Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...The singing is solid throughout, the show bops happily along and the audience gets to play “The Name Game.” The show is a crisp and cheerful 85 minutes and, at Wednesday night’s opening, everyone was headed home even while it still was light outside."
Daily Herald
- Recommended
"...Nostalgia never goes out of style. For confirmation, look no further than “Beehive: The 1960’s Musical,” a peppy jukebox tuner running through Aug. 11 at Marriott Theatre."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...What separates this show from the rest, though, is its quality—and the passion and soul exhibited by all involved. This is no mere empty-headed, moneymaking operation. And there is a degree of intelligent design in the structure of the show. The songs, gathered together by creator Larry Gallagher, are presented in a carefully considered chronological order and so, along with Amanda Vander Byl’s costumes and Miguel A. Armstrong’s wigs, provide a history of sorts of America during that complex, contradictory decade of change."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Highly Recommended
"...Beehive The 60's Musical is 90 minutes of pure joy and an incredible music experience. The productions at Marriott Theatre are consistently exceptional, energetic, and captivating, providing a groovy, far-out, out-of-sight night and a wonderful way to spend an evening immersed in great theater."
Around The Town Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...This is a 90 minute ( no intermission) show that will capture you from the start to the finish. While I am unsure as to the reaction of young audience members, I know that people who lived through the 60’s will be in heaven, thinking back to the times in their lives when the world was unique and we were going through the learning experiences of maturation."
WTTW
- Highly Recommended
"...Director/choreographer Deirdre Goodwin, who moves things along seamlessly throughout the 90-minute show, also succinctly captures the essence of the era it celebrates, summing it up in her program note: “The 1960s was a decade known as one of, if not THE decade, that experienced the biggest shifts in music, fashion, culture, and social evolution and revolution.”"
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...After the 1950’s gave birth to rock and roll, the genre continued to evolve and reinvent itself over the years that followed. But what made rocking around the clock in the swinging 60’s even more exciting was the sudden rise of all those phenomenal female soloists and a bevy of gifted Girl Groups. Every artist in this revue gets to showcase her musical and choreographic talents, providing powerhouse vocals, close harmonies, spirited interpretations and bouncy beats in their performances. Each song will have theatergoers clapping their hands, tapping their feet, bopping their heads, singing along and dancing in their seats with glee."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Recommended
"...Director-choreographer Deidre Goodwin calls Beehive: The 60s Musical a "love letter" to the era's music. And no one who takes in her quickly paced, extraordinarily well-sung rendition of the title at Marriott Lincolnshire will be apt to disagree."
Chicago Theater and Arts
- Highly Recommended
"...With all the great music venues in Chicago who would have predicted that one of the best pop concerts this summer would be at Marriott Theatre in suburban Lincolnshire."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Beehive is pure fun. 100% fun. Here’s my review in one sentence. Everyone who likes fun and wants moments of joy in their lives should go see Beehive."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Recommended
"...Beehive tries for a few heart-tugging moments of its own, but does much better when sticking close to the 1960s girl-group and solo female pop and R&B hits it strings into a loose, Forrest Gump-style narrative. The middle-school principal announces JFK’s assassination, a boyfriend dies in Vietnam, there’s a music festival happening in upstate New York that sounds like it’s worth a trip. You get the picture."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...A Hot Summer deserves Rocking Hot Music, which you can immerse yourself in Beehive The 60s Musical at the Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre through August 11, 2024. Indulge yourself in the nostalgia of the 1960s with Beehive The 60’s Musical. It is the story of female empowerment, a culture of revolution and rebellion, free love, and flower power. Fashion went completely rogue, with women wearing pants, mini skirts, short shifts, bell bottoms, vivid colors, bold prints, and tie-dyed apparel. Bouffant hairstyles (nicknamed beehives) were all in vogue."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...Beehive: The 60's Musical, the current production at Marriott Theatre, brings the decade of the 1960’s and the female musical artists to eye popping, foot stamping, hand clapping and colorful life! This 90 minute (no intermission) trip back in time is simply enjoyable. Interspersed with dialogue reflecting on what was happening during the years of the decade, along with great costume changes, evokes lots of memories."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"...From the jump, this nostalgia-filled musical revue is ready to bop. Even The Beehive Band couldn’t help but get in on the fun. You don’t often see a musical’s band jamming full-tilt near center stage. But that didn’t stop lead trumpet Kellin Hanas."
