Review: 1958 - The Musical

They were colourful times, the 1950s, and the year of '58 had a hue all of its own.

It was when Elvis was at his zenith and heavily Brylcreemed blokes in stove pipe jeans set their sights on sweet young things in full-skirted frocks and figure hugging shift dresses over "Merry Widow" corselets.

1958 - The Musical has captured the era's flavour to the nth degree with its high revving, real deal rock'n'roll and a quick behind-a-screen change which revealed one of those Merry Widows in its full memory-jerking awfulness.

There could be no better venue for such stage shenanigans than Rotorua's Blue Baths. It's thanks to the pools' managing director Jo Romanes that Emerge Entertainment has been formed with the specific aim of nurturing young performers.

Let the first round of applause (of plenty) go to her for such a gift to the community.

With its cast of seven singers and eight dancers, the latter all local, 1958 - The Musical heaves with these youngsters' talent.

Set at the time milk bars were hot and the "kats" (kids) cool, the plot's a double whammy, telling of a bunch of teens working on a movie set parallel with their boy-meets-girl personal lives.

From curtain up with the stage coming alive to At the Hop until it closes two hours later to the high octane Shake, Rattle and Roll, the production pulsates.

Local choreographer Chloe Woolford makes clever use of a small space but it's co-writer Darlene Mohekey (with Dena Kennedy) who's the star turn.

Doubling as the middle-aged mother of two hormone-charged adolescent daughters and the comedic Pearl in the film sequences, she's a standout.

The seasoned Musical Theatre dancer to the left of me said it was "pretty darn good", the visitor from Oz to the right that it was "awesome - nice to be entertained".

1958 may be 55 years past, but it's a year that makes a satisfying comeback in 2013.

What: 1958 - The Musical

Where: The Blue Baths, Government Gardens

When: Tuesdays to Fridays until Feb 15, plus Sunday matinees