December 17, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. … Fans of The Beatles can rekindle their love of this iconic rock band as Oregon Symphony Pops presents “Classical Mystery Tour,” a Beatles’ tribute concert featuring original members of the Broadway hit show “Beatlemania” performing with full orchestra on Jan. 22, 23 and 24 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, with an added performance on Jan. 25 at Smith Auditorium in Salem. Media support for these concerts is provided by The River, Oregon Business Magazine and KATU-TV Spirit 2’s AM Northwest.
“Classical Mystery Tour,” conceived by Jim Owen (John Lennon) in 1996, is, according to the Los Angeles Times, “more than just an incredible simulation.” This concert presents more than 20 Beatles tunes sung, played and performed exactly as they were written, complete with costumes, light and theatrical effects and the specific orchestrations The Beatles used in their innovative songs that blended classical with rock music. Guest conductor Martin Herman, a longtime Beatles fan whose orchestral transcriptions are featured in the concert, conducts the Symphony in such favorite songs as “Eleanor Rigby” with full string accompaniment, “ Penny Lane” and its cheerful trumpet solos, as well as the powerful orchestral crescendo that builds through “A Day in the Life.” From early Beatles hits such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “I Saw Her Standing There” through their solo years, “Classical Mystery Tour” presents the full spectrum of The Beatles’ ever-changing music in live performance. The performers will announce their program from the stage.
“Classical Mystery Tour” features Jim Owen (John Lennon) on rhythm guitar, piano and vocals; Tony Kishman (Paul McCartney) on bass guitar, piano and vocals; Tom Teeley (George Harrison) on lead guitar and vocals; and Chris Camilleri (Ringo Starr) on drums and vocals. “We really make an effort to sound exactly like the originals,” explains Owen. “The orchestra score is exact, right down to every note and instrument that was on the original recording.” All four men have had long and extensive careers covering The Beatles’ music (Kishman and Teeley are two of the original members of “Beatlemania”), and all of them are ardent fans. “I wish I could actually be in the audience to see and hear this show,” Owen admits. “The power of the emotional and nostalgic connection to each of our individual experiences with The Beatles is hard to put into words.”
Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 23 at 3 p.m. and Monday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. An additional performance is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m. in Salem’s Smith Auditorium. Tickets range in price from $26 to $72 and may be purchased at the Oregon Symphony Ticket Office (923 S.W. Washington), Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or charged by phone at (503) 228-1353 or (800) 228-7343. Tickets also may be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets (503-790-ARTS) or through Ticketmaster Online, via the Symphony’s Web site at www.orsymphony.org. Service fees may apply.
Martin Herman was educated at Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University. He spent two years in Paris on a Fulbright Grant where he worked as a composer and conductor with the New American Music in Europe and American Music Week festivals. Aside from his conducting interests, Herman is an active composer and arranger. He has received fellowships and grants from the American Music Center, the Camargo Foundation, Meet the Composer, Trust for Mutual Understanding and the National Endowment for the Arts. He has written chamber and orchestral works as well as two operas. As a longtime Beatles fan, Herman is pleased to have provided the orchestral transcriptions heard on the “ Classical Mystery Tour” show.
Recent guest conducting engagements include the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Delaware Symphony, Alabama Symphony, Omaha Symphony and the Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra in Prague, Czech Republic.
Jim Owen was born and raised in Huntington Beach, Calif. He gained rich musical experience from his father who played music from the classics for him on the piano and from his extensive library of recordings by the great classical artists.
Owen began studying piano at 6 and won honors in various piano performance competitions through his teenage years. He was 8 years-old when he first heard The Beatles and promptly decided to take up the study of the guitar. His first professional performance as a Beatle was at 16. Then, at age 18 he began touring internationally with various productions of “ Beatlemania,” visiting Japan, Korea, China, Canada, Mexico and much of South America.
In 1996, Owen began working on his idea for a new show with orchestra. It has long been his dream to share with the public live performances of some of the greatest music ever written and recorded. “ Classical Mystery Tour” is the result.
Singer-songwriter Tony Kishman was born in Tucson, Ariz. where he began his musical career in the early 1970s. At age 19, after playing the guitar for a number of years, Tony started performing seriously.
Kishman’s early influences included Wishbone Ash, Bad Company and Peter Frampton. Between 1973 and 1978, he played guitar in the group Cheap Trix, a cover band performing Top 40 as well as originals.
Starting in 1979, Kishman played bass and guitar for six years as Paul McCartney in both the national and international tours of “ Beatlemania.” He then went on to perform in “ Legends in Concert” and produced shows that ran in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. He recently joined the classic supergroup Wishbone Ash for a tour of Europe and the recording of the group’s 18 th album.
Tom Teeley has starred as George Harrison in both the Broadway production of “ Beatlemania” as well as the film version. His vocal impersonations of numerous other rock icons have also been featured in many television ads as well as other Broadway productions. He has written songs for artists such as Alice Cooper, and has toured the world as singer-guitarist for Joe Jackson, Sophie B. Hawkins and many others. Teeley still enjoys recreating the classic Beatle recordings in a live performance setting with his hallmark attention to detail.
Chris Camilleri was born in Bethpage, New York. An early and extended affinity for the drums bore fruit at the end of his school years when he began to perform with various bands in the New York tri-state area. A founding member of the internationally renowned Beatle copy band Liverpool, he began performing at the “Beatlefest” national conventions in 1979 (an extended engagement which continues to this day). He has performed with many well known artists such as Micky Dolenz, Joe Walsh and Billy Squier.
Along with his musical efforts, Camilleri has worked extensively in the computer and voice-over fields. In late 1994, he lent his voice to several area radio campaigns and continues to pursue this field.
