LA TIMES
Los Angeles, California

THEATER BEAT

A faithful Beatles flashback

By PHILIP BRANDES
LA TIMES

A particularly elaborate entry in the burgeoning genre of celebrity tribute acts, "The Fab Four" at Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities offers a nostalgic — if borderline creepy — trip down memory lane broadly aimed at several generations of fans, most of whom never got to see a live Beatles concert.

It's not "Beatlemania" but an incredible simulation — one that faithfully re-creates the experience of watching Beatle impersonators re-create the experience of watching the iconic band perform some of its most popular hits.

What distinguishes these faux fabs from their competition is an impressive dedication to musical skill and accuracy. Without recourse to tape or lip syncing, the lads perform in the style of their respective Beatles — on authentic period instruments, no less. The show's 35 songs reproduce the George Martin arrangements and chord progressions that transformed even simple ditties into pop classics. For the more complex second-act orchestrations (from the "Sgt. Pepper" era and later), musicians from the Civic Light Opera stable join the group onstage.

In their characterizations, Ron McNeil's John Lennon leads the pack in voice, personality and inflections. Though less convincing as Paul McCartney, Ardy Sarraf's capable left-handed guitar and bass provides the sugared melodic counterpoint to Lennon's rough edge. Michael Amador's George Harrison is, appropriately, the most musically proficient, while Rolo Sandoval uncannily evokes Ringo Starr's signature "human metronome" style of drumming.

A quartet of go-go dancers, appropriate costumes and newsreel footage of rabid fans conjure up the '60s look and feel. Paul Terry's emcee turn as Ed Sullivan overstays its welcome, as does the overreliance on audience sing-and-clap-along — this act should follow the courage of its convictions and trust the audience to buy into the experience without the need for prodding with every other song.