Local High School String Quartet Will Join BEATLES VS. STONES on Stage

When the touring show Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown comes to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 26, the Iowa City High School String Quartet will join the professional musicians on stage to lend some local talent to this homage to the British Invasion.

The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance. The string quartet will perform six songs with the bands. The Abbey Road band played to a sold out audience at the Coralville Center in 2016 as the cast of the production, In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles.

Here's the rundown:

The show: The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off in Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, one of the nation's top Beatles tribute bands. With brilliant musicianship and authentic costumes and gear, Abbey Road plays beloved songs spanning the Beatles' career. They engage in a "showdown" of the hits with Stones tribute band Satisfaction - The International Rolling Stones Show, who offer a faithful rendition of the music and style of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the bad boys of the British Invasion. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Los Angeles Times at one point declaring: "this is the most unique tribute show in decades." The Coralville show is part of a 125 city tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The string quartet: Iowa City High School senior Kaya Zdan, juniors Oliver Bostian and Rachel Meehan and sophomore Ruth Meehan will join the bands for the songs "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," "Hey Jude," "Gimme Shelter" and "Ruby Tuesday."

How the "Beatles" and "Stones" connection was started: The producers of Beatles vs. Stones approached City High School Director of Orchestras Megan Stucky looking for a quartet who could hold its own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly hires a local quartet to augment the production while on tour.

The quartet's Beatles or Stones fans: Ruth Meehan and Rachel Meehan are the quartet's Beatles fans.

"I really love the Beatles. My favorite song is 'Eleanor Rigby'," said Ruth.

"They are one of my family's favorite bands, but my personal favorite song is 'Blackbird'," said Rachel.

The two greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time face off as the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts hosts tributes to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Renowned tribute bands Abbey Road and Satisfaction - The International Rolling Stones Show engage in a musical showdown of the hits. Beatles vs. Stones - A Musical Showdown comes to the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $35 - $55 and may be purchased online at www.coralvillearts.org by phone at 319.248.9370 or at the box office. The Coralville Center is located at 1301 5th Street in Coralville, IA 52241. The box office is open Tuesday - Friday from 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm and one hour prior to ticketed events. The show is appropriate for all ages.