Roxy’s brings back girl singers of the ’60s in ‘Beehive’

The 1960s will be resurrected in all their frivolous, scandalous and historical significance – at least, as seen through the eyes of famous girl singers – when Roxy’s Downtown encores “Beehive: The ’60s Musical,” one of the most popular shows the venue has ever produced.

The show opens Friday, Aug. 12, and runs through Sept. 3 in Roxy’s intimate upstairs showroom, with tickets ranging from $30 to $20.

Technically, says director-choreographer Kyle Vespestad, this will be the first “Beehive” for Roxy’s, but the show played to overflow crowds and waiting lists four times (most recently in 2002) when the venue was under different ownership as Cabaret Oldtown.

“It’s a fun party show,” Vespestad said. “There’s no real plot. It’s just song after song after song. It’s a trip down memory lane for older audiences, but younger audiences will be surprised at what fun the music still is. It’s pretty campy.”

This revue, put together in the mid-1980s, is the brainchild of Larry Gallagher, who compiled the tunes of his youth to show America’s evolution from the elegantly sleek, lacquered, buttoned-up beehive hairdos at the turn of the decade to the loose, free-flowing, let-it-all-hang-out locks of the hippie flower-power, make-love-not-war era. He incorporated the evolution of fashion as well.

It was the era of Brenda Lee and Connie Francis, of Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield, of Lesley Gore, Tina Turner, Aretha and Lulu and the two Janises: Joplin and Ian. It was the time of miniskirts, bell bottoms, thigh-high boots, fringed vests and tie-dyed everything.

Vespestad said his six-member cast will channel those legends with renditions of their biggest hits while dashing through about 40 songs of the era, chronologically from the innocence of “The Name Game” to the antiwar unrest of “The Beat Goes On” to the girl power explosion of “Natural Woman.”

“It isn’t like a Las Vegas revue where people are impersonating the celebrities,” Vespestad said. “Our girls are awesome, but they are capturing the essence of the singers rather than making you wonder if you are seeing the real thing.”

Bringing the legends to life are Jaslyn Alexander (Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle), Tara Clary (Lesley Gore, Janis Ian, Lulu), Dalima Kapten (Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, lead singer of the Angels), Briley Meek (Brenda Lee, Nancy Sinatra, lead of the Shangri-Las), Megan Parsley (Dusty Springfield, lead of the Chiffons), and Madeleine White (Petula Clark, Janis Joplin, Connie Francis).

Providing accompaniment are music director Rich Bruhn at the keyboards, Andrew Bowers on bass, David Sewell on guitar and Kim Garey on drums. Period costumes are by Angie Thompson.

Jaslyn Alexander, a singer best remembered as Sarah in East High’s “Ragtime,” is looking forward to her stint as the ever-moving, never-still Tina Turner.

“I think ‘Proud Mary’ will be the best moment in the show for me,” Alexander said. “It reminds me of growing up in my grandmother’s home, where I heard her music. She hits my soul every time. I’m really excited because I think I can really move like Tina.”

Alexander will also do Aretha’s “Natural Woman” and some lesser-known Patti LaBelle.

For Tara Clary, a veteran of Music Theatre Wichita (“The Full Monty,” “Footloose”) and frequent performer at Mosley Melodrama, this show is exciting because it celebrates “female empowerment.”

“There is an emphasis on women’s influence on the music of the period.” Clary said. “It’s about a lot of female pop pioneers. It was a pivotal time for change in pop music. Women had a lot to contribute.”

She is looking forward to stepping into a sleek, black sequined gown as Lesley Gore and resurrecting her anthem, “It’s My Party.”

Dalima Kapten, a music major at Butler Community College, confesses that she wasn’t familiar with a lot of 1960s music before she was cast in the show.

“But it was so good that I went back and downloaded a lot of examples. I liked the dynamics and studied the performances. Diana (Ross) provided the foundation,” said Kapten, who will sing “Where Did Our Love Go” and “Come See About Me” from Ross’ Supremes period. “But my favorite moment is ‘Walking in the Sand’ by the Shangri-Las. It’s intense.”

Briley Meek is a Wichita State theater performance grad who has become familiar through many shows at Mosley Street Melodrama, Forum Theatre and Wichita Center for the Arts. She is looking forward to channeling Brenda Lee with “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” and her iconic “I’m Sorry.” She’s also going to have fun bringing back Nancy’s Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

“I love the mid-century stuff. My grandma raised me on it. I am just flabbergasted when I hear young people say they’ve never even heard this music,” Meek says.

Megan Parsley, who gets the spotlight for Dusty Springfield’s “Wishin’ and Hopin’ ” and “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” is looking forward to the show opener, the silly and bouncy “The Name Game.”

“The show is about powerful women, and it gets off to a high-energy start. It’s a fast-paced, fun show that will leave audiences feeling warm, fuzzy and happy,” said Parsley, familiar as a frequent performer at the old Cabaret Oldtown (“Always a Woman,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”).

Madeleine White, a Wichita State music theater major, is “honored but terrified” to bring Janis Joplin to life through a medley of “Piece of My Heart,” “Ball and Chain” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”

“Janis Joplin has been a big inspiration for me. I have sung her music before. I can do her raspy voice. I absolutely love doing covers of her music,” said White, who will also do Connie Francis’ “Where the Boys Are” and Petula Clark’s “Don’t Sleep in the Subway.”

“What I really love about the show is that it’s all about the women of that time and how they influenced what we are doing today.”

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Roxy’s brings back girl singers of the ’60s in ‘Beehive’."