by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
What: The Fab Four – Beatles Tribute Band
When: July 31st
Where: The Florida theater
Since the Mop-tops broke up in 1968, there have been many Beatles tribute bands touring the globe. This phenomenon honors the long-term influence of this iconic quartet, which produced one of the largest catalogues of exemplary songs in music history.
The Fab Four was formed ten years ago and, since then, they have crafted a scripted show that recreates the Beatles with precise attention to detail, from the costumes and the accents to the amps and guitars. The incredible stage show includes three costume changes, representing every era of the Beatles’ eclectic career. This loving tribute to the Beatles has amazed audiences all over the world, including Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Britain, Germany, Mexico, and Brazil.
Last Wednesday, I called Ron McNeil, who plays John Lennon in the show, to shed some light on the group’s stellar career.
EU: What was the evolution of this group from the beginning?
Ron McNeil: First, my friends and I love the Beatles’ music and we love playing it. Then, I attended a Beatles convention and I met this guy Ardy Sarraf, who looked like Paul McCartney. It was uncanny. And he was an excellent bass player. My musician friends and I were planning to form a Beatles tribute band but we needed a Paul. This guy was it. But when I told him our plans to dress in costumes and recreate the Beatles, authentic in every detail, he said he wasn’t interested.
But we didn’t give up and we hounded him. Eventually he agreed to do it. That was ten years ago. After we had been on the road for a couple of years we got an invitation to play Vegas. So, we decided to up the quality of our show. We wrote a script and made the Vegas act more like musical theater than a concert. That was the start of the first cast with a permanent show at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. In other words, we went from touring musicians to show producers and hired a cast for the Vegas show. With the original cast, including me, Ardy Sarraf as Paul, Michael Amador as George, and Rolo Sandoval as Ringo. We extended our touring schedule to include foreign gigs in various countries.
EU: I’ve heard you guys are wildly popular and sell out most everywhere. Is that true?
RM: Absolutely. Everywhere we go we sell-out mostly on our first visit. But after our first show in a city, we always get a sell-out the next time we perform there.”
EU: Going into theater production was a big step. What prompted you to make that leap?
RM: Well, we were touring and one day we realized that to expand our business horizons we could have more than one cast performing, like touring Broadway shows. So when we got the house gig at Planet Hollywood in Vegas, we decided to become producers and musicians. It hasn’t been easy mixing business and touring, but we found it greatly increased our income possibilities. Of course, we have the surviving Beatles, Paul and Ringo, to thank for our success.
The Beatles’ music is timeless and everyone enjoys witnessing a show that recreates a real Beatles concert. People who remember the Beatles love us for our nostalgia value and young people love us because they get a chance to see a close facsimile of a live Beatles show.
This show is for diehard Beatles fans and casual Beatles listeners alike. This is a scripted show with incredible attention to detail. Once at the show, just close and open your eyes and the Beatles will be reborn on stage. The Fab Four will be performing at the Florida Theater on Tuesday, July 31st.
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