About the Show

A new musical based on the bestselling novel exploring the interracial landscape of the U.S. civil rights era.

Set in 1964 in Sylvan, South Carolina, 'The Secret Life of Bees' tells the story of Lily Melissa Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. Lily lives in a house with her abusive father and their no-nonsense maid, Rosaleen, who is fighting for the right to vote. When Rosaleen & Lily flee their small town, they seek salvation at a remote honey bee farm run by the remarkable Boatwright sisters - hoping that their past will not catch up with them.

With a book written by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, music by 'Spring Awakening' composer Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, The Secret Life of Bees is directed by Whitney White and based on Sue Monk Kidd's New York Times bestselling fiction novel.

Critic Reviews (13)

" 'The Secret Life of Bees' is a production that will resonate strongly with audiences of all ages."
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" 'The Secret Life of Bees' embraces many troubling tropes, mixes them all up in a musical bran tub, and – I think – synthesises something new. See for yourself: you certainly won’t be bored."
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"‘The Secret Life of Bees’ has a lot going for it. But slow pacing and a muted protagonist means it never gets out of first gear – worth you [sic] time, but as bees go it’s more bumble than killer."
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"The story meanders, comes to a standstill at times and leaves loose threads. What is surprising is that none of this matters. Come for the music. Go home in awe."
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"Given how sour and racially divided the world can seem, it’s worth making a beeline for a show with a rare honeycomb heart."
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"The strength of the performances can sometimes lift a musical into a different league...The Almeida’s version — directed by Whitney White — contains some of the most impassioned singing I have heard in a show for quite some time."
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“What’s missing is more nuance and surprise to a show that wears its platitudes on its sleeve...’The Secret Life of Bees’ has much to admire and applaud, but did I love it? Not quite, though with further tweaking, I very well might.”
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"In spite of some soaring musical moments, this is a show that never quite takes flight."
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Trailer

Creative team

Sonia Friedman Productions