By Eva Trieger
CARLSBAD, California –Leave it to New Village Arts Theater to produce a show that is not only charming, exhilarating and outdoors, but simultaneously educational, socially responsible and topical! How did they pull this off? Artistic Director, Kristianne Kurner, along with eight incredibly talented women delivered Beehive: The 60s Musical. The show was written in 1986 by Larry Gallagher who succeeded in creating a celebration of the powerful female voices of the 1960s.
At first glance, I thought, “Oh this’ll be fun. A stroll down Memory Lane of the tunes with which I grew up.” I couldn’t have been more surprised….or impressed. But again, this show was an offering of New Village Arts, a theater that never fails to awe me.
The clever but simple set design featured photos of female icons of the 1960s. Shirley Chisolm, Jane Fonda, Angela Davis, The Supremes, Janis Joplin to name but a few. The actors introduced the audience to more images of impressive women of this turbulent and transformational era. This clearly was not the decade that preceded it, but a time of change and revolution both internally and externally. They had me at “P.O.W. bracelets.”
Through the songs of the early 1960s, the first act reminded us of the schema society outlined for young women. There are a host of songs about girls waiting to be noticed by their heartthrob. “It’s My Party” by John Gluck, and “One Fine Day” by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. ”Academy Award” by V. Catalano, A Levinson, P. Alonso, was a new one for me, and much enjoyed. The choreography by Alyssa “Ajay” Junius, replete with dance moves peculiar to the era was amazing. Every Mashed Potato, Monkey or Twist was well placed and delightful.
Following a short intermission the second act emitted a stronger, more strident tone. Songs were imbued with historical events. “Abraham, Martin, and John” penned by Dick Holler revealed the friction and inhumanity in our society. The assassinations of good men impacted the music scene too, as did the British Invasion. The show ended shortly after Woodstock, with a fabulous all-cast performance of “Me and Bobby McGee” written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster.
The actors were not only culturally, racially and gender diverse, but did they have gifts! Each and every actor was stellar. The singing, dancing and just plain energy required for this show was off the charts, yet each of them was spectacular. Bibi Mama was last seen in An Evening with the San Diego Black Artists Collective and will next appear in a solo show, “The Mango Tree.” Natasha Baenisch is no stranger to New Village Arts, and has appeared on their stage in Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans, Smokey Joe’s Cafe,and Little Shop of Horrors. Megan Carmitchel is making her NVA debut in this show, but has been seen in Alice!, Persuasion, You Can’t Take it With You, and The Who’s Tommy. Brittany Carillo is a new conquest for New Village Arts and is an alumnus of Grossmont College and recent transfer to San Diego State University. Rae Henderson is returning to NVA’s ad hoc stage after having been in Around the World in 80 Days and Suds. Eboni Muse, a Craig Noel Award winner has performed in Hairspray, NVA’s Little Shop of Horrors, and she even played Gary Coleman in Avenue Q at the OB playhouse! Erin Vanderhyde has performed in Freedom Riders: The Civil Right Musical, and Little Women. Bridget Orgi was an understudy for this show, her debut with New Village Arts. Bridget has perform in the Addams Family and Into the Woods. This troupe of women is truly greater than the sum of its parts!
The Flower Fields is such a fabulous place to enjoy live theater again. It’s outdoors, the space can accommodate over 120 seats while maintaining enough social distance to keep every patron comfortable. The venue has ample parking and is easily accessible. NVA will continue to use this space through October while their home theater renovation is in process. As a veteran subscriber, I’m quite eager to see the new theater, but as long as we can keep seeing NVA productions in a space as magical as the Flower Fields, I’ll wait patiently and encourage others to support theater!
Tickets for Beehive: The 1960s Musical may be purchased at info@newvillagearts.org.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com