The Secret Life of Bees

See it if you like dark subj matter musicals. Here, trauma pervades, altho moments of joy. Talented cast belts out gd songs (music/lyrics). Barebones.

Don't see it if you need a big prodn or dislike civil rts. Or you dislike idol worship of Mary statue, drenched in honey. Or you dislike heavy mic'ing.

Also This show is very likable (I liked it more than The Color Purple, wh has similar themes) and boasts lots of singing talent. I liked most of the ways the plot was changed for the stage. The show is a bit long (a song or two could be cut...not all are great) and a few of the confrontations seemed manufactured (like between Lily and August), but overall I enjoyed the evening. (The mic'ing is overdone and the balance is off with the band, so lyrics are lost.)... Read more Read less

See it if You want a show that has god acting with nice singing. Costumes were terrific. If you like smaller staged productions.

Don't see it if If you want a consistent, good book. If you would rather see a bigger production with a really great songs.

See it if You want to see a talented cast perform at a high level in a new show. Music was beautiful and varied. Staging simple yet effective.

Don't see it if You prefer elaborate musicals.

See it if Powerful harmonic driving vocals with original soul, R&B, and rock/pop tunes. Large onstage band. Melodramatic civil rights story.

Don't see it if You want the story to be more believable. I guess we can assume the Virgin Mary statue dripping with honey came to the rescue.

See it if u want to see the powerhouse team of Sheik, Nottage, Gold & LaChanze turn Kidd's novel into a disarming, feel-good (!) Civil Rights musical.

Don't see it if you expect the heft, depth & gravitas that the subject matter would suggest; u don't fancy a sugar-coated, honey-sweet musical about racism.

Also Act II is stronger than the mostly humorless & charmless Act I, but despite interesting staging, wonderful performances, a decent score, and plenty of drama, the creative team works a bit too hard to make the piece heartfelt and treacly. All the right people get their comeuppance, all the show's messages are practically lit up in neon, and all of the characters feel one-dimensional. There's potential here, but the book needs more weightiness.... Read more Read less

See it if Ravishing score by Sheik & Birkenhead dominates this cult novel adapt Gold's simple direction & lush production values enhance gifted cast

Don't see it if It's Nottage's adapt that deflates the musical After a slow exposition, a fragmentation settles in w/drama bouncing in different directions

See it if ethereal evocation of utopian cult of black women beekeepers; hypnotic music performed by troupe of super-talented singers

Don't see it if meh fairy tale: "magic negroes" come 2 aid of white girl fleeing abusive father; civil rts incidents add little; songs need more variety

See it if you’re interested in a poignant show about race, or are looking for a good cry or to have your spirit lifted. The performances are great!

Don't see it if you’re looking for escapist entertainment; you’d rather watch something light that doesn’t remind you of our country’s recent dark history.

See it if Excellent singing. The acting was good. I loved the costumes. Some of the dresses were made in such beautiful fabrics.

Don't see it if You don’t like barebones musicals. Story hard to follow if you hadn’t read the book. Or you could follow it, but you’d be missing a lot!

Also You loved the book and want to see it as a musical. Although having just read the book in preparation for seeing the play, I think it was better as a book.
(Seen on June 21, 2019)... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a great musical rendition of the bestseller about the summer of 1964 in 2 small towns in South Carolina. Civil rights theme.

Don't see it if You expect an elaborate musical with lots of choreography. All musicians are interwoven onstage. Heavy civil rights abuses are upsetting.

Also Actors are outstanding. Amazing voices are led by the Tony winning star LaChanze. Every cast member is multitalented in singing, acting, movement, and the ensemble appears like a family.
This is not to be missed. It is hard to believe that such prejudice existed in the South, and may still exist in some places.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a show that has incredible talent but also has something very important to say.Sometimes we forget how recent segregation was.

Don't see it if you ... I can't think of a reason NOT to see it.It is a tad too long. I would cut a bit off of each song. But that's my only criticism. Go!

See it if you enjoy entertaining theater with a great cast and good songs.

Don't see it if you don't like feel good stories with predictable characters.

See it if you want to experience a really great night of theater. The cast is terrific and the score is strong.

Don't see it if you hate musical theater?

See it if a fan of Susan Monk Kidd’s novel or works that contain a spiritual element; you prefer gorgeous singing accompanied by simply-done staging.

Don't see it if you're expecting a very deep interpretation of Kidd’s work, uninterested in Southern racial and spiritual tales, or need flashiness.

