THEATER REVIEW : ‘Beehive’ a Bit Busy but Delivers Buzz of the ‘60s

If, like this reviewer, you grew up in a house where Aquanet spray cans cluttered the bathroom sink, you’ll get “Beehive,” Larry Gallagher’s revue of ‘60s pop music, here care of the Saddleback Civic Light Opera. If you remember the ‘60s as a time when young people drove you nuts, this may not be the ideal retro vehicle. And if, like the girl in Steely Dan’s “Hey Nineteen,” you don’t know who Aretha Franklin is . . . well, “Beehive” definitely is not your style of ‘do.

Still, following in the wake of “Dreamgirls,” this is not just a tribute to girl groups but a look at what happened in the late ‘60s, when the girls turned into women.

“Beehive” tracks female culture from bubble gum to Woodstock. And, fueled with the high-octane buzz of black music, it captures the first moment in American culture (outside the relative ivory tower of jazz) when blacks and whites stood side by side on stage. Under John Massey Jr.’s direction at the McKinney Theatre, the three black and three white members of this ensemble really mesh.

But like all revues, this one tries to contain so many songs that they’re mostly glossed over, thus cheating each of its essential identity. Gallagher’s “tribute” to the Supremes is ridiculously brief and feels tacked on (as indeed it was for the show’s first productions). Beyond that, the actresses are asked to do impersonations, thus Pamela J. Ross and Heather Michele Eaton have the unfortunate (impossible?) jobs of convincing us that they are respectively Tina Turner and Janis Joplin.

That’s problem enough, but Massey adds a few of his own. Not only does Ross have to impersonate Tina Turner, but white guitarist Jack Maher has to impersonate hubby Ike. That’s right: Ike Turner as a white man! And as musical director, Massey doesn’t come close to pushing his band into a rocking mode: The late-’60s sensibility just isn’t there (efforts to recapture the classic Motown sound are especially thin). Wally Huntoon’s confused set is supposed to take us inside a jukebox, but we felt more like we were riding giant Cadillac fins in space.

*

Kevin Cook’s lights are largely responsible for the revue’s smooth mood shifts. John Charron’s choreography and Charles Castagno’s costumes pull off some solid ‘60s mimicry.

The heart of this show, though, are the voices, and these six cover a wide range, from melodic Motown inflections to bouncy teeny-bopping to passionate pop arias. Ross and Heidi June Bremer deliver a scorching medley of “A Natural Woman” and “Do Right Woman”; the best bit of pure innocence comes wrapped as “Leslie Gore’s Christmas Party,” with Bremer as a funny Gore and Shauna Markey as a terrific Connie Francis.

The direct and likable Kamilah Martin is the show’s narrator, telling of her changes from girl to woman in a fine, moody version of Sonny Bono’s “The Beat Goes On,” supported beautifully by Ross and Tajma Soliel.

Hearing Bono’s song with its anti-war references now, in 1995, we were reminded that change didn’t stop in the ‘60s. The composer/war protester now is a conservative Republican congressman. “Beehive” may be mostly fluff, but it can trigger such thoughts.

* “Beehive,” McKinney Theatre, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. Wednesday-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3 p.m. Ends Sunday. $16-$18. (714) 582-4656. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes. A Saddleback Civic Light Opera production of a revue by Larry Gallagher. Directed by John Massey Jr. With Heidi June Bremer, Heather Michele Eaton, Shauna Markey, Kamilah Martin, Pamela J. Ross and Tajma Soliel. Musical direction by Massey and choreography by John Charron. Set: Wally Huntoon. Lights: Kevin Cook. Costumes: Charles Castagno. Sound: David Edwards.