‘Hula Hoop’ Moves in Right Direction

So what’s not to like about “Hula Hoop Sha-Boop,” the toe-tapping musical at the Tamarind in which a high-energy cast sings and dances to pop music of the mid-’50s to early ‘60s? The narrative that hinges the show together may be slight, but the music is boppin’ and the mood strictly escapist.

Directed by Larry Deckel, who co-wrote the musical with John Leicht and John Tanner, this revisionist romp down memory lane concentrates on the most common denominators of the period’s youth culture--fast cars, dating, vintage dance crazes, and, of course, the Hula-Hoop, symbol of a generation just getting into the pelvic-grinding rhythms of rock ‘n’ roll. A born pelvis-grinder, the rebellious, black-leather-clad Johnny (Robert Gant) wants to score with fast and flashy Suzie (Jill Salmon). Johnny’s nerdy pal Paul (Richard Israel), on the other hand, discreetly and sweetly covets the virginal Paula (Jean Gunn). These antithetical couples may approach romance from different angles, but their paths converge at the altar.

The tone becomes barbed during “Duck and Cover,” an actual jingle of the time advising children what to do in the event of an atomic explosion. However, for the most part, McCarthyism, the Cold War and the threat of nuclear annihilation are distant murmurings, only dimly heard above the din of the malt shop Wurlitzer.

The show’s coda, which alludes to the Kennedy assassination and the Vietnam War, seems tacked on, an obligatory paean to the end of an era. Whatever its structural shortcomings, “Hula Hoop Sha-Boop” is an engaging entertainment, with juggernaut choreography by Nathan Prevost and Lynn Brilhante and an infectiously perky cast.

* “Hula Hoop Sha-Boop,” 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ends Nov. 20. $15. (213) 466-1767. Running time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.