All We Need Is Love
Autumn’s chill in the air means it’s a great time to get back into the cozy theatre.
And Here Comes The Sun is officially here, marking the beginning of Prima’s 2022-2023 season.
Opening October 14, we are well underway with rehearsals. Thus far, (at the time of writing this), we have had two evenings with the band and one solo singers’ rehearsal with the music director. Then last evening was the first full gathering of all four singers for a music rehearsal.
While production teams are always stretched for time and itching to get to the material, it is our ritual to have an all-team meeting at the top of the rehearsal process. It’s a time for this new team to become aligned with each other and to get a strong sense of the vision for the project. With this group, I noticed how each person's heart aligns with the concert’s intention: sharing these beloved tunes in service of reflecting on the events of the last few years, illuminating the many ways we have all coped, and envisioning how we move forward.
After that gathering, we began working on the music. Although the Beatles’ music appears simple at the surface level, there are some tricky meters and rhythms. Also, in true Prima style, we are exploring tasty variations on the “sacred” originals when it serves the journey of the show.
Here’s an insider’s glimpse of the song list, highlighting the topical path of the concert, expressed through video projections on stage:
This isn’t a traditional tribute concert, with people dressed up like John, Paul, Ringo, and George. Instead, it’s warm, heartfelt, artistic, and introspective. The concert feels fitting to the aura of Autumn. It is a unique homage to the Beatles’ creations as they speak to our times. As the concert closes, we are reminded of the power of leaning into the things that heal and unite us — and that which simply summarizes a core message: “All we need is love.”