Shadowbox to revive Beatles “rockumentary”

July 31, 2017

12:00 AM

Photo courtesy of Shadowbox Live

When Shadowbox Live takes the stage at Columbus Commons this September for Bigger than Jesus, the performers will go into it without expectations.

“Every single time, we get this fresh, unexpected kick when we look out to the audience and realize that there’s eight or 10 thousand people out there,” says Stev Guyer, executive producer and CEO of Shadowbox. “We don’t go into it with that expectation, and instead, we get to enjoy the thrill of suddenly realizing, ‘Wow, this is like a real concert.’”

Shadowbox first presented Bigger than Jesus in 2014, and the show’s popularity has led the company to bring it back on numerous occasions, often for big outdoor shows.

The free show on Sept. 3 honors the music of the Beatles and the massive fandom that followed the legendary rock quartet. The live performance “rockumentary” features a multimedia telling of the band’s storied career complete with costumes, dance and plenty of hits.

The show’s title comes from a paraphrase of an infamous John Lennon quote at the peak of Beatlemania comparing the band’s popularity to Christianity.

“When he said it, it wasn’t really possible to argue with it,” Guyer says. “To say that about yourself and for it be true, good God, it just felt like, how could you top this?”

Photo courtesy of Shadowbox Live

In only 10 years, the Beatles achieved unheard-of success and left a lasting imprint on popular culture with countless hit songs from “Hey Jude” and “Let it Be” to “Twist and Shout” and “Come Together.” Guyer says Bigger than Jesus speaks to the cultural moment the Beatles existed in, but the show will almost certainly have something familiar for anyone in attendance.

In fact, the Beatles’ discography spans so far that choosing which songs to cover became a challenge for Shadowbox.

“Had we done all of their great anthology, it would’ve been a 10-hour show,” says performer Amy Lay. “I think what we did was their most poignant and well-known.”

The resulting performance, by Lay’s count, comes out to roughly 80 percent hits.

Audiences’ connection to the Fab Four can be difficult to explain, but critics acclaim the group’s work as pushing the boundaries of popular music. Guyer credits a balance between complexity and simplicity as essential to the band’s mass appeal.

“They had an ability to write popular music that was simple enough to hear once and walk away and sing, and yet complex enough to hear 40 times and never think that you’ve heard everything that there was to hear,” he says.

The Beatles have a personal history for many. Lay recalls singing the band’s music with her father and brothers as a formative experience.

“For me, it’s a very personal connection; I grew up with The Beatles,” Lay says. “That’s where I learned my basic harmonies.”

Photo courtesy of Shadowbox Live

The songs continue to relate to new audiences today, though, and have become seemingly timeless. Guyer says the band’s music helps Bigger than Jesus connect to fans across generations.

“We are consciously trying to provide a link in the entertainment continuum that allows whole families to get together and enjoy,” Guyer says. “It’s been particularly meaningful for parents to be able to introduce their kids to the Beatles.”

Shadowbox’s homage to the band attempts to capture some of the culture that fans who lived with Beatlemania remember, but expect the show to bring a new life to the music.

Bigger than Jesus showcases the Beatles in the dynamic style Shadowbox is known for, expressing each song with accompaniment including dance numbers, campy costumes and even gymnasts.

Music still lies at the heart of the show, though. Guyer says the performers pride themselves on recreating some of the Beatles’ most unusual and challenging works, the ones most cover bands would avoid.

“If your expectation is that you’re going to see a band do a Beatles tribute, you’re probably going to be disappointed,” Guyer says. “You’re going to hear the music of the Beatles performed live like you’ve never heard it before, and that’s a fact.”