The string of smash hits tells the story of one of the most distinctive decades, if not the most distinctive decade, in American history. From the innocence of the early Sixties to the Kennedy assassination that ended that innocence, to Civil Rights, Women’s Liberation, and Woodstock – all told through the work of female rock artists and girl bands. It’s My Party (and I’ll Cry if I Want To), Wishin’ and Hopin’, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Where the Boys Are, One Fine Day, and My Boyfriend’s Back begin to give way to edgier songs (like Society’s Child and The Beat Goes On) and a more energetic tempo (represented by the likes of The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, and Tina Turner).

The six cast members are all extraordinary singers and comedians. The medley of songs they perform are arranged to both take one through the Sixties chronologically, thematically, and sometimes to respond to one another in a running dialogue. The latter type results in one of the most amusing (and melodramatic) scenes, where we have a whole little soap opera-ish party featuring “girls with problems.” The problems begin with one girl whining that It’s My Party (and I’ll Cry if I Want To), resulting in her friend’s apology with I’m Sorry (So Sorry), followed up by the entrance of a very buxom Annette Funicello donning Mickey Mouse ears and eating Skippy peanut butter while confessing I Dream About Frankie. But do any of these girls know Where the Boys Are???

One of the themes explored include a female “British Invasion” of the 1960s which has Petula Clark (Colleen Sudduth) singing Downtown, Lulu (Emily Mitchell) crooning To Sir With Love, and Dusty Springfield (Laura Lamun) explaining that You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me. Later, on one of the few somber notes of the evening, serious social issues are explored such as in the Shangri-Las’ song about a runaway in I Can Never Go Home Anymore and Janis Ian’s Society’s Child about interracial dating – a song banned in some areas of the country at the time – sung beautifully by Colleen Sudduth.

In some of the biggest highlights, Emily Mitchell mimics a vain Diana Ross with her two “Supremes” singing backup whilst scowling jealously and disgustedly behind her, ready to pounce. Despite the animated animosity, their renditions of I Hear a Symphony and Where Did Our Love Go? are angelic. With Lisa Payton-Davis out that night, Emily also took on Tina Turner, dancing and shimmying and rolling out a powerful Proud Mary. The most amazing reincarnation is created by Joy Yandell who brings Janis Joplin back from the garden to sing Try (Just a Little Bit Harder), Me and Bobby McGee, and deliver a monologue of Woodstock that is simply spellbinding in its similarity to Joplin’s voice, look, and body language as she performed it in 1969 – just a year before her early death. And finally there’s Renae Mitchell as the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin, with a jaw-dropping voice you have to hear to believe as she belts out a riveting R-E-S-P-E-C-T. She is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!