Cincinnati Playhouse Rocks the Marx Theatre With the Return of BEEHIVE, Closes 5/22

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park celebrates the fabulous girl groups and female singers of the 1960s as U.S. Bank presents the rafter-raising musical tribute, BEEHIVE. A who's who hit parade of some of the decade's most popular songs, BEEHIVE rocks the Robert S. Marx Theatre beginning April 23 and continuing through May 22.

BEEHIVE steps back to an era when teenage girls raised their hemlines, their hairstyles and their expectations for the future to new heights. From the Shirelles to the Chiffons, the Shangri-Las to The Supremes, the music topping the charts not only reflected the joy and hope of the times, but also the tumultuous changes and the evolution taking place in society regarding women's roles. The show casts a warm glow on this more innocent time and explores the shifts in the music of the period when that innocence became challenged.

It's all fun and games at the start of the show, when a young girl inserts a coin into a jukebox and the magic begins. The year is 1960. John F. Kennedy has just been elected President, Elvis has been released from the Army and Bobby Darin has broken teenage hearts across the globe by proposing to Sandra Dee. The songs ask simple questions: "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" and "Where Did Our Love Go?" They focus on the ever-present hunt for a boyfriend - or at least a prom date - and that all-encompassing mission to find a "Sweet Talkin' Guy" on "One Fine Day" "Where the Boys Are."

By the second act, the period has become more complicated. Civil rights and Vietnam have pushed to the foreground, and women are no longer willing to stay behind. The songs reflect the new maturity, from Aretha Franklin's declaration for "Respect" to Tina Turner's high-impact "Proud Mary" and Janis Joplin's soul-wrenching "Piece of My Heart."

BEEHIVE premiered at New York City's Sweetwater's Cabaret in 1985, the brainchild of writer and director Larry Gallagher. "The show started out a bit more serious, because it dealt with the formation of the women's movement," Gallagher said at the time. "But that came across as pretentious, so we made it more general - about women coming of age in the '60s."

It was an instant success, described by The New York Times as "pure, irresistible fun." BEEHIVE first was produced at The Playhouse in 1994 and was revived in 2001. It remains one of the most successful productions in the Shelterhouse history, and one of the most requested for a revival.

The Playhouse welcomes back the members of the creative team who were at the helm of the 1994 and 2001 productions. Once again, Pamela Hunt will direct and choreograph the show, with scenic design by James Morgan, costumes by John Carver Sullivan and lighting design by Mary Jo Dondlinger. They are joined by Musical Director Michael Sebastian and Sound Designer David B. Smith. The Stage Manager is Joe Millett.

The cast for BEEHIVE includes Lauren Dragon (Love, Janis), Lisa Estridge, Jennie Harney, Kristin Maloney (The Musical of Musicals: The Musical), Debra Walton (Ain't Misbehavin') and Jessica Waxman.

Prices for BEEHIVE range from $25 - $72, depending on day and seat location. Tickets are just $25 for the preview performances at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 23; 2 p.m. Sunday, April 24; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27. Some restrictions apply. The official opening night is Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets to BEEHIVE are on sale now. For more information, call The Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to ArtsWave.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund The Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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