Contributed by Theatre of Gadsden
Music, of all the arts, has the ability to make us conjure memories that lie sleeping, until just the right chord or mingling of voices, blasts us back into the past.
That explains the allure of “Beehive: The 60s Musical,” the latest production from Theatre of Gadsden.
Created by Larry Gallagher, “Beehive” is the story of six women who come of age during the tumultuous 1960s, but set to the toe-tapping music of the era.
The show, directed by Cheryl Sington, will be performed at the Historic Ritz Theatre at 7 p.m. Sept. 27-28 and Oct. 4-5, and at 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.
Tickets are $13 to $20.
For many who came of age in the 60s, the songs of the era will always remain evergreen, exuberant, making even the oldest boomer feel momentarily like they did at 16. Over the decade, women became more active in society and the music business, a story the show tells through familiar tunes such as “The Name Game,” “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Be My Baby” and “Son of a Preacher Man.”
But as the show progresses, the numbers become more sophisticated, more emotionally complicated, to reflect an America dealing with the turmoil of political assassinations, civil rights struggles, and the era of protest.
But the cast of “Beehive” did not grow up in the 60s yet they still render these tunes as faithfully as possible. The cast has been working since early August, getting down the music and choreography.
Luciana Jeffers, who plays Gina, said the cast relies on research to make sure the songs are performed correctly.
“You can only get so much of what the character is,” Jeffers said. “You have to go back to that era, look at the makeup, the way they thought, how they talked, how they walked. You look at movies, the songs themselves, why they were written, the inspirations, what was going on at the time the song came out.”
Casey Shehi, who plays Wanda, said she had never heard some of the songs in the show.
“I’m more familiar with the later 60s songs,” she said. “Tina Turner and Janis Joplin — I’ve always been a big fan of them.”
For more information or to order tickets, visit the website at www.theatreofgadsden.org.