Lennon: The musical
2005-04-14 08:17
San Francisco - Former Beatle John Lennon's life has become a musical show boasting previously unpublished songs written by the musical legend who was murdered nearly 25 years ago.
Lennon, which opened in San Francisco on Tuesday, spotlights the singer and songwriter's life, from his poor start in Liverpool to the peak of his Beatles fame, to peace activist and ultimately the victim of a crazed fan.
But the show will not feature a look-alike wearing Lennon's trademark round glasses and long hair.
Instead, nine members of a multi-racial cast will play out scenes from the British superstar's life.
"It's a book musical, although the performing style is not traditional," said director Don Scardino, an unabashed Beatles and Lennon fan. "It's kind of a 'story theatre' way of dramatising the story."
The actors sing Lennon hits including Imagine, Give Peace a Chance, (Just Like) Starting Over and Whatever Gets You Through the Night as well as two songs that Lennon's widow Yoko Ono released to him.
'An incredible gift'
The songs, India, India and I Don't Want to Lose You, will be heard for the first time on the stage of the US city's Orpheum Theatre, just in time for the 25th anniversary of Lennon's death in December.
Scardinio said he met with the very private Ono who fiercely defends her husband's legacy and won her blessing for the show.
"That was such an incredible gift," Scardino said. "And I felt that, coming from Ms Ono, it was a real vote of confidence and belief in the show."
Scardino said his goal for the show was to introduce new audiences to Lennon's solo music and to his extraordinary life.
"He was a brilliant song-writer and performer. He was a major peace activist who was on (former US president Richard) Nixon's enemies list for opposing the war in Vietnam, and he was persecuted and harassed by our government.
"But they couldn't stop him. He was a great lover, and the story of John and Yoko is one of the great love stories of our time. And he led the way for millions of us to look into our hearts and discover who we really are," Scardino said.
Lennon was shot to death outside his New York apartment by deranged fan Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980.