Last summer, the Egyptian Theater Company got a great idea: Why not stage a couple of musicals in repertory throughout the summer? That way short-term visitors would get to enjoy one show, and residents or those who were around longer could see a couple of them. They called the program Summer TheatreFest, and the idea was so popular that this season it returns with two new, quite diverse musicals. Although the shows share a musical revue structure, Beehive is a nostalgic flash to the past in the tradition of The Taffetas and Forever Plaid, while I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a cutting-edge look at relationships and the sometimes bizarre rituals of contemporary courtship and marriage.
Beehive carries us back to the 1960s, where six tuneful and talented songstresses conduct a tour of that tumultuous decade by recreating more than 35 of its hit songs. The cast consists of Toni Lynn Byrd, Mary Driggs, Erin Hiatt, Narlene Mathie, Camille Van Wagoner, and Annette Wright, and it would be hard to find a group of ladies as dynamic both individually and as an ensemble. It's also refreshing to see the range reflected by this company: all ages, shapes and sizes, ethnic backgrounds, and vocal types, vividly reaffirming that you don't have to be a 25-year-old blonde chorus girl to score a musical success.
The show's title refers to the reigning hairstyle as the decade began, and Tamara Cobus's eclectic costumes -- miniskirts, patent leather boots, bright shirts, toreador pants, shifts, soft sweaters, and stylish slacks -- capture the era's many clothing tastes. The first part of the show focuses on hit songs from girl groups like the Chiffons, the Shirelles, the Shangri Las, and of course Diana Ross and the Supremes. Next come the teenager songs, courtesy of Brenda Lee, Annette Funicello, Lesley Gore, and Connie Francis. Then the British invade in the persons of Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, and Lulu.
As the decade darkens with the Kennedy and King assassinations and escalation of the Vietnam War, the music becomes more complex and outspoken. Act II focuses on the big voices of Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, and Janis Joplin. If you think white women don't have enough soul to portray Tina and Aretha, you haven't seen Van Wagoner and Driggs. Both do a remarkable job; Driggs is especially outstanding in "Proud Mary," "Respect," and "Do Right Woman," while Van Wagoner shines on "A Natural Woman."
Jim Christian's direction and choreography are energetic and straightforward; he's inventive but never gimmicky. Peter Willardson's multicolored lighting matches each mood, and Rodney Elwood's set is simple and adaptable. The lively combo -- James Clark, Randall Clark, John Flanders, Brian Hess, Dicky Martinez, and Troy Nielson -- supplies swinging accompaniment.
