The world premiere of The Secret Life of Bees concludes its extended run at Atlantic Theater Company July 21. The musical adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, set against the backdrop of 1960s South Carolina, officially opened Off-Broadway June 13.
The Secret Life of Bees features a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, music by Duncan Sheik, and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead. Directed by Tony winner Sam Gold, the cast is led by Tony nominee Saycon Sengbloh (Eclipsed, Hair) as Rosaleen and Elizabeth Teeter (The Audience, The Crucible) as Lily. When the two escape on an adventure to uncover the mystery of Lily’s mother’s death, they are taken in by a trio of Black beekeeping sisters.
LaChanze (a Tony winner for The Color Purple) stars as beekeeper August Boatwright, with Eisa Davis (Kings) as June, Tony nominee Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) as T-Ray, Brett Gray (Netflix's On My Block) as Zach, and Anastacia McCleskey (Waitress) as May.
Rounding out the cast are Jai’Len Christine Li Josey, Romelda Teron Benjamin, Joe Cassidy, Vita E. Cleveland, Matt DeAngelis, and Nathaniel Stampley.
The Secret Life of Bees features choreography by Chris Walker, scenic design by Mimi Lien, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Jane Cox, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier, puppets by AchesonWalsh Studios, musical direction by Jason Hart, music contraction by Antoine Silverman, orchestrations by Sheik and John Clancy, incidental music orchestrations by Sheik, hair and makeup design by Cookie Jordan, fight direction by UnkleDave’s Fight House, dialects by Dawn-Elin Fraser, and casting by Telsey + Company, Patrick Goodwin, CSA.
A workshop production of The Secret Life of Bees was presented by New York Stage and Film & Vassar in 2017.
