By Jacquelyn D. Heath
Special to The Milwaukee Times
If you were alive and conscious during the decade of the 1960s, you may remember it as a time of relative innocence that built up to radically changing mores. For women, it was a time of coming out front, finding a social and political voice, and being recognized as individuals and as an important demographic group.
A focal point of that rise in stature was the growing body of popular music that served as the soundtrack of those times and that was heard coast to coast on AM radio as well as popular teen dance programs on television, such as American Bandstand, Record Hop and Shindig.
Beehive: The 60s Musical is a revue that showcases the pop music of the 1960s from the female perspective. now running at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret through Sunday, January 15, 2023.
The performance features a score comprised of more than 30 songs made popular by “girl groups” – such as The Ronettes, The Chiffons, The Shirelles and The Supremes; as well as solo artists such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Petula Clark and Janis Joplin.
There is no real storyline to Beehive. Instead, the songs and lyrics are allowed to speak for themselves and provide a looking glass into the social constructs of the times. The songs from the early years of the decade were largely about teenage angst and male-female relationships. The traditional point-of-view portrayed females as being willing to do whatever to attract and keep the attention of a male admirer. Waiting by the phone for his call, breaking up and making up, and remaining true to the relationship/”going steady” played prominently in the song lyrics. Some examples:
“Where the boys are, someone waits for me…”
“Baby, Baby…please don’t leave me all by myself…”
“Why was he holding her hand, when he’s supposed to be mine? It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to…you would cry, too, if it happened to you…”
As the decade progressed, the social atmosphere evolved more toward female self-determination, as did the songs. More women opted for careers outside the home; and demanded the right to control their own bodies, emotions, and life choices.
“Don’t tell me what to say…and when I go out with you, don’t put me on display…’ cause you don’t own me.”
“All I’m asking is for a little RESPECT when you come home…”
“You’ve gotta make your own kind of music, make your own special song, even if nobody else sings along…”
These pop music classics were delivered by a multicultural cast comprised of Jackey Boelkow, Sarah Lynn Marion, Tess Marshall. Jamie Mercado, Desiree Tolodziecki, and Amaya White. Their rich vocals combined in duets, trios and quartets, as well as soloists to deliver the musical goods. Minimal set design allows the audience to focus on the music and the message, without the distraction of elaborate set decorations.
Audience members can just sit back and enjoy the performance of Beehive and reflect – through the music – on how far women have come… and how far we still have to go in order to continue to perfect the social and political climate.
Tickets for both matinee and evening performances of Beehive: The 60s Musical are available by contacting The Milwaukee Repertory Theater box office, 108 East Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414/224-9490; or for more details, visit the website www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
