STAGE REVIEW : A Wildly Successful Program : ‘Rock and Roll and Other Outrageous Musical Hilarities’ in Orange is happily out of control.

ORANGE —  The inspirational spark for “A Comical Look at Rock and Roll and Other Outrageous Musical Hilarities” at Chapman University seems to have been the hypothetical premise that one out of every seven Americans is an Elvis impersonator. This satire of American popular music is every bit as loose as that framework would suggest. It’s a big, overgrown puppy of a production, friendly and entertaining and out of control.

There’s enough material for at least two revues: more than 30 numbers in the first act alone, and the two acts together make for three solid hours of singing, dancing and foolishness. Some of it is quite funny, such as the rendition of “Hound Dog” that features a selection of those statistical Elvis wanna-bes. But the glut of numbers plays like the last night of summer camp.

The campers are certainly having fun, though. The large, energetic cast throws itself wholeheartedly into a wide variety of musical styles ranging from an accordion polka through rocking blues, Broadway, rap and heavy metal, to name a few. Musical director Gene Coreno has achieved a high standard of musicianship and between the versatile instrumentalists and the huge chorus of singers, the sound coming off that big stage can make you want to move.

Director Paul Frizler has framed this smorgasbord with a nostalgic mirror ball and a video screen, apparently determined to present a taste of everything that falls between these two disparate emblems of rock ‘n’ roll.

He keeps things rolling onstage with simple setups and and short introductions to the numbers by “celebrity hosts” whose relationships to the songs they’re introducing are informed more by comedy and necessity than logic. There’s no discernible scheme to the order or choice of the numbers themselves, other than to provide fun and to showcase the talents of the cast.

Vocal standouts are Tony Rogers, who appears as Harry Belafonte, Sam Cooke and Prince, among others, and Tim Allen, who puts on an outrageous strut as Queen’s Freddie Mercury. Clayton Halsey is memorable in a “Rocky Horror Picture Show” impersonation, garter belt and all, although Kaja Holland, who also sings with precision and aplomb, does so in a cone-breasted Madonna sendup that outdoes Halsey’s outfit.

Kirk Scott’s dancing is full of personality, and Carl Hobbs adds some good moves to his turn as Vanilla Ice. Pete Sepenuk’s numerous comic turns are so complete that he’s hardly recognizable from character to character. Stacey Tappan wraps up the second act with an energized tongue-twister retelling of “Hamlet.”

Where “Hamlet” fits into the thematic scenario of “A Comical Look at Rock and Roll” is anyone’s guess, but after three hours, the urge to provide relief feels right. A healthy pruning would be more to the point. There’s so much that’s well-accomplished in this production that one would like to have the stamina to enjoy it all.

‘A Comical Look at Rock and Roll and Other Outrageous Musical

Hilarities’

A presentation by the Chapman University School of Communication Arts, department of communications. Directed by Paul Frizler. Musical Direction by Gene Coreno. Produced by Ron Thronson. Sound mixer: Ann Bolger. With Pete Sepenuk, Chris Spinelli, Richard Rodriguez, Gene Coreno, Nyla Newman, Pete Christopher, Michael Carlson, Ron Huntington, Doug Williams, Tony Rogers, Richard Watson, Kirk Scott, Spencer Blessman, Roy Ping, Barney Ford, Steve Pierson, Kaja Holland, Beatriz Villa, Jann Martin, Sue Coffman, Myrna Rhodes, Sarah Corley, Tim Allen, Suzanne Petzkowsky, Frank Frisch, Hector Montez, Jim Crawford, Aaron Boroskin, Shaunie Eminger, Gary Pritchard, Diana Terranova, Mark Mastin, Lewis Daugherty, Clifton Boggs, Alex Brewer, Michelle Greer, Lindsey East, Windy Bunts, Cary Silva, Beverly Alford, Jodi Boddie, Shannon Rossiter, Hilda Alford, Vicky Miller, Carmella Scalzo, Martin Torres, Roxanne Boddie, Erica Boddie, Pam Russell, Dave Mahi, Mike Mahi, Mike Seglar, Rie Anderson, Candy Vineyard, Justin Silva, Aaron Sanders, Roger Mathey, Cynthia Teske, Sandra Teske, Carole Fisher, Rachelle Dean, Anne Marie Anderson, Zanda Streete, Kellie Rudolph, Vicki Pare, Chris Zinovitch, Becky Cassell, Bruce Singer, Timothy Mullen, Emily Tessmer, Kinga Van Pelt, Stacey Tappan, Charla Mason, Craig Brown, Dorothy Drysdale, Alex Brewer-Disaurifino, Lisa Elliot, Clayton Halsey, Mike Zaret. At Chapman Auditorium, 333 N. Glassell St., Orange, today, Sunday and Feb. 28 and 29. Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., Sunday performance at 4 p.m. Tickets: $7-$15. Reservations and information: (714) 997-6812.