Hopefully we can hang out more  in the future

Before the show started it was announced that ASF  is adding one more performance to the sold out Scot Bruce Elvis tribute. Check ASF.net for details.  This is great news for Elvis and Bruce fans as the original show has been sold out for a while now. This extra show is likely to  sell out as well so make that box office move ASAP.

As for the Beehive performance that took place on Saturday July 1 2009  it was all that and more.

Here is the official GreatNewsMontgomery.com one sentence review.

 “Beehive drips entertainment honey from every comb”

As an overall performance it was outstanding as expected.
Everything from the stage design to the outfits and costumes of the band/performers was excellent.

I was really surprised at how much energy the ladies were able to transfer to the crowd. Even though every ASF audience that I have had the opportunity to be a part of over the years has been respectful and appreciative of the performers, they are often reserved in certain ways.
That was not the case on Saturday as the Beehive ladies were able to create a level of crowd participation and enthusiasm unseen by me at this venue before.

As much as we enjoyed the show as a whole. It was the individual performances that we talked about the most on the ride home. My mother Helen  is very conservative and mostly unexcitable when dishing out praise. When I think something is good she often will describe it as “okay”.
So when she said the show was “good” then that is like me saying “incredible”

Here are some thoughts about the individual performers and things that caught my eye:
First off Terita Redd can hit some serious notes. She could  do a one woman show featuring the music of famous soul singers past and present.
Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald and Whitney Houston are a few names that she could easily do.
I would love to hear her version of And I am Telling You by Jennifer Holiday, that would be sick and possibly dangerous to your eardrum  in a small venue like ASF.

To Terita, in case you have been too busy to check it out yourself here are some sights that you may be interested in.

Dexter Ave Baptist Church and Parsonage museum

The Civil Rights Memorial on Washington Avenue is great as well

If you already found the time Im sure that you learned alot. If you haven’t and want to see them for real one afternoon send  an email to Editor@GreatNewsMontgomery.com and we will treat you to a tour.

LOL at Ginger Bess describing Virgina and North Carolina as the South in RSVP Montgomery. Let us know if you want to enjoy a real southern feast one day.
There is no laughing at this girl’s  talent though.  I loved her role in the Its My Party segment of the show and her A Natural Woman/Do Right Woman duet  with Terita in act 2 was super good and drew an extra level of enthusiasm  from a number of  audience members.

Here are your fireflies

The only let-down of the evening was the Supremes section because  it didn’t last long enough. Sasha Sloan is  sweet and tempting  Cherry Cherry Pie in the Diana Ross role.

Since that part of the show doesnt last long enough here is some more Supremes.

Anna Eilinsfeld’s version of Society’s Child child got my attention because I wasnt  familiar with the song but was enthralled by the performance.

The song was originally sung by Janis Ian and this except is from Wikipedia…
At the age of thirteen, Ian wrote and sang her first hit single, “Society’s Child (Baby I’ve Been Thinking),” about an interracial romance forbidden by a girl’s mother and frowned upon by her peers and teachers; the girl ultimately decides to end the relationship, claiming the societal norms of the day have left her no other choice. The song’s lyrical content was too taboo for some radio stations, and they withdrew or banned it from their playlists accordingly; in her 2008 autobiography Society’s Child, Ian recalls receiving hate mail and death threats as a response to the song, and mentions that a radio station in Atlanta that played it was burned down...end Wikipedia

Crazy to see what was considered taboo only about 40 to 50 years ago.

This is a video of 16 year old Janis on the Smothers Brothers show

Robyn Payne served up a heaping portion of talent that the crowd ate up like fried chicken and mashed potatoes at a southern picnic. She is a great setup and guiding voice for the show, the mini skirt story was funny.

Did you cinch your mini skirts this high?

or was it higher?

Finally there is Brooke Jacob who  extended her hand, inviting me to dance with her in one of the interactive portions of the show.
I did a very weak mashed potato and was glad that it didnt last too long. Gotta work on my dancing game. If any dance studio in Mongtomery wants to demonstrate their teaching skills then contact the editor  and we will give you some publicity in a feature tentatively called “Fred Flintstone to Fred Astaire”.  This is a serious offer, if you can teach me to dance then people will line up around the block to sign up for your classes.

I was very familiar with the Janis Joplin tunes sung during  Brooke’s solo section of the show, especially Piece of My Heart and Me and Bobby Mcgee .
I was not however familiar with Joplin’s performances.

I looked up some stuff on YouTube and found this.

Watching some of her videos  gave me a greater appreciation of Brooke’s performance.

That is about it for now but how can I not give one last ” job well done” for the band. After the show, several audience members went up to the stage to let them know how good they were. It was great to see those giving extra kudos to a fantastic ensemble of musicians.
It was a nice touch to end an enjoyable and entertainment filled night for me and Mom.

IF you would like to add a short review then please do so in the comments.  Im sure the ladies of Beehive  and ASF would love to hear from you.

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Updated 22 Sept 2009

This great show and the number of times this little blog page has been accessed is amazing. It led to the first print commission by RSVP Momtgomery magazine for Sept/Oct 2009 issue that appears in virtual form below. Page 36 in the Section Titled Applause and Appraise

ASF, RSVP and Beehive are Great News Montgomery!

Pretty cool and next time  will get up earlier and see where they came from and post.

Great Hair, Greater Hits

I could tell you all about it but they already have at the ASF site,  that is the Alabama Shakespeare Festival for the culturaly bankrupt.

This show and the sold out Elvis tribute is a nice change of pace from the regular awesome Shakespeare stuff they already produce.The 3Musketeers was one for all and all for one as the entire cast kicked buttocks.

ASF is offering Broadway sized entertainment at WAY OFF Broadway sized $25 prices for certain  showings of Beehive.  In many cities a ticket for show of this caliber sells for $60 to $100 and up. Heck even the newer Imax 3d movies will set you back $15 per ticket. This is live and in living color, top notch quality entertainers.

Enough hype from us. We have a pair of front row seats for Sat July 12 and will write review after show.

Copied from ASF.net

Beehive

Fri., Jul 10 to Sun., Aug 02

What’s all the buzz about? The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is bringing back the good times! Beehive: The Musical features the hit Top 40 tunes from the great girl groups and artists of the 60s such as It’s My Party and I’ll Cry if I Want To (Leslie Gore), My Boyfriend’s Back(The Angels), One Fine Day (The Chiffons), Come See About Me (The Supremes), Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (The Shirelles), Downtown (Petula Clark),Respect (Aretha Franklin), You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me (Dusty Springfield), Proud Mary (Tina Turner) and so much more! ASF is not going to take this recession lying down. Put up your hair and get ready for Beehive: The Musical! It’ll be a blast!

If anyone from ASF  can provide special access we would be happy to produce a short original  segment to promote the show on our website .  Something to complement your rehearsal video which is a nice touch for sure.

We could tie it in or keep it separate from our personal visit Saturday night.

Maybe a few minutes backstage AFTER the show could be a nice contrasting piece. Perhaps a picture or video taken from the perfomers POV as they are getting a deserved standing O would offer another perspective.

Chew on it and contact if interested.

If any of you other fans of the ASF would like to write a review, plan group viewings,  or contribute to keeping this area of Great News Montgomery populated please contact us by email or commentary

Email editor@greatnewsmontgomery.com