ABOUT
Beehive has more on its mind than mere hairspray. The changing social climate, the women's' rights movement, the anti-Vietnam war protests - all that is sketched into these most entertaining 90-plus minutes.
The revue, created by the late Larry Gallagher, presents songs made popular by the ladies of pop and rock. The numbers are presented chronologically, with the first half featuring such innocent and frivolous hits as "The Name Game", "My Boyfriend's Back", and "It's My Party", as well as tunes from the women who were part of the British invasion. Music reflecting the social consciousness of our world following the assassination of JFK, the growing civil rights movement, and the escalation in Vietnam dominates the latter portion of the show. The changes in the style and messages of songs during this period are effectively shown through dialogue interwoven into "The Beat Goes On".
Beehive, however, isn't just a straightforward presentation of the music of a generation. In most cases, the songs are performed by actresses portraying the artists that made them popular. Leslie Gore, The Supremes, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Tina Turner, and Janis Joplin are just a few of the ladies who are represented in the musical.