(L-R) Ralph Castelli, Steve Landes, Ralph Castelli, and Joey Curatolo in “Abbey Road” attire perform in “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles.”
Imagine you’re staring at an amazing portrait. You recognize the beauty, both in the subject and in the precise, and the natural artistry of the painter’s brushstrokes; however, it’s not the perfection of the subject that draws you — it’s the perfection of the depiction. You may appreciate the painting and even have an emotional reaction to it, but there is a level to the artistry that is outside your comprehension. This is because you never knew and loved the person outside the depiction; however, for an individual who loved the subject, there will be few works of art more adored. People may love a beautiful portrait, but none so much as those who loved the one painted. In the same way, none will love and appreciate “Rain” more than those who loved The Beatles.
Rain is a Beatles tribute band, not a cover band. A cover band takes songs, possibly from multiple sources, and uses it as a basis for their own music. The songs are often altered to give it a new, unique flavor. A tribute band, however, specializes in a specific band and plays their music as loyally as possible. It is important to distinguish the difference between a tribute band and a cover band because expecting one and receiving the other is bound to disappoint anyone. As a tribute band, Rain does a marvelous job.
In fact, Rain’s status as a Beatles tribute band makes it much easier to determine if this show is worth viewing. It’s quite a straightforward production. Expect a band performing The Beatles’ songs just as The Beatles would. Don’t expect a play, and don’t expect a story. This is a show that knows exactly what it is, and the audience would greatly benefit from knowing that as well.
The music is completely live, and this fact is emphasized in the program and by the artists. You’d think voicing this fact would be unnecessary, but by the end of the performance, it’s easy to see why they repeat this so often. The music so closely follows the original recordings that from time to time you might find it hard to believe you’re not listening to the real deal. The thing that sold me though is that these people aren’t just vocal impersonators. On stage, you can see the individual personalities of each of The Beatles they represent. The way they carry themselves, or the subtle movements they make even when they’re not the focus, it shows a level of professionalism that really sets this show apart.
It’s actually because of the level of their performance that I have a criticism. The visual aspect of the show was a generally pleasant surprise that I wasn’t at all expecting, but there was one thing that bothered me: the costumes were iconic and their quality and necessity are unquestionable. The stage was often simple, but complimented the performance quite nicely; however, the use of projectors, while helpful at times, often seemed unnecessary and distracting. When the projector streamed live video of the singers or when there were only subdued mood-setting images, it was a great asset. But often I found myself watching the projector screens, ignoring what was going on on stage. The music became a background used to enjoy old clips of fans screaming or odd little music videos. While the projector images were interesting enough, they weren’t what I was there for, and yet I found myself unable to ignore them. At the end of the show I found myself wishing I’d payed more attention to the performers.
The most prominent member of the band is Joey Curatolo, representing Paul McCartney. On top of looking remarkably like McCartney, Curatolo charms the audience with a charisma not unlike the man he doubles. While all members of Rain are top-notch musicians, I found myself constantly impressed with Curatolo’s performance and stage presence. Sharing the front of the stage with Curatolo is Steve Landes, standing in for John Lennon. In both conversation and in his songs, Landes was amazingly thorough in his depiction of Lennon. He was quite natural, but it’s the depth of his performance that truly makes him stand apart. George Harrison performer Joe Bithorn was quite quiet for the first half of the performance — an accurate depiction — but really stood out in the latter half of the show, pushing me to the edge of my seat with his impressive musical talents. About as vocal as Bithorn during the performance was Ralph Castelli performing as Ringo Starr. Castelli, much like Ringo, isn’t a very prominent member of the band, and could easily be overlooked, but that would be a great shame. I found myself often charmed by Castelli’s background antics and character work. Rather than watching the projectors during the big numbers, it’s worth it to watch the band.
Before this show, I’d never heard of tribute bands giving a very strong showing of themselves outside of Vegas lounges and 60+ cruise lines. Seeing a tribute band in concert is like going to a fancy restaurant and ordering a tofu prime rib. Sure, your friends might snigger at you and the waiter might give you a look, but there’s also a small chance that tofu prime rib will be the best damn prime rib you’ve ever tasted. For casual enthusiasts, Rain is a skillful tribute band, giving people a taste of something they might never have experienced. For those who loved the Beatles though, Rain is a work of art bringing back to life a long, lost beloved.
“Rain : A Tribute to the Beatles” will be playing at the Neal Blaisdell Concert Hall through Sunday, May 19.
Tickets may be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, visiting the Neal Blaisdell Box Office during business hours, or online through Ticketmaster. Further details about showtimes and upcoming productions may be found on the Broadway in Hawaii website.