I loved the Beatles. I was a sucker for Beatlemania and would give any tribute to the Liverpool lads a try. Until now. With the current 50th anniversary show at Broadway’s St. James Theater, I feel maybe it's time to Let It Be. Rain, a similar (and for me a more enjoyable) Broadway tribute to the Fab Four, ran two years ago, and there are always groups regularly circling the globe with Beatles salutes. Let It Beis more of the same and, until we find a more imaginative concept for celebrating the groundbreaking group, there is much to be said for putting on a CD and listening to the real thing.
Like Rain, Let It Be> greets the audience with amusing television commercials and events of the '60s. The boys appear to a soundtrack of screaming girls while they deliver their bouncy lineup of '50s derivative rock-n'-roll tunes ("I Saw Her Standing There," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and so on). From there, the songbook proceeds chronologically, from the early Cavern Club days in Liverpool, the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium, the Sergeant Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band production with its Crayola costumes and the spiritual and/or druggy era. Wigs and costumes, the set design by Tim McQuillen-Wright and expansive use of laser lighting by Jason Lyons and Duncan McLean's videos propel the show with ultra-theatricality sparking up the audience, many of whom grew increasingly disinterested.
Identified generically as "musicians" instead of John, Paul, George and Ringo are some able performers, Graham Alexander, Ryan Coath, JT Curtis, and Chris McBurney, Luke Roberts, John Korba, Daniel A. Weiss. Who was playing whom on the night I was there is a mystery, but the performer portraying Paul was off-key in his solo of "Yesterday." Just saying.
On the other hand, the quartet's harmony and energy is lusty, particularly in their renditions of “Revolver,” “Get Back,” “Come Together” and “Revolution.” A highlight is the George Harrison guitarist playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
Off-putting are the four musicians urging the audience to clap along, wave their arms, get up to "Twist and Shout," and have the women first, then men sing "La, La, La, La la la la..." in the requisite finale, "Hey Jude." The Beatles actually did not do this. They didn't have to. You also must also wonder why "Give Peace a Chance," is included, which is a John Lennon and Yoko Ono song, not performed by the Beatles.
The Beatles songbook is everlasting, always provoking memories, but unless a creative concept can add something new and personal about John, Paul, George and Ringo, why not rest “Let It Be” for awhile and spend your ticket money elsewhere?
