Beehive
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, FL
‘Beehive’ Revue Piles High Winning Notes Dynamic Cast Brings '60s Music
Alive
“All of which helps Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre's production
captivate an audience better than the typical jukebox musical revue. That's
a good foundation, but what really makes "Beehive" buzz is
a dynamite cast of eight women singing more than 40 songs with great
enthusiasm and impressive range.”
“Gary John La Rosa directed and choreographed the show, which
was conceived by Larry Gallagher and debuted 20 years ago in a New York
City nightclub. La Rosa sets a swift pace that keeps the show from
lagging, and musical director Loren Strickland fires up the five-piece
band on stage. There's not a weak performance in the cast, but
a few of the singers have standout moments.”
“Playing a supporting role are 43 wigs designed
by Jason Hayes. They give the show its name, of course, offering a
hair-raising tribute to '60s style.”
Drew Sterwald – News-Press
'Beehive': An Outstanding Production at Broadway Palm
“...opened at Broadway Palm on August 26 to a well-deserved full
house. And boy! did the audience get its money’s worth…”
“But I never really put together the whole
picture of what that era was all about until I saw this revue with
its fabulously talented young cast Friday night.”
“…humorous…light hearted danci-ness…elegant…spot-on
and funny…right on the money…amazing…”
“This presentation scrolls through
the years and draws you back in time through the look/the sound/the
feel.”
“This show is pure rock’n’roll-ickin’ fun! If
you were in your 20’s, 30’s, or early 40’s during that
era, don’t miss it – it is so well done that, even if you
don’t remember all the lyrics, you can’t help but relive
it in spirit. If you have only heard about it from your parents
or their generation, come prepared to learn a lot from this absolutely
super production.”
Anne Bellew – Islander
‘Beehive’ Buzzes With Female Songs of the '60s
“Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre opened its 2005-2006 season with
Beehive, a fun-filled rock musical featuring the songs of the girl singers
and girl groups of the 1960s. There was a jam-packed house on Sept.
10, the night of this review.”
“The performances were staged on a brightly
colored, neon-lit set resembling a giant jukebox with jukeboxes in
the background. Enhancement of the period atmosphere was provided by
hairdos and wigs from the period, such as the beehive, pageboy and
other styles. The costumes were dazzling, as well as authentic. Practically
every song was choreographed in the manner of the era.”
"’The Beehive Dance’ was a highlight
of the show. It put the singing, choreography, costumes and wigs all
together in living color.”
“This show's director and choreographer
was Gary John La Rosa. You could leave after seeing Beehive with the
songs delightfully buzzing inside your head.”
Sandy Copperman – Sun and Weekly Herald
'Beehive' Is A Blast
“The first time I saw Beehive was years ago…it was enjoyable,
but nothing compared to the current production of Beehive that is playing
at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre. This show has a cast of eight
super-talented females who not only sing up a storm, they move about
the stage in physically challenging choreographed dance numbers that
call for an abundance of energy found only in the very young.”
“The gals run through song after song, never missing a beat. Their
outrageous wigs number 43 in all and come in all shapes and colors that
are amazing. The show captures the essence of everything that made
up the 60s, white plastic go-go boots, mini skirts of every description,
shimmering one piece jumpsuits and of course the wigs. You can
almost smell the Aqua Net wafting over the audience.”
“This show is a real crowd pleaser. You’ll
be in for a real treat.”
Di Saggau – The River
'Beehive' …The 60s Musical!
“The Broadway Palm Theatre has started off its new season with
a wild toe-tapping, heads shakin’ musical tribute to the girls
of the 60s.”
“When they came dancing out in those skinny little mini skirts
and those TALL “beehive” over-the-top wigs, we could see
the audience reliving some memories.”
“When they started with “Let’s Rock,” I could
feel the table jumping with the rest of the audience. Great voices,
every one…”
“All the songs you love are here.”
“…your mother was right; it wasn’t good for you! But
it was fun, as you see on the stage, with the girls dancing…”
“If you want to go back and remember the
days and where you were at the time, this is the musical for you.”
Jean Matthew – The Island Sand Paper
Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, PA
The Beat Goes On At Dutch Apple
“From race riots
and segregation to Woodstock and Vietnam, perhaps no other decade in
the 20th century was quite so tumultuous as the 1960s. It would
be easy, then, to imagine a dinner theater production trying to whitewash
some of the darker sides of the '60s legacy, giving patrons a bit more
Lesley Gore and Annette Funicello and a little less Southern Comfort-swiggin'
Janis Joplin.
Thankfully, Dutch Apple
Dinner Theatre’s current production of Beehive doesn’t
shy away from some of the heavier issues of the 1960’s, but embraces
them, weaving topics like the birth of the women’s movement and
the backlash against the draft into nostalgic fun.
And make no mistake:
It is fun. Featuring 43 wigs, thirty costumes and 40 of the era’s
top songs, the evening is a glittery trip down memory lane for anyone
old enough to remember the 1960’s.”
“…the show
knows how to get audiences clapping and – in at least one case
Thursday night – up out of their chairs and dancing. By having
the performers head out into the audience in musical numbers like “The
Name Game,” the show breaks theatrical conventions in the name
of having a good time.”
“…this show is a true crowd pleaser.”
“Directed by Gary John La Rosa,
the show has more bite than you might expect – taking on the Kennedy
and King assassinations, as well as the civil rights movement – but
it manages to balance some of the heaviness with a whole slew of catchy
tunes sure to keep you humming long after you leave the theater.
James Bueschner – Sunday News
Beehive Goes Beyond Hair
Show Features Hits by '60s Female Singers
“Beehive, the ’60s Musical,” now
onstage at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, recalls the high times, highlights,
high notes and high hair of 1960s rock ’n’ roll. Specifically,
the show is about the girl groups and female vocalists who helped make
the ’60s popular music’s dynamic decade. Beehive features
eight very talented young ladies who wear a total of 43 wigs over the
course of the show and guide the audience through a two-hour musical
salute as fast-paced as it is well-staged.”
“Beehive is a celebration of some truly great music and is a
fun, lively show with talented voices, excellent costuming and the wonderful
lighting of Russell Thompson.”
“Director Gary John La Rosa has put together
a delightful show guaranteed to keep away the winter blahs.”
Larry Alexander – Intelligencer Journal
Beehive a smile-winning listen down
memory lane
“If the first thing you think of when you hear
the word beehive is a hair style, not a home for stinging insects, then Beehive:
The 60s Musical is for you. The show, which opened Friday
at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, is a loving tribute to the women who
made music in the 1960s, from girl groups like the Shirelles and
the Supremes to the raw emotions of Tina Turner and Janis Joplin. The
show is stuffed with hits, terrific costumes, courtesy of John P. White, and
a delicious variety of fun wigs created by Jason P. Hayes, who knows
the hair of the 1960s through and through. Beehive is
guaranteed to take you on a fun trip down memory lane.”
“…it works hard to put a smile on your face and plenty of memories
in your heart. In that, it succeeds.”
Jane Holahan – Lancaster New Era |