FLAT RACK  — “Beehive: the ‘60s Musical,” a dance-happy tribute to the female singers of that iconic decade, sparkled with fun and talent during an Oct. 15 sold-out performance at its 506-seat mainstage.

The vibrant, high-energy trip down memory lane provided a dazzling showcase for its cast of six talented singers. At times, they provided near-celestial six-part harmony, as well as some terrific leads. Featuring parts or all of nearly 40 songs, the musical was performed Oct. 13-30.

The singers included Shaleah Adkisson, Galen Crawley, Danyel Fulton, Merrill Peiffer, Alexis Sims and Nicole Winter.

The show also dazzled with its top-notch choreography and costumes. The choreographer was Amy Jones and the costume designer, LeeAnne Lola Deaver. 

In addition, the six-piece orchestra, led on piano by music director Alex Shields, was stellar. The other band members included Daniel Iannucci, bass; Bill Altman, guitar; Paul Babelay, drums; Wes Parker, saxophone; and Chris Mhoff, trumpet.

The plot involves the coming-of-age of a teenage woman in the 1960s (played by Adkisson), stretching from the innocent songs of Lesley Gore and others, transitioning to the tumult of the civil rights movement, to the shock of John Kennedy’s assassination to the televised carnage of the Vietnam War. Many of the popular songs of those years darkly reflect unease and protest.

“We start in 1960 and go straight through to 1969, hitting all the great girl bands along the way,” said director Lisa K. Bryant. “It’s a really entertaining two hours.”

Written and compiled by Larry Gallagher, the musical revue featured big hits of the past like “It’s My Party,” “Proud Mary,” “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Where the Boys Are” and “Respect.” 

Among the show’s features were salutes to Tina Turner, Connie Francis, The Shirelles, Leslie Gore, Aretha Franklin, The Supremes and Janis Joplin. Another highlight was the sight of the knee-high, white go-go boots and the mini-skirts — worn by deadly serious young women singing a stirring rendition of “The Beat Goes On.”

“Beehive” started with a brief-but-rousing overture by the orchestra, beginning with “Where the Boys Are” and rather whimsically connecting other key songs that would be performed later with vocals.

After a rendition of “Let’s Rock,” “Beehive,” with its vocalists front and center, immediately went for audience participation, asking various show attendees to sing a few lyrics from the 1964 hit “The Name Game” by Shirley Ellis. The effect energized, loosened up and greatly amused the audience.

Adkisson noted that their “tale” (“Beehive”) began in 1960, when “everyone was doing The Twist” and rock ‘n’ roll idol Elvis Presley was released from the U.S. Army to return to singing and playing guitar. However, Askisson added that “the women of rock ‘n’ roll were my favorites.”

The show then featured amusingly innocent renditions of several early to mid-1960s hits performed by The Angels’ “My Boyfriend’s Back” (1963); The Chiffons’ “Sweet Talkin’ Guy” 1966) and “One Fine Day” (1963); and, funniest of all, “I Sold My Heart to the Junkman” (1963) by Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles. FRP’s Labelle part was sung admirably by Fulton.

Then, the loveliest rendition of the first act was performed — “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” — in classic Carole King heart-felt style.

Later, the three African-American vocalists of the cast appeared as Diana Ross & The Supremes, performing songs such as “Where Did Our Love Go?” “Come See About Me” and “I Hear a Symphony.”

Other first-act highlights included renditions of “It’s My Party,” “I’m Sorry,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “You Don’t Own Me” and “Where the Boys Are.”

The second set took a decided turn toward the serious, with a driving rendition of Sonny & Cher’s 1967 classic “The Beat Goes On.” The trio — in miniskirts and white knee-high go-go boots — included Adkisson, Sims and Fulton.

In mentioning Martin Luther King Jr.’s march in Birmingham, Adkisson asked, rhetorically, “How can people object so much to people’s basic civil rights?”

Adkisson then raised the issue of the British Invasion (the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Dave Clark Five, the Hollies and many others), noting that many women had a favorite member of the Beatles — and her crush was on Paul McCartney.

“After that, no one cared about the girl groups,” she asserted. But she then added that Great Britain had terrific female singers in that era, including Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Lulu.

British Invasion songs that followed were “Downtown,” “To Sir With Love,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’” and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway.”

Then came the show’s highlight, several renditions of Tina Turner songs (without her then-husband Ike), including “River Deep, Mountain High” and “Proud Mary,” sung terrifically by Fulton.

Next, Aretha Franklin was saluted with inspiring renditions of her hits, “Respect” and “Natural Woman,” performed by Fulton.

The show then plunged into the psychedlic era, featuring rock-blues singer Janis Joplin (played by Winter), in tie-dyed, hippie styling, singing “Try (Just a Little Bit Hard,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Ball and Chain.”

The show ended by countering its more serious second act, though, with a Mama Cass Elliot feel-good hit, “Make Your Own Kind of Music.”