It was a year ago that I saw this show in a pre-Broadway run in Miami at the Arsht Performing Arts Center and now, post-Broadway, it is appearing at the Broward Performing Arts Center in Fort Lauderdale which I attended Tuesday evening.



The four gentlemen from Liverpool came to, and conquered, the United States in February of 1964 and stayed together as a group until 1970. This tribute covers that period not only with their music but archives, shown on two big TV sets, one on each end of the stage, along with ads from that period and all the major happenings of that decade from the man walking on the moon to JFK being elected and assassinated, the protests regarding the Vietnam war and the 'peace, not war' movement, with their music, clothes and looks, reflecting the changes we went through.

On stage, live, using their own voices and playing their own instruments, Joe Bithorn is a holdover from Miami while Steve Landes, Joey Curatolo, Ralph Castelli and Mark Beyer bring the Beatles to life. For the audience who never saw them on stage here is a chance to experience to a certain degree what it was like while those who had seen the group perform brought their memories with them.

There were 18 songs sung in full plus 5 snippets of others in the first act and 15 full songs plus another 5 snippets in the second act so you hear/experience close to 43 songs from the 60s. Ages spanned 4 generations, all engulfed in the time and music that will always be a part of history.

A major difference seeing the show this time was the audience! Whereas in the 60s and 70s when people were at a concert you would see people holding up and waving lighted Zippos or Bics--as one guy tried to do at the Miami performance to no avail as too many people have given up smoking and don't carry lighters--today it is the light of the cellphone. In Miami it was a close decision as to which was more annoying: the ushers, walking up and down the aisles, vigilantly trying to get people to not use their cellphones and the audience members wanting to take pictures. The ushers won until the end when too many people, during "Hey Jude", whipped the phones out. At this performance there wasn't one cellphone taking a picture! Looks like there is more than 40 miles between the two cities.

Running time is 2 hours and two minutes with a 24 minute intermission.

There are strobe lights and smoke used throughout the performance.

www.raintribute.com www.broadwayacrossamerica.com

FUTURE SHOWS: "BILLY ELLIOT", "RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN'S SOUTH PACIFIC", "DISNEY'S "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST", "JERSEY BOYS", "LA CAGE AUX FOLLES"

Review posted at www.corinescorner.com