‘Beehive: The ‘60s Musical’ soars on music, fashion at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire

A fantastically talented cast and musicians take you inside a 1960s time warp, an era that offered whiplashing changes in fashion, music, culture and pathos, all from a female perspective. “Beehive: The ‘60s Musical” begins with a conventional start to the year 1960 that quickly becomes a Slip ’N Slide through the history of civil rights, assassinations, freewheeling love and even Woodstock.

Having been a child in the Sixties, I was a vicarious observer of much of that landscape and a minor participant in the dance crazes, but the wave of nostalgia that swept through an audience of all ages was palpable in this production. This was largely due to the lyrical storytelling done with perfection by the ensemble cast of powerhouse women at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire in Lake County.

In many ways, the show was reminiscent of “Jersey Boys,” but did not fall neatly into a category of jukebox musicals. The lines that wove the songs together to tell a story of the history surrounding the artistry were clever, sentimental and strong. Before you could wax lyrical on any particular part, the cast had you off to the races in, dare I say, a hive of activity.

While almost every single song is one you would’ve heard in its time or still playing on the radio to this day, the careful selection of up-tempo versus ballad was masterful and with a clever eye to pacing for the sake of the actors and the audience. This is a 90-minute show with no intermission, which imparts the feel of a concert.

With no queen bee to this hive, the strength of the show lies in the fact that everyone in the six-member cast is strong in their own right. Some of the highlights included Miciah Lathan singing the Aretha medley, and Aisha Sougou performing as Tina Turner. In addition, the opening ringleader of the group, Leah Morrow, holds her own in both the acting and vocal departments. Favorites such as “To Sir With Love” and “Where the Boys Are” reminded everyone of those movies of the same name. The cast also stars Emma Grace Bailey, Grace Bobber and Lucy Godinez.

The costume design by Amanda Vander Byl, along with wigs by Miguel A. Armstrong, rounded out the illusion created by the show’s dance through history, and reminded everyone how an evolution unfolded inside the era’s closets and wardrobes with colorful flair.

This is one beehive not to avoid. It is a hybrid between a show and concert, making you reminisce and dream about days of your youth, no matter what your age – all of our powerful remembrances shared together.

• Mary Beth Euker is a founding director of Cricket Theatre Company in Lake Zurich, has appeared in shows at Devonshire Theatre in Skokie and Woodstock Opera House, and directs at Lake Zurich Middle School North and Spencer Loomis Elementary School.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: “Beehive: The ‘60s Musical”

• WHERE: Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire

• WHEN: Wednesday through Sunday until Aug. 11

• COST: Tickets start at $60

• INFORMATION: MarriottTheatre.com, 847-634-0200