies Jackie Lyman, Franki Valle, Jackie Wilson, an Everly Brother, Buddy Holly and his all-time favourite singer, Sam Cooke.
Despite his many years in the business, Rick says he still get nervous before each performance, but adrenaline fuels him. “I’m only as good as my last song so I give it 100% every time!” Every Shake, Rattle and Roll performer does the same. The show is choreographed by Aric Yegudkin, a long-time dancer on Dancing with the Stars and all the dancers are world champion Latin ballroom dancers.
Shake, Rattle and Roll will have the audience dancing in the aisles (or on stage for a lucky few). It is truly a night to remember so don’t miss out. Rock on down to the Frankston Arts Centre on Friday to see this amazing show and meet the cast afterwards. Be there or be square!
By Andrea Louise Thomas, Arts Writer