Ryan ChartrandIn case “Hairspray” wasn’t enough for you, the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande will present a light-hearted, funny tribute to the ’60s women who rocked America during a time of love, rock ‘n’ roll and societal revolution.
“Beehive, The 60’s Musical,” will be playing at the Clark Center at 8 p.m. Friday as part of its national tour, which started Sept. 23.
It is a performance portraying the history of female pop soloists and groups in the late ’60s and early ’70s. The play’s stars actually portray such singers as Connie Francis, The Supremes, Nancy Sinatra, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin.
The show, which got its name from the morbidly large hairstyle meant to make women look taller, features six talented women, one hot band, 45 fluorescent wigs, 40 gaudy costumes, 25 cans of hairspray and more than 40 hit songs from the ’60s, including “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “One Fine Day,” “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,” “Where The Boys Are,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry” and “Downtown.”
Told through the eyes of a woman recollecting memories of her teenage years, “Beehive” is a story about a time of change – the narrator worries about boys and her first kiss during the Vietnam war, controversial race issues and the heightening role of women in American society.
The bright, fast-paced play is comical and fun, with catchy songs scattered throughout that keep your feet tapping and dialogue inciting bursts of laughter from the audience. As “Beehive” progresses, however, events such as JFK’s assassination bring it back to reality.
It is not necessary to have been around during the ’60s to enjoy the show’s music and warm atmosphere.
“‘Beehive’ is bottled nostalgia, plain and simple,” wrote Jenna Scherer of the Boston Herald in a review “This more varied fare includes a spot-on impersonation of Tina Turner (Teanna Berry) and a moving solo performance of Janis Ian’s controversial ballad “Society’s Child” (by Jillian Nyhan Zygo). Emily Cara Portune rounds it all off as a whiskey-toting Janis Joplin busting a lung at Woodstock.”
Tickets for the musical are $35-$45, though Clark Center Association members receive a discount. To purchase tickets, visit the Clark Center Box Office at 487 Fair Oaks Ave., Arroyo Grande, or call 489-9444.