The Cast of Beatlemania

The Cast of Beatlemania
The Cast of Beatlemania
Background information
Origin	New England, United States
Occupation(s)	Beatles Tribute Band
Years active	1980–present
Website	Moptops.com

Members	Carlo Cantamessa Lenie Colacino Jim Filgate John Delgado Mark Templeton

Past members	Mitch Weissman, Leslie Fradkin, Joe Pecorino, Louis Colucci, Jimmy Pou, Tom Teeley, Bob Miller, Alan LeBoeuf, Marty Feier, P.M. Howard.
Notable instruments
Rickenbacker Model 325V59, 360C64 Gretch Country Gentleman 6122 Reissue Hofner Beatles Violin Bass guitar Ludwig Black Oyster Pearl Drum Kit Vox AC-30 Hand Wired Amplification Epiphone Casino Sunburst and Blonde Solid Body guitars Gibson-J-160E acoustic Guitars, Cherry SG Electric Guitars Fender-Stratocasters - Sonic Blue, Sunburst

The Cast of Beatlemania is a U.S. Beatles' tribute band formed in 1980. The Cast is one of longest running Beatles' tribute band in the world. The group currently features Lenie Colacino, a former cast member of the 1977 Broadway musical Beatlemania. The group has performed in all contiguous U.S. states, and over twenty foreign countries, including Canada, England, Mexico, Central and South America, Brazil and Japan.

The Cast recreates the sights and sounds of The Beatles from an era of the 1960s when the world was engulfed in the throes of Beatlemania. Three different costumes coincide with the changing music and times during their existence.

History

The Cast was individually selected from hundreds of musicians who auditioned from all over the U.S. for the Broadway show, Beatlemania.

The Cast originally started when the members of the ending Broadway show were let go as the show came to a conclusion in late 1979. Those four members (Lenie Colacino, Richie Gomez, Mike Palaikis and Bob Forte) started The Cast and the same group name has been in existence since the early 1980s.

This current incarnation of the show is the most popular version since inception, having retained the same members for the longest period of time.

Concept

“

The concept of Beatlemania was to put four people up on stage that look, act and sound like The Beatles; people that could actually play The Beatles music in such a way that you would think you’re watching The Beatles but in a very small time span of two hours, you would get the entire era of The Beatles from 1964-1969. The Cast of Beatlemania originated out of the Broadway show Beatlemania, but we took it one step further where we try to look, act and sound like The Beatles as you remember them, but the sound is the album. The Broadway show had the video that ran behind you, you had slides that ran and it was only these songs, you did this and you said that and you were here at a certain time. We don’t do that; we have a whole interaction with the crowd and we interact with each other, but when it comes to the actual music, I want you to sit there and feel as if you’re hearing the record live… We want people to go, 'Wow, those guys were great and the music was spot on.' ... Night after night it sounds exactly like the record but it’s a live format.

”

— Taken from a live radio interview with Carlo Cantamessa

Members

The current members are:

Carlo Cantamessa (as John Lennon) — rhythm guitar, bass guitar, piano, lead vocal

The manager of the band.

Lenie Colacino (as Paul McCartney) — bass guitar, piano, lead vocal

The first left-handed member of the original Broadway production of Beatlemania.

Has provided three of the four voices of the “Beetles” on the Nickelodeon show Wonder Pets

Jim Filgate (as George Harrison) — lead guitar, lead vocal.

Previously played with Cinema and New Joy.

John Delgado (as Ringo Starr) — drums, percussion, lead vocal
Mark Templeton — keyboards, musical director, arranger

Previously played with Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Berry, and Kenny Garrett.

Songs

Lenie Colacino (as Paul McCartney) and Jim Filgate (as George Harrison)

Carlo Cantamessa as John Lennon

The Cast Backline

The Cast of Beatlemania, ACT II

Act I

"I Want to Hold Your Hand"
"Yesterday"
"I Saw Her Standing There"
"Act Naturally"
"This Boy"
"Lose That Girl"
"From Me to You"
"Help!"
"Please Please Me"
"In My Life"
"All My Loving"
"Nowhere Man"
"A Hard Days Night"
"I Feel Fine"
"Happy Just to Dance"
"Day Tripper"
"I Call Your Name"
"Twist & Shout"

Act II

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
"Back in USSR"
"With a Little Help From My Friends"
"Birthday"
"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
"Something"
"Strawberry Fields Forever"
"Penny Lane"
"I Am the Walrus"
"Lady Madonna"
"Taxman"
"Hey Jude"
"While my Guitar Gently Weeps"
"Here Comes the Sun"
"Got to Get You into My Life"
"Get Back"
"Come Together"
"Revolution"

External links

Moptops.com - Official CAST website (Flash and JavaScript required)
Positive user ratings of the show at BeatleLinks
The CAST'S Official Myspace Page
John Delgado's Myspace Page
Mark Templeton Music.com

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