The Cast of Beatlemania

The Cast of Beatlemania

The Cast of Beatlemania
Background information
Origin New England, United States
Occupation(s) Beatles Tribute Band
Years active 1980–present
Website Moptops.com
Members Carlo Cantamessa
Lenie Colacino
Jim Filgate
John Delgado
Mark Templeton
Past members Mitch Weissman, Leslie Fradkin, Joe Pecorino, Louis Colucci, Jimmy Pou, Tom Teeley, Bob Miller, Alan LeBoeuf, Marty Feier, P.M. Howard.
Notable instruments

Rickenbacker Model 325V59, 360C64
Gretch Country Gentleman 6122 Reissue
Hofner Beatles Violin Bass guitar
Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Drum Kit
Vox AC-30 Hand Wired Amplification
Epiphone Casino Sunburst and Blonde Solid Body guitars
Gibson-J-160E acoustic Guitars, Cherry SG Electric Guitars

Fender-Stratocasters - Sonic Blue, Sunburst

The Cast of Beatlemania is a U.S. Beatles' tribute band formed in 1980. The Cast is one of longest running Beatles' tribute band in the world. The group currently features Lenie Colacino, a former cast member of the 1977 Broadway musical Beatlemania. The group has performed in all contiguous U.S. states, and over twenty foreign countries, including Canada, England, Mexico, Central and South America, Brazil and Japan.

The Cast recreates the sights and sounds of The Beatles from an era of the 1960s when the world was engulfed in the throes of Beatlemania. Three different costumes coincide with the changing music and times during their existence.

History

The Cast was individually selected from hundreds of musicians who auditioned from all over the U.S. for the Broadway show, Beatlemania.

The Cast originally started when the members of the ending Broadway show were let go as the show came to a conclusion in late 1979. Those four members (Lenie Colacino, Richie Gomez, Mike Palaikis and Bob Forte) started The Cast and the same group name has been in existence since the early 1980s.

This current incarnation of the show is the most popular version since inception, having retained the same members for the longest period of time.

Concept

“ The concept of Beatlemania was to put four people up on stage that look, act and sound like The Beatles; people that could actually play The Beatles music in such a way that you would think you’re watching The Beatles but in a very small time span of two hours, you would get the entire era of The Beatles from 1964-1969. The Cast of Beatlemania originated out of the Broadway show Beatlemania, but we took it one step further where we try to look, act and sound like The Beatles as you remember them, but the sound is the album. The Broadway show had the video that ran behind you, you had slides that ran and it was only these songs, you did this and you said that and you were here at a certain time. We don’t do that; we have a whole interaction with the crowd and we interact with each other, but when it comes to the actual music, I want you to sit there and feel as if you’re hearing the record live… We want people to go, 'Wow, those guys were great and the music was spot on.' ... Night after night it sounds exactly like the record but it’s a live format. ”
— Taken from a live radio interview with Carlo Cantamessa

Members

The current members are:

The manager of the band.
The first left-handed member of the original Broadway production of Beatlemania.
Has provided three of the four voices of the “Beetles” on the Nickelodeon show Wonder Pets
Previously played with Cinema and New Joy.
Previously played with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Berry, and Kenny Garrett.

Songs

Lenie Colacino (as Paul McCartney) and Jim Filgate (as George Harrison)
Carlo Cantamessa as John Lennon
The Cast Backline
The Cast of Beatlemania, ACT II
Act I
Act II

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.