The NCS's Revolution: The Music of The Beatles Was
an Enjoyable, High-Quality Symphonic Experience

Revolution: The Music of The Beatles, a Symphonic Experience, performed on Feb. 10th and 11th by the North Carolina Symphony in Meymandi Concert Hall in Raleigh, NC, was an enjoyable, high-quality music event for multiple generations. A Schirmer Theatrical/Greenberg Artists co-production, with arrangements by Jeff Tyzik, the production spanned approximately two hours and some of the bestselling Beatles hits from their 10 years together.

Paul Loren, Colin Smith, and Rick Brantley provided the voices of The Beatles; and although they sounded similar to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, each of the singers' voices had its own distinct sound. Loren, a New York-based singer-songwriter, emulated McCartney's vocals nicely, especially in "Drive My Car" (written by McCartney/Lennon and originally released on the Rubber Soul album in 1965).

Smith, from Dublin, Ireland, laced his version of the songs with a bit of humor, especially when he sang "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" (McCartney/Lennon, released on Abbey Road, 1969). Though the song was introduced as being about a serial killer, McCartney said in an interview in 1997 that the song was actually about "my analogy about when something goes wrong out of the blue, as it so often does." Brantley, from Georgia, has a raspy voice best spotlighted in "The Fool on the Hill," an emotional song and one of the best renditions of the evening (McCartney/Lennon, Magical Mystery Tour, 1967).

North Carolina Symphony associate conductor Michelle Di Russo, thrilled with The Beatles' production collaboration, introduced the symphony's version of "Eleanor Rigby" (McCartney/Lennon, Revolver, 1966). The song was originally recorded with a double string quartet, but the North Carolina Symphony's 20+ musicians gave the song an energy and beauty that would certainly make The Beatles proud.

Pictured here are (from left) conductor Michelle Di Russo, Paul Loren, Colin Smith, and Rick Brantley

Revolution travels with other creative personnel, such as Oscar Rodriguez on lead guitar, Brian Killeen on bass guitar, and Jordan Rose on drums, all talented musicians who played flawlessly.

Accompanying the music, an overhead screen flashed photos of The Beatles during some of the songs, while works of art were paired with other selections designed by the production's creative team. The visuals felt awkward, the transitions seemed jarring, and neither added much to the overall program.

True Beatles performances were pretty raucous, with girls screaming and fainting, but this event was more classically inclined and quiet -- until the end of the evening when some grandparents danced with their grandchildren to "Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley/Bert Russell), a song released on the earliest Beatles album, Please, Please Me, in 1963. All in all, Revolution filled the symphony's seats up to the rafters with song.

The North Carolina Symphony performed Revolution: The Music of The Beatles, Symphonic Experience, co-produced with
Schirmer Theatrical/Greenberg Artists, with arrangements by Jeff Tyzik, on Feb. 10th and 11th in Meymandi Concert Hall

REVOLUTION: THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES, A SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCE (In Person Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10th and 11th), conducted by Michelle Di Russo (North Carolina Symphony in Meymandi Concert Hall in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh). TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUGpgVJu9Zg&t=1s. PROGRAM: https://www.ncsymphony.org/wp-content/uploads/2223-POPS04-print-file.pdf. 2023 CONCERTS: https://www.ncsymphony.org/kw-search/?kw=&submit=Go. THE PRESENTER: https://www.ncsymphony.org/, https://www.facebook.com/ncsymphony, https://www.instagram.com/ncsymphony/, https://twitter.com/ncsymphony, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Symphony, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQiXxwgF8zDL_4OVTRnN4A. REVOLUTION: THE MUSIC OF THE BEATLES, A SYMPHONIC EXPERIENCE: https://schirmertheatrical.com/concert-program/revolution/ and https://greenbergartists.com/show/revolution-the-beatles-symphonic-experience/. THE BEATLES: https://www.thebeatles.com/, https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/beatles, https://www.beatle.net/ (fan site), https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1397313/, https://www.britannica.com/topic/the-Beatles, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles. THE VENUE: https://www.dukeenergycenterraleigh.com/venues, https://www.facebook.com/DECRaleigh, https://www.instagram.com/DECRaleigh/, https://twitter.com/DECRaleigh, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUCPC9naUI3G8vHw0K8Qnew. INFORMATION: 919-733-2750 or tickets@ncsymphony.org. PLEASE DONATE TO: North Carolina Symphony. [RUN HAS CONCLUDED.]

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