Theater Review: Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles

The cast of Rain. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

Imagine It‘s Yesterday and The Beatles are on a Broadway Stage
By Lauren Yarger
They look like the Beatles and sound like the Beatles and if you’re a fan of the group’s music that became the voice of the 1960s and ‘70s cultural revolution, you’ll love the latest jukebox-style musical to play Broadway: Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles.

Unlike other musicals in the jukebox category, Rain, the brainchild of Mark Lewis, who nurtured a touring sensation and Broadway engagement from a 1970s California bar bad, doesn’t have a plot.

The show sort of follows the Beatles through some well-remembered events like their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show and the 1965 concert at Shea Stadium where police had trouble containing the screaming, hair-pulling girls trying to climb fences and barricades to get closer to the Fab Four.

Large retro TV video screens show footage of news, events of the era and shots of the Beatles themselves to propel the songs along. Make no mistake, though, this is a concert, complete with lighting (Stephen Gotschel, design), terrific graphics and projections (Scott Christensen, Todd Skinner, scenic design; Darren McCaulley, Matthew St. Arnaud, video design), sound enhancements (Abe Jacob, sound design) and four talented vocalists who also play their own instruments.

Joey Curatolo (Paul) McCartney, Steve Landes (John Lennon), Joe Bithorn (George Harrison) and Ralph Castelli (Ringo Starr) don’t try to impersonate as much as represent the Beatles. Arrangements for the more than 30 tunes are true to the originals, though many favorites don’t make it into the mix (there‘s only so much of the songbook you can fit into two hours).

As the style of the music changes over the years, so do the costumes and hair styles of the group. It’s very nostalgic and most of the baby-boomer-aged audience claps, bops and sings along with happy smiles on their faces.

Particularly funny are some vintage commercials shown in between other footage.
It’s an enjoyable evening, particularly if you like the music of the Beatles and some very skilled guitar playing.

Rain runs through Jan. 9 at the Neil Simon Theatre, 250 West 52nd St., NYC. For tickets, call 212-307-4100 or 800-755-4000..

Christians might also like to know:
No content notes.