Sweet but not cloying, The Secret Life of Bees is set in the American south in 1964, and it deals with the racial relations that are addressed and stressed by President Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act. Lily, a young white girl, is abused by her father and eventually decides to flee accompanied by her only friend, the black servant, Rosaleen. They find refuge at an unusual bee farm presided over by three sisters who take inspiration from a black Madonna. The story is a vision of support and empowerment that comes from a community which stands together united in the face of an outside world riddled with bigotry and hatred. Based on Sue Monk Kidd's novel, which was later made into a film, this musical version of the story does a fine job of capturing the mood of the original and simplifying the narrative. Duncan Sheik's score and Susan Birkenhead's lyrics cleverly pay homage to various musical genres, with folk, soul, blues and gospel elements infusing th