The Beehive
cast in front of the old Motown headquarters•
Mul tiple
C hoi ce
In "Beehive," Ellen Sandweiss-Ho es
can be herself ... and a host of others.
SUZANNE MESSIER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
or most of the two
hours she is with
you, Ellen Sand-
weiss-Hodges goes
by her own identity.
There is a point, howev-
r, when she becomes rock
star Leslie Gore. At other
moments, she has turned into
blues stylist Dusty Springfield.
This expression of multiple
personalities is no reflection
on her association with the
Michigan Psychoanalytic
Foundation, where she works
as a part-time administrator
and fund-raiser.
Rather, her varying per-
sonas have everything to do
with her other part-time job,
Eel
as an actress-singer-dancer
in Beehive, the current pro-
duction at the Attic Theatre.
The musical tribute to
women singers of the '60s,
when the beehive was the
popular hairdo, sets the mood
with the cast decked out in
fashions of the decade —
miniskirts, thick eyeliner and
wigs that are teased, sprayed
and ratted.
"This is what's called an
ensemble show," said Ms.
Sandweiss-Hodges, one of six
performers in the all-female
production. "We are mostly
ourselves remembering the
'60s, but sometimes we play
out a scene that could have
Ellen Sandweiss-Hodges
been those characters.
"It's scripted with a little
dialogue, but mostly it's mu-
sic and dance. There are
groupings of song into special
segments such as 'Leslie
Gore's Christmas Party' and
`The British Invasion.' In
some groupings, there's no
dialogue at all, just a medley
of that particular type of mu-
sic. Other groups have little
vignettes.
"Although I was very
young, I remember those
songs and dances so it's nos-
talgic, and that's fun. I enjoy
popular music, and I think
it's a real nice change from
the musical theater I've done
recently."
Cast members recapture
the synchronized movements
and harmonies of classic
groups including the
Supremes, Angels and Chif-
fons as well as the unique
renditions of singers like
Aretha Franklin, Tina Turn-
er and Janis Joplin.
In between the fast step-
ping of the frug, the pony and
the watusi, they recall songs
such as "River Deep — Moun-
tain High," "Do Right Woman
— Do Right Man" and "Ball
and Chain."
The retrospective opened
Off-Off Broadway in 1985
and has since played across
the country.
As Ms. Sandweiss-Hodges
carries out a rearranged
schedule to accommodate her
latest theatrical engagement,
she counts herself among the
women of all fields trying to
balance home and career re-
sponsibilities.
With a goal of structuring
her hours so she has plenty
of time for her family – hus-
band Matthew, a sales rep,
and daughters Jessica, 7, and
Ali, 4 — she has become very
appreciative of part-time
work opportunities.
"I think I've always had a
very realistic view of the life
of an actress, which is why I
never tried to go for it big-
time," said the entertainer,
who has appeared in Michi-
gan stage productinos, com-
mercials and a Jewish music
show she developed.
"Before high school, I had
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