Also The Secret Life of Bees hums with the kind of soulful, magnificent singing that can make us more forgiving about some of this production’s flaws. I was in the front row and found the music a tad too loud to understand every lyric sung but I still felt absorbed for 2.5 hours as the abused and motherless Lily Owens (Elizabeth Teeter) navigates teenage life in 1964’s racially-tense South, learning about love, family, loyalty, and hope from a black community that, mysteriously, intertwines with her own late mother’s past. Some of the suspense from the novel is stripped away and I wonder if someone who has not read the book would feel as invested or even understand everything happening. Regardless, LaChanze as August is alluring, but I found the sweet relationship between Lily and Zachary (a wonderful Brett Gray) simple, innocent, and sadly realistic. Sam Gold’s direction has the typical markings of his spare-look, profound-message specialties and, overall, it works.... Read more Read less

See it if A hive of intelligent, giving Black women heals an abused white girl. The Queen Bee's (LaChanze) singing is healing for audience, too. ❤️

Don't see it if 2001 novel didn't age well: Magical Negro/Black girl magic saves white girl protagonist, The Help-ish, she Huck Finns her Black servant.

Also Diversity: almost all Black female cast, but the young white, blonde female is the protagonist with the character development.
Disclaimer: I never read the book, watched the film, or watched a previous production.
Ticket from website through BACK25 for $28. Seat in the last row but view was fine.... Read more Read less

See it if A powerful musical about love, domestic abuse, racial injustice, and spirituality. Wonderful book, great lyrics and melodies. Cast excels.

Don't see it if Scenes of abuse, racial prejudice, are difficult for you to watch.

See it if you want to see another wonderful show by the incredible Lynn Nottage, It is wise, powerful, though-provoking, Great music & singing, too!

Don't see it if Can't think of any reason not to see it!

See it if You want to see a musical that is both dark and light. You want to hear and see some beautiful music played by a fantastic band.

Don't see it if You have a low tolerance for plays and musicals that tend to telegraph the punch, this one goes where you think it does.

Also "The day that I discovered her, I was totally captivated by...the powerful imagery of this masthead Mary that was surfacing from the deep, washing up from the deep, onto the shores of consciousness so to speak, and here is the feminine, returning. And I just could not get over that." -Sue Monk Kidd

Chances are you will be captivated as well, both by The Secret Life of Bess and its own rendering of the Black Madonna. Part of its power is derived from the fact that director Sam Gold has eschewed any large set pieces, setting the Lady apart.

This faithful adaptation has room to grow and trim, but its already busting at the seams with beauty. The score is wonderful, and "Tek a Hot of My Soul" is devastatingly powerful.

The cast is uniformly fantastic. Though the character of T-Ray, played with a boiling intensity by Manoel Felciano, seems almost cartoonishly evil.

The orchestrations and vocal arrangements are as sweet as purple honey, delivered by a remarkable band.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an incredible production that pulls at your heart strings and has an incredible score. The cast is superb. A MUST SEE!!!

Don't see it if you not want to go through the emotions of a show about the civil rights movement.

See it if You love Lynn Nottage, Duncan Sheik, the novel, or LaChanze. It’s an excellent production. Nottage’s book was spectacular, Sheik’s score ok.

Don't see it if You’re looking for the book and score to come together into something mesmerizing. Very watchable—my husband was crying at the end.

See it if you like a good story with superb vocal talent, good songs, and excellent on stage musicians

Don't see it if you are upset by prejudices involving black/white relationships that still exist in certain areas of the country;

See it if you want to see a well-acted interpretation of a highly regarded piece of literature.

Don't see it if you want a more action-driven or elaborately staged musical. This is a fairly simply - yet beautifully - staged production.

See it if you want to see a well-put-together musical of this scale with a terrific cast and hear the best Duncan Sheik score since Spring Awakening.

Don't see it if you can't tolerate another civil rights narrative centered on the journey of a white protagonist.

See it if You like strong music and southern period pieces.

Don't see it if Show that takes itself too seriously. Levity helps people.

See it if You want a wonderful experience, for fantastic singing & creative but not exact retelling of the Secret Life of Bees & to see LaCHANZE

Don't see it if You are only looking for a challenging treatment of race with commentary on current racial politics - Lynn Nottage keeps it relatively light

Also Both Sue Monk Kidd's novel & this script & songs by Lynn Nottage have a discussion of race but use distance from present day & some nostalgic tactics to keep the racial tension in the past and tidy up too neatly. The musical doesn't skip the hard parts but just being a musical can make it feel that way. This script offers a few moments where a character's lines allow reflection on to what degree racialized systems have changed or not. I would have enjoyed more pointed moments like that.

There are Amazing Ensemble vocals:
* Romelda Teron Benjamin such a powerful voice
* Vita Cleveland so sweet and clearn and strong
* Japlen Christine LI Josey drumming, dancing, singing does it all
* Anastacia McCleskey,her voice has a unique stirring quality
* Saycon Sengblogh & Elsa Davis- both acting through song
and the truly amazing LaCHANZE who dominates as August

Good simple staging.

The only serious flaw is that the band overpowers the vocals.

Overall a beautiful must see production... Read more Read less