Tag Archives: Let It Be-A Musical Celebration of the Beatles

The Beatles Rock The Stage At The Ogunquit Playhouse

 

84th Season Blasts Off Like A Rocket

Let It Be – A Celebration Of The Music Of The Beatles

reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Wow! Let It Be – A Celebration Of The Music Of The Beatles is burning up the stage at the Ogunquit Playhouse. This is not simply a tribute band performing Beatles’ songs; it is

a solid theatrical production that brings us back in time

a solid theatrical production that brings us back in timeand allows us to experience Beatlemania from its very beginnings and on up to the post band day when each member was working on his own.

Let It Be (Photo: Julia Russell)
Let It Be
(Photo: Julia Russell)

From the opening number, I Saw Her Standing There, you know you are in for more than just a night of nostalgic music. These five extraordinarily talented musicians, Neil Candelora (Paul McCartney), Michale Gagliano (John Lennon), Chris McBurney (Ringo Starr), JT Curtis (George Harrison) and Daniel A. Weiss (Keyboards) were tight and sharp. They were not only able to recreate the music, but they each also took on the look and personalities of the Fab Four at the different stages of their careers.

The show opens with the band playing behind a mesh material in what represents the Cavern Club in Liverpool where the boys got their start. The stage has two large television monitors in the style of early sets perched atop two gigantic transistor radios on each side of the stage. Live shots of the Ogunquit stage are seen on these screens interspersed with vintage footage from the various eras the Beatles played in. This is very effective and brings back so many memories of all that occurred during the group’s rise in popularity. We relive their appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show along with their sold out performance at Shea Stadium where they stood before over 55,000 screaming fans.

That excitement fills the Playhouse.

That excitement fills the Playhouse.
All the early numbers are there including Please Please Me, All My Loving, I want to hold Your Hand, and She Loves You. A marvelous animation accompanies A Hard Day’s Night, that is vintage perfect.

The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band set is breathtaking

The Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band set is breathtakingwith the boys dressed up in full regalia to bring the album cover to life. It is magical. Projections on the back wall along with amazing lights that spin in multi colors on both the stage and the audience make this a very interactive show. John (Michale Gagliano) constantly eggs on the audience and gets a fantastic response. He looks like he is having a great time, and I think he would have stayed all night. This show will have you on your feet rocking with the Beatles for a good portion of the over two hours they are performing more than forty songs. You’ll be surprised at how well you know the lyrics as you sing along.

Let It Be (Photo: Julia Russell)
Let It Be
(Photo: Julia Russell)

JT Curtis as George not only has a wonderful voice, but he is a very talented guitar player. His solos on Here Comes The Sun and My Sweet Lord were fantastic, but his guitar solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps was classic. The boys joked that Eric Clapton might make a surprise visit the evening I was there, but since he didn’t, JT certainly kept him from being missed.

Towards the latter half of the show the performance shifted to a what would it have been like if the Beatles had had a reunion mode. This could have been risky, but it worked just fine as the band got together and played the songs they had each written after having gone their own ways. This is just how it might have been. Chris McBurney (Ringo) was right on doing It Don’t Come Easy while perched high up on the drums.

Neil Candelora was Paul McCartney

Neil Candelora was Paul McCartneyon Band On The Run.

The entire cast captured the Beatles throughout every step of their careers as both a band and solo artists. We see them age before our eyes and got to, for those of us old enough to remember, see so much of what we grew up with. When I’m Sixty-Four had a very special meaning for many in attendance.

You would think all I described here would have been plenty, but they were not through yet. The Beatles, and by now I was fully convinced I was spending the evening with the Beatles, kicked off a tribute set to the greats that influenced them including Chuck Berry and Little Richard. They ripped out, with the crowd dancing and screaming their approval.

The Fab Four (Photo: Julia Russell)
The Fab Four
(Photo: Julia Russell)

I now feel like a late night television ad man when I am saying there was still more. The title song, Let It Be, was as touching as ever. Hey Jude had everyone singing along, and Back In The USSR sent us out rocking.

I would also like to note that during the performance of Imagine the boys asked the audience to light up their cell phones and wave them during the song. What fun.

Daniel A. Weiss on keyboard is also the Music Supervisor, and he was also outstanding. This was a tremendous amount of music to present in one evening. Add to that the whole theatrical aspect of the show and this was one huge challenge. This team pulled it off on the stage of the Ogunquit Playhouse. Just incredible!

What a start to the season. I would urge all of you to

make tracks north and catch this show

make tracks north and catch this show. I would also strongly suggest you buy a season subscription to the Playhouse. If this is any indication, it is going to be a very exciting year in Ogunquit.

Let It Be – A Celebration Of The Music Of The Beatles

Through June 11th

Ogunquit Playhouse 207.646.5511

www.ogunquitplayhouse.org
Video:

Let It Be – A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles

Kicks Off The Ogunquit Playhouse 2016 Season

Let It Be - A Celebration of The Beatles (Photo Paul Coltas)
Let It Be – A Celebration of The Beatles
(Photo Paul Coltas)

You know summer is fast approaching when the Ogunquit Playhouse opens its doors for the season. This year they are are kicking off an exciting season with Let It Be – A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles. The show will run from May 18 to June 11 and promises to be an exciting evening of music from the Fab Four.

The tribute show follows the Beatles from their beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later masterpieces. Let It Be includes forty of the Beatles’ greatest hits including “Twist and Shout”, “She Loves You”, “Yesterday”, “Come Together”, as well as the title tune “Let It Be”.

Let It Be has played London’s West End and Broadway and will now get the full Ogunquit Playhouse treatment, so i am sure you will not be disappointed.

The cast of Let It Be includes Michael Gagliano, who has is spent the last 15 years perfecting his performances of the Beatle’s music on some of the world’s biggest stages from Liverpool’s Cavern Club to the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, as well as on television all over the world; Neil Candelora, who as a six year old he saw a recording of The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show and decided to learn to play guitar left handed; JT Curtis, who made his Broadway debut in Let It Be and has performed with several Beatles tribute acts from Los Angeles to New York; Chris McBurney, who also reprises his role from the Broadway production of Let It Be and has toured as a drummer and multi-instrumentalist all over North America, Europe and Japan with numerous acts, while continuing to perform and record in New York.

The Music Director for Let It Be is Daniel A. Weiss, a New York City based musician who was most recently seen music directing and arranging for a sold out performance of West End Recast in London, a concert featuring many of the West End’s finest singers. Mr. Weiss was the assistant musical director and associate conductor for the original Broadway company of Rent.  He has a multitude of Broadway credits for both conducting and/or performing, including Let It Be, Motown the Musical, Godspell, Hair, Taboo, Hairspray and Brooklyn.

Contact the Playhouse for tickets including information about season packages.

Go to:www.ogunquitplayhouse.org or call 207-646-5511