Well, it’s like this, “Beehive” is a musical revue that tips its hat to an era, or at least a decade, and to many of the prominent women – the girl groups of the 1960s, and the solo artists as well – who may today be remembered with a smile (Connie Francis), a shake of the head (The Shangri-Las), a sigh (Petula Clark), a growl (Tina Turner), a deep breath (Janis Ian), or possibly chills (Janis Joplin). Which is to say that the Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities’ current production of this bittersweet entertainment is by turns amusing and engaging, and taken on its own terms certainly not a bad way to spend a couple of hours.
We’re pretty much escorted through the years by the affable Karole Foreman (all performers use their real names on stage), who is the perfect tour guide for our navigation through the tricky terrain of nostalgia. The affable quality she exudes is actually genuine: I’ve met her at art galleries on previous occasions, have always been impressed by her conversation, but had absolutely no idea she was in theater.
Foreman is one of six singers, all women, of course, and all of them have notable credentials which are pretty much on display through two acts and about 40 songs. While most of those tunes are pared down, the singing requirements vary greatly from, for example, “My Boyfriend’s Back” to “Come See About Me,” and from “Proud Mary” to “Society’s Child” and “Piece Of My Heart.”
So one definitely has to hand it to the entire cast, the others singers being Misty Cotton, Stacy Francis, Tricia Kelly, Kamilah Marshall, and Kelli Provart. Dan Mojica directs and created the choreography, and the all-important musical direction comes courtesy of Alby Potts. The revolving costume changes (costume design by Christa Armendariz) visually reflect what this turbulent era went through – which in another sense was like going from Pepsi to Jack Daniels.
“Beehive,” the brainchild of Larry Gallagher, has been around since the mid-‘80s, and any kinks in the flow have long since been ironed out. Some viewers may wish that another song by a favorite artist had been appropriated – for example I’m somewhat partial to Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Want to Be With You” because the two songs in the show made famous by her (“Wishin’ And Hopin’” and “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me”) are rather similar in tone and tempo. Likewise, I might have preferred “The Leader of the Pack” instead of “Remember (Walking In The Sand)” because the former would resonate with “Society’s Child” – both of which explore the consequences of loving a person whom your parents aren’t crazy about. The point is, recalling the songs from this era may encourage you to dig deep and create your own checklist of what exactly was memorable for you from that bubble in the time stream.
The director has pointed out in interviews that the aim of “Beehive” is not to imitate the original artists note for note, but to evoke the spirit of what they achieved or maybe what they came to represent for the generation at large. That’s actually the best approach, because although Stacy Francis can do a nice interpretation of Aretha Franklin and Kamilah Marshall can channel Tina Turner, those iconic singers are well respected for a reason, and much of that reason lies in the fact that their voices could never be duplicated. I will say, though, that Tricia Kelly gets the gravelly sound just right when she sings like Janis Joplin.
The revue seems to pivot on Sonny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On,” with the songs on one side of the equation being light and bouncy, and the songs on the other side being, if not darker, more introspective or down to earth. Well, the women early on were products, part of the hit-making machine, and then later on many of them wrote or now chose their own material and were socially and politically more conscious and involved with the world around them.
It’s hard to imagine that any decade after the 1960s could yield a show like this one, because, after 45s lost their prominence and FM radio surged into being, music became too diverse, the sources for it multiplied, and suddenly everyone had different soundtracks to their lives. “Beehive” gathers together a collective breath that many who lived through the era can relive and share.
Beehive: The 1960s Girl Group Musical is onstage at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, RB. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., and Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. Tickets, $60, $55, $50 weekends and matinees; $55, $50, $45 weeknights. Closes Oct. 3. Call (310) 372-4477 or go to civiclightopera.com. ER
