Centre Stage’s ‘Beehive’ celebrates the women who shaped the soundtrack of the ’60s

Big hair, powerhouse vocals and some of the most beloved pop songs of the 1960s are about to take over Centre Stage.

“Beehive: The 60’s Musical,” running June 25-July 12, invites audiences on a high-energy musical journey through one of popular music’s most transformative decades — from the joyful harmonies of early girl groups to the soulful, rebellious sounds that helped define the close of the 1960s.

Featuring hits made famous by female artists, the production includes songs such as “It’s My Party,” “My Boyfriend’s Back,” “Be My Baby,” “Downtown,” “Respect,” “Proud Mary,” “Son of a Preacher Man” and Janis Joplin’s emotionally charged “Piece of My Heart” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”

The show is largely a revue about an era rather than a traditional plot-driven musical, said director/choreographer Lustra Miller Reid.

“The storyline is in the music and the stories behind the artists that originally sang the songs,” Reid said. “That’s where the real magic is.”

Cultural time capsule

Beehive at Centre Stage - Samantha Cole photo — Centre Stage’s production of “Beehive: The 60’s Musical,” which traces the girl groups of the 1960s, runs June 25-July 12.

“Beehive” functions as both concert and cultural time capsule, tracing the changing sound — and changing spirit — of the 1960s. Beginning in the era of beehive hairdos, prom dresses and teenage romance, the revue gradually shifts toward the bolder, more emotionally assertive music associated with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Joplin.

“It begins in the early ’60s and journeys right up to the cusp of 1969 and 1970,” Reid said.

The material carries a personal connection for Reid. She grew up surrounded by the music of the era, thanks largely to her parents.

“My parents were kids in the ’60s and they would always play a lot of these songs,” she said. “My mom is a huge Aretha Franklin fan, so I’ve been listening to this style of music ever since I was a kid.”

Reid, who previously choreographed “Summer Breeze” at Centre Stage, said she immediately embraced the chance to direct and choreograph the production.

“I was like, ‘Oh, this is right up my alley,’” she said.

She is particularly excited about showcasing the talents of the six-woman cast, who will perform everything from solos to ensemble numbers while paying homage to iconic singers.

Adding to the show’s energy will be a live six-member band led by Greg Day, with music direction by Andre Webb, whom Miller described as an especially gifted vocal coach.

The result, Reid hopes, will be both nostalgic and illuminating — a reminder of just how profoundly the women of the 1960s influenced later musical styles.

“The music that we’re showcasing in ‘Beehive,’ was so pivotal,” she said, “It shaped a lot of the music that we listen to now.”