The Steel River Playhouse has produced a festive and fast-paced production of the rarely-produced Beehive, a jukebox revue created by Larry Gallagher celebrating iconic female artists of the 1960s like Aretha Franklin, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin and more.
Featuring a talented ensemble all-female cast, including Liana Donato, Ava Fazekas, Jessica Handler, Chrissy Lawson, Kristen Nields, Jillian Purdy, and Amanda Marie Steckerl, the production is a visual and aural treat with the singers admirably capturing the spirit and power of the source material and evoking an era of social revolution.
While the narrative that connects the songs is pretty thin, it adequately frames the musical highlights. Each actress shines in solo moments but together they form a powerful force for the anthems of a generation. The song list, juxtaposed against the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement, evokes the social upheaval of a decade that changed music forever.
Director/choreographer Rebecca Futty stages the show with a brisk pace and music director Jacob Leonowitz and the live band provide energy for the singers. Costumes by John Williams provide both whimsy, nostalgia and glamour.
BEHIVE is a fun trip down a musical memory lane.
Steel River Playhouse
Review submitted by:
Franklin Joseph
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