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Not that I’m complaining, but in the first half of “Let It Be: A Celebration of the Music of the Beatles,” which opened with a burst of musical magical realism on Wednesday night at the St. James Theater, three of the four musicians out front resembled a young Mr. McCartney. None looked particularly like John Lennon or George Harrison. Clearly that was supposed to be Ringo Starr (Chris McBurney) on the drum platform, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. But, you know — Ringo, drums, pretty easy.
This confusion was remedied later, as hairstyles, eyewear and facial hair evolved and signature solos were performed, with 10 musicians rotating through the roles. But in “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Please Please Me,” “It Won’t Be Long” and other early hits, it was not at all clear whom Graham Alexander, John Brosnan and Ryan Coath were supposed to be evoking.
Yes, another Beatles tribute is on Broadway. Wasn’t it just yesterday that “Rain” opened at the Neil Simon? Pretty much. It was 2010, and Charles Isherwood, reviewing it for The Times, called it “enhanced karaoke.” In long-ago 1977, “Beatlemania” — “not the Beatles, but an incredible simulation” — opened at the Winter Garden and ran for two years. In his review for The Times, John Rockwell decreed it “an unobjectionable diversion.”
Gentle mods and rockers of a certain age, I saw them both. I cringed at the 1977 show. (I mean, all four of the real guys were still alive and in their 30s.) I let myself get carried away at the second. And I can happily report that “Let It Be” is by far the best of the bunch. The word “celebration” in the subtitle is well chosen, and the performers are outstanding, as nostalgia substitutes and as musicians in their own right.
This new show, which opened last fall in London as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ first record, takes the standard route to telling the story of this most influential band of the 1960s. Act I begins with scenes at the Cavern Club, the murky Liverpool lounge where the group played early concerts; “The Ed Sullivan Show,” with the requisite film clips of ecstatic teenage girls nearly going into convulsions; and the 1965 Shea Stadium concert. Act I ends with a “Sgt. Pepper” (1967) set, including a heady psychedelic rendition of “A Day in the Life.”
Act II begins with selections from “Magical Mystery Tour” (1967) and the White Album (1968), but breaks out of chronological order with numbers from “Rubber Soul” (1965) and “Revolver” (1966), including “Norwegian Wood,” “In My Life” and “Eleanor Rigby.” The big finish includes “Get Back,” “Come Together” and “Revolution,” but the surprising emotional high in a show of 40 or so songs is Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” with a knockout performance by Mr. Brosnan.
I worried a bit about whether my 28-year-old guest would appreciate the show; when I challenged her to name all four Beatles, she had trouble remembering George. (The audience was rife with young fans, though. The cast dedicated “When I’m 64” to them.) But fresh from Los Angeles and not yet a seasoned theatergoer, my guest saw one thing clearly. “This is not really a Broadway show, is it?” she said. “It’s a concert.”
Yes, well, we’ve resigned ourselves to that — and to solo stand-up comics’ taking over the Broadhurst and the Helen Hayes. The difference between a jukebox musical and a rock concert is that at a rock concert, nobody has to instruct the audience to stand. But at concerts, you don’t get amazing 1960s television commercials during the costume changes. The Carnation Instant Breakfast ad gets a big laugh.
Let It Be
A Celebration of the Music
of the Beatles
Musical supervisor and director, John Maher; sets by Tim McQuillen-Wright; lighting by Jason Lyons; sound by Gareth Owen; video design by Duncan McLean; original video designs by Darren McCaulley and Mathieu St. Arnaud; costumes by Jack Galloway; production and creative director, Scott Christensen; technical supervisors, Arthur Siccardi and Pat Sullivan; production stage manager, Bonnie L. Becker; general manager, Bespoke Theatricals; British general manager, Jamie Hendry Productions. Presented by Annerin Productions, Yasuhiro Kawana, BB Promotion, Rubin Fogel and Jujamcyn Theaters. At the St. James Theater, 246 West 44th Street, Manhattan; (212) 239-6200; letitbebroadway.com. Through Dec. 29. Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.
WITH: Graham Alexander, John Brosnan, Ryan Coath, James Fox, Reuven Gershon, Chris McBurney, Luke Roberts, Ryan Alex Farmery, John Korba and Daniel A. Weiss.
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