BWW Reviews: Impressive Beatles Tribute RAIN Brings History and Harmony to Providence

Tribute bands and jukebox musicals abound in today's entertainment market. These offerings tend to be hit and miss, but RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles unquestionably falls into the "hit" category. Attending a performance by this polished and professional company is entirely worth the price of admission.

RAIN's long history - dating back to the 1970s with both US and international tours, as well as a recent limited engagement on Broadway - attests to the high quality of the production. This tour boasts an amazing sound, a sharp, authentic look, and an impressively talented quintet of musicians.

Cast members Jimmy Irizarry (as John Lennon), Joe Bithorn (George Harrison), Mac Ruffing (Paul McCartney), and Chris McBurney (Ringo Starr), along with keyboardist Chris Smallwood, deliver hit after chart-topping hit in just over two hours of music. Their performances are obviously a labor of love; these showmen sing each tune with great enthusiasm, interact easily with the audience, and recreate the Beatles' most subtle mannerisms with uncanny accuracy.

RAIN serves as a time capsule by including not only music from classic Beatles concerts, but also tracks released exclusively on studio albums. The tribute spans decades, starting with the landmark 1964 Ed Sullivan appearance and moving through the filming of A Hard Day's Night, the 1965 Shea Stadium concert, the Sgt. Pepper era, the Our World television production, and the Beatles' swan song at Abbey Road.

All of the music in RAIN is performed live on stage. The cast members may be portraying four of the great names in rock history, but their demonstrated, serious musicianship speaks to the considerable talents of the men who bring the show to life each evening. Irizarry moves fluidly and expertly between strings and piano keys, Bithorn brings down the house during "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," McBurney is meticulously precise on percussion, and Ruffing skillfully plays several instruments while maintaining an easy rapport with the audience. Smallwood's additions on keyboard and percussion provide the richer, more nuanced sound of later Beatles songs while never detracting from the living history unfolding center stage.

RAIN is more concert than storytelling, featuring favorite songs from "She Loves You" and "Eleanor Rigby" to "Blackbird" and "The Long and Winding Road," and that is the show's strength. No exposition is needed as time and place are set through judicious use of large-panel screens on either side of the stage. Footage of The Ed Sullivan Show appears alongside archival newsreels, while period television commercials (Duz detergent, Prell shampoo, Fred Flintstone advertising Winston cigarettes) and special animation provide for both smooth transitions and historical context.

RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles played the Providence Performing Arts Center for one night only on Sunday, April 21, 2013. For more information about this production and for a list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.raintribute.com.

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

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