On Theater: ‘Beat Goes On’ through decades

If at first you do succeed, why not try again anyway? That’s the prime directive at Vanguard University, which is repeating — and refining — its successful original musical from last season, “The Beat Goes On.”

The last five decades of the 20th century in American pop music are summed up quite nicely in this elaborate musical chronology created and directed by Vanda Eggington. It may be familiar to some audiences, but that doesn’t diminish the enjoyment factor.

The real star of this show, however, is choreographer Bretlyn Schmitt, a recent VU graduate picking up where she left off from last year’s “Beat.” Schmitt has whipped a 14-member ensemble into a beautifully coordinated unit, smoothly segueing from one routine to another with the sharp precision of professional dance companies.

Eggington’s decade-by-decade tribute is guided by a pair of narrators, Johanna Jacobsen and Tyler Thoreson, who set the tone of each period and fling comical barbs at each other (one inspired by the Abbott and Costello routine “Who’s on First?”). For those who may not have been around in the 1950s or ‘60s, Jacobsen and Thoreson become expert tour guides.

The ensemble is engineered to give each member the occasional spotlight, yet two performers stand out. Ashley Elizabeth is a petite powerhouse who rocks the stage, while Kristina Leopold offers a commanding voice and excels in the Motown segment.

Completing the dynamic cast in myriad assignments are Winter Bassett, Drew Bradford, Josiah Dominguez, Kaitlyn Erickson, Hans Kelsen, Joshua David Martin, Alex Miller, Austin Nunn, Hannah Quezada and Andreas Schmidt. Their creativity is inspiring.

The show begins at the genesis of rock ‘n’ roll — a term coined by deejay Alan Freed in 1951 — and captures the innocence of the ‘50s. There are malt shops, poodle skirts and the influence of Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and the Comets, the Coasters and other pioneering elements.

The most prominent portion of the show is the next period, the ‘60s, which actually are two periods in one. The first spotlights the British Invasion with groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones dominating the American teen scene, along with homegrown groups such as the Beach Boys and Dick Dale’s surfing guitar.

The second — and interspersed with the first as the Beatles’ debut (1964) is depicted before the John F. Kennedy assassination (1963) — is deadly serious and takes in the hippie period, culminating with Woodstock as the overall mood deepens with U.S. protests and accelerated violence.

Following intermission, the 1970s arrive with a sillier tone and, of course, the dreaded disco segment. Swinging into the ‘80s, we get MTV and dozens of movie quotes such as “Phone home” and “You can’t handle the truth.”

Finally, the ‘90s appear with a more detached air, teenagers locked to their laptop computers. What each one is thinking, musically, is revealed as Jacobsen lifts the earphones from them, one at a time.

Musical director and keyboardist Janice Rodgers Wainwright supervises a four-piece combo that keeps the show humming. Austin Nunn provides the excellent period costumes and performs in the ensemble.

Those theatergoers who were around for part (or all) of the musical history unveiled in “The Beat Goes On” will find moments of great nostalgia in this second incarnation of Vanda Eggington’s original tribute at Vanguard’s Lyceum Theater.

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IF YOU GO

What: “The Beat Goes On”

Where: Vanguard University Lyceum Theater, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Closing performances at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday

Cost: $14 to $17

Information: (714) 668-6145