Four Lads Who Shook The World – The Beatles Story: Part 2

Van Wilmott

Co-Director / Musical Director / Keyboards

Good evening, and welcome to the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. If there was ever a labour of love for me, this show has been it. It covers the second half of the Beatles’ recording career, an unbelievably creative period that spawned the music this revue is based on. The fact that this all happened in the span of  just 2 ½ years is one of the miracles of modern art! Along with the music, the real story being told here tonight is the demise of the greatest pop group the world has ever known. These four lads indeed shook the world with their talent, and in the end, they simply grew up and grew apart.

It has been a privilege to work on this project and see it to its fruition. I’d like to thank all those involved for their passion toward this show. Everyone who worked on this show was a collaborator, and I thank them all for their unique talents. I would also like to thank you, the audience, for your patronage.

So let me introduce to you the act you’ve known for all these years…

Dave Horak

Co-Director

Past Mayfield credits include Boeing-Boeing, Godspell, Mile High Madness and The Full Monty. Dave has performed at many theatre companies across the U.S. and Canada, including The Citadel Theatre, Catalyst Theatre, Workshop West, Leave it to Jane, Quest Theatre, Pleiades/Vertigo Theatre, WPA Theatre (NYC), and Theatreworks USA. Dave teaches movement for actors at Grant MacEwan University and has directed several productions there, including Company, Hekabe, The Acharnians, and The Baccahe 2.1. Away from MacEwan, Dave has also directed: Fatboy, The Waste Land, and Das Barbecü (Edmonton Fringe, Sterling Nomination for Direction and Best Fringe Show); Cloud Nine (Citadel Theatre Young Company); and Cowboy Mouth, June Moon, and Eurydice (U of A Studio Theatre). Dave holds BFA (Acting) and MFA (Directing) degrees from the University of Alberta.

Kevin Dabbs

Paul McCartney

’Ello, ’ow ’ar ’oo? Kevin’s fave Mayfield credits: Willie Nelson in Nashville Outlaws, Andre in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Malcