The Secret Life of Bees - "What Do You Love?"

LOVED this song and the show.

I thought the book could use some work, but the score was killer. "Lady of Chains" at the end of the first act had me sobbing.

Updated On: 5/16/20 at 04:11 PM

There are some serious problems with that book (structurally, not necessarily the dialogue) but there's more than enough promise in that material for another go. It wouldn't surprise me if it had a "tryout" at a regional house before another NYC run

MidnightUrl said: "Falsettolands said: "There are some serious problems with that book (structurally, not necessarily the dialogue)but there's more than enough promise in that materialfor another go. It wouldn't surprise me if it had a"tryout" at a regional house before another NYC run"



LaChanze was quoted in an article after their run that they were going to London next. So maybe London and then back to the states for a Broadway debut? There's more than enough here to work with, and it's all ORIGINAL, not some reboot. It's just too good to not give it a go.

"

Yes, the music is new, but the show is based on a book that has already been a movie, so it's not ALL original.

Updated On: 5/18/20 at 09:52 AM

Mitch101 said: "Sorry, but there is a much better version of this song called “Light My Candle.” (From Rent)"


I’d be curious to hear what similarities you noticed between the two songs. I’ve heard this song from Bees several times now, twice in the context of the show, and no similarities to Light My Candle are coming to mind. Except for the basic fact that they’re both sub-textual love songs, but there are lots of those throughout musical theatre history. Happy to be illuminated though!

Falsettolands said: "There are some serious problems with that book (structurally, not necessarily the dialogue)but there's more than enough promise in that materialfor another go. It wouldn't surprise me if it had a"tryout" at a regional house before another NYC run"

It needs work. It's been a while since I read the book but I felt like the Lily character was fighting to stay a part of the story in this adaptation. I didn't need her or her romantic subplot. I remember finding a lot of the lyrics rough as well. There is definitely some great material and the cast was killer but if it moves forward, I hope it's not another show that doesn't make any substantial changes.

bryan32 said: "so why has it not come out on cd"



They're probably waiting in the hopes that it transfers, and then they can record the Broadway version of the score.

If it doesn't transfer, they may decide to record it retroactively, or it might join the ranks of the many Off-Broadway and out of town musicals that regrettably don't get recorded. The sad truth is that cast albums are expensive, and not all shows get them, even if they deserve it.

I also found the full recording of the Act 1 closer, "Our Lady of Chains," which absolutely stunned me in the theatre:

Any word on the future of this show? I remember rumblings about it going to a nonprofit in London before Broadway, but that was all pre-Covid. And then of course Margo Lion, one of its commercial producers, passed away in January 2020.