Beatles Tribute Makes It Rain at the McCallum

Felicis at Rain

You know what they say, if you remember the ’60, you weren’t really there. For those of us who missed it because we weren’t born yet, there’s the ever-growing ’60s nostalgia circuit — tributes and celebrations of varying size and quality. Like the Who said, it’s just a substitute, and typically not a very good one at that.

Last weekend I took my son to the McCallum Theatre to see “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles,” which according to trusted information source Wikipedia, “is acknowledged to be the first, longest running, and most successful Beatles tribute show in the world.”  The Broadway-quality production landed at the Palm Desert venue for three performances (we were at the Saturday matinee), providing an impressive recreation of the most successful group in music history.

Before I get into the actual performance, a little background.

At 2 years old my son has seen all the Beatles movies (sans “Let It Be,” which is a total downer) because his music-loving dad figured, “better the Fab Four than the Wiggles.” For him, the Beatles are characters and the role of George (played by the late George Harrison) is his clear-cut his favorite… You know, the skinny chap with the toothy grin who trips while being chased by throngs of screaming girls in “A Hard Day’s Night.” … The denim-clad hipster who fearlessly leaps onto a Pepto Bismol-colored sedan to save Ringo in “Help!” …The animated, levitating guru who bravely battles Blue Meanies with love in “Yellow Submarine.”

Yep, George was always the coolest. And although he and John Lennon are no longer with us, the Beatles remain incredibly popular 45 years after they broke up. How else do you explain crowds paying good money to see four guys not only perform their best-loved songs but also recreate their physical likenesses and adopt their mannerisms? It’s all actually pretty odd when you think about it.

But back to “Rain,” a show that ran for over 300 performances in New York (again, per Wikipedia) between 2010 and 2011 before making its way to Las Vegas and eventually the McCallum. Describing it as “tribute” definitely shortchanges the production value, especially when compared to the free tribute acts currently populating the local casinos.

“Rain” is a multi-media experience complete with period-setting backgrounds, elaborate lighting effects and frequent costume changes. The result is a journey through the Beatles’ unmatched catalog, from “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” to “Get Back.” If you squinted your eyes hard enough and ignored little things like the Paul McCartney character playing a right-handed acoustic guitar during “Yesterday,” it all came together (pun untended) pretty well.

For my son it wasn’t a Beatles tribute, it was the real thing. His eyes lit up every time he recognized a song and all he muster during the intermission was, “more Beatles.” His enthusiasm reminded me of that the old “Saturday Night Live” sketch where Chris Farley awkwardly interviews Paul:

Farley: Remember when you were in the Beatles and you made that album “Abbey Road”?
Paul: Yeah.

Farley: And at the very end of the song, the song goes, “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”… Is that true?”

Paul: Yeah, Chris. In my experience I find the more you give, the more you get.”

Farley: AWESOME!

“Rain” fittingly came to a close with that very “Abbey Road” suite. Seeing “Rain” through my son’s eyes was a reminder of the enduring appeal of the Beatles, and why they’re not going away any time soon.