When the '60s arrived, I was a grown man with an interesting job, a house, a wife, two very small children and the personal security that came with surviving having been on strike for more than three months. I had strong musical interests, but they did not include piping girl voices, even if they were in splendid harmony.
"Beehive," which involves six women singers and the music of the decade, from doo-wop to rock, from Motown to Carnaby Street, never appeared on my must-do list. However, the Rep's production, which opened last night to run through April 10, was pleasant enough, if rather innocuous and without intellectual stimulus, especially as compared with "In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play," at the downstairs Studio. The show, created by the late Larry Gallagher in 1986, has been bumping around the country ever since, a little like "Forever Plaid," only for girl singers.
When it comes down to basics, I enjoy watching women sing and dance, and the cast sang and danced with skill and grace. Things changed with the second act, with songs that were more political, more strident, more appealing, more familiar. And I realized why. In the later part of the decade, my older children were nearing their teens, listening to their own radios, asking about the lyrics they were hearing. "Beehive" became, as we used to say, "up close and personal" to me.
Made a huge difference.
So did Lauren Dragon, who did four second-act solos with a fierce, penetrating approach in the Janis Joplin mode. She struck a most familiar chord in the Kris Kristofferson-Fred Foster song, "Me and Bobby McGee," with a lyric that typified the feeling of many through that entire decade, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." Jessica Waxman and Debra Walton combined on an exciting version of "Do Right Woman" and "A Natural Woman," with Dragon returning for "Piece of My Heart" and "Try (Just a Little Bit Harder)."
Walton opened the second act with the Tina Turner "A Fool in Love," written by Ike, perhaps at a time when they both were living here and and playing the late-night clubs in East St. Louis. After Jennie Harney led the way in an elegant "River Deep, Mountain High," Walton returned with a swinging "Proud Mary."
Lisa Estridge was prominent early, telling stories, involving the audience in "The Name Game" and other silliness. The songs featured the likes of Lesley Gore, Brenda Lee and Annette Funicello, with Waxman a standout in "You Don't Own Me." The material moved to London for a while, and birds like Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield, with Kristen Maloney delivering stylishly in "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep in the Subway."
Pamela Hunt did her usual slick direction and choreography, and John Carver Sullivan's costumes ranged from truly glamorous to "did I really wear that!" Michael Sebastian led then band and served as the pianist. Other musicians were John Brophy, drums; Mike Buerk, saxophone; Jay Hungerford, bass; Steve Schenkel, guitar; and Andy Tichenor, trumpet.
It's the final production of the 2010-11 season, but next season, opening in September with "Red," John Logan's play about artist Mark Rothko that won a Tony a year ago, looks to be a major improvement.
Beehive opened at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis last night to run through April 10.
--Joe
Comments