Scott Roos, Special to the Herald
Get ready for an unforgettable night at the EA Rawlinson Centre for the Arts on Thursday, Feb. 13, as Becoming the Beatles takes you deep into the story of the world’s most iconic band.
This isn’t just another Beatles tribute show. It’s a unique, live musical documentary experience that blends over 300 stunning projections, 20 live songs, and some seriously interesting behind-the-scenes stories.
The mastermind behind it all is Haley Marie, a Yale-educated musician and storyteller, who brings the Beatles’ legacy to life in a way you’ve never seen before.
Marie’s journey into the Beatles’ world started long before she knew it would become her life’s work. As she shared in a recent interview with the Herald, her parents would always have Beatles music playing in the car when she was growing up.
“It was a lot of Beatles in the car,” she laughs.
Eventually, she started to take piano lessons, and become immersed in the classical music world, but she couldn’t shake the magic of the Beatles’ sound. As she started to dig into their music, Marie found herself captivated by how this group of young men, with all their quirks and struggles, rose to such legendary status. This early exposure to the Beatles would lead to the eventual creation of Becoming the Beatles.
Now, before you start picturing a Beatles impersonation show with wigs and fake accents, let’s set the record straight: Becoming the Beatles is something totally different. It’s not about mimicking the Beatles – it’s about telling their story. And what a story it is
Marie and her talented band will guide you through the Beatles’ journey, song by song, sharing the real-life moments, struggles, and influences that shaped their music. Between each song, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at what was happening in the band’s life at the time, and how they used those experiences to create the songs we all know and love.
It’s a mix of live concert and documentary, and the projections that go along with the performance give you a peek into the Beatles’ world, showing their childhoods, the people who shaped them, and the incredible moments that defined their career.
Marie’s passion for every era of the Beatles’ music is contagious, and it shows.
“They (constantly) wanted to reinvent themselves, which I think is very admirable. And invent themselves in the context of what they were experiencing, what they were learning, what technology was available out there. And I mean, it’s a risk, it’s a risk for an artist to do something new like that because nobody knows if it’s going to be a success. But that didn’t seem to stop them.”
Becoming the Beatles isn’t just about the music, though. It’s about the people behind it. The show takes a deep dive into the personalities and struggles of each band member – Paul’s sentimentality, John’s cynicism, Ringo’s happy go lucky vibe, and, of course, the quiet, contemplative, deep thinking George. Speaking of Harrison, his iconic “Something” is one of Marie’s favorite songs to perform. With the show touching on the emotional side of their fame – the pressures, the sacrifices, and the toll it took on the band, one of Marie’s favourite band member quotes is that of Harrison who said, “The world gave us their screams and their money, but we gave them our nervous systems.” These were four young men who changed the world, arguably at a cost to their own well-being.
At the end of the evening, Haley’s goal with Becoming the Beatles is to give you a new way to hear the Beatles’ music and you’ll be entertained along the way by great music, stunning musicianship and captivating storytelling. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at www.earc.ca or at the E.A. Rawlinson Box Office.
