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It’s hard to believe, but 2014 is the 60th anniversary of rock ’n’ roll. Many historians date the genre’s beginning to 1954 when the so-called “devil’s music” revolutionized tastes for decades to come.

For rockers of every age, the Mayfield Dinner Theatre’s latest production The History of Rock ’n’ Roll: Stars and Stripes is a chance to revel in the gods that changed music forever – icons such as Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Etta James, Janice Joplin, Tina Turner and Bo Diddley.

In this two-hour plus revue written and compiled by Will Marks, former St. Albert resident Kieran Martin Murphy, a staple of the Mayfield stable, once again dons costumes and becomes the Big Bopper, Frankie Valli and ’70s Elvis in a signature spandex jumpsuit.

“I love Frankie Valli’s music and it’s so much fun to play Elvis. He’s so lively and he has such universal appeal,” said Murphy.

The Mayfield’s fast-paced revues have a tradition of sliding seamlessly from one number to the next with clever insertions of fun facts and comedic patter.

But for the 10 triple-hat performers, The History of Rock ‘n Roll is also the most demanding of the season, taxing them both vocally and physically.

“If we’re not singing, we’re dancing, doing backup and making quick costume changes. For instance, I’ve got a 20 second costume change for the finale. There are very few times you stand still. There is no static. It’s rapid. It comes boom-boom-boom. You don’t even have a chance to breathe,” Murphy explained.

His secret to meeting the challenges lie in maintaining an exercise schedule, getting eight hours of sleep, drinking lots of water and watching his diet.

“No onions or cucumbers before a show. They give me gastric grief. When you need perfect vocal control, you keep your diet as simple as possible.”

For Murphy who surrounded his youth with rock ’n’ roll, this is an opportunity to get back into the groove of a bygone era.

“It was the hey-day of rock. We’re all familiar with the tunes. It was and is unadulterated fun. Other than the music, it has a phenomenal cast with powerhouses such as Tiffany Deriveau, Pamela Gordon and Stephanie Pittsiladis.”

The History of Rock ’n’ Roll: Stars and Stripes runs until February 2, 2014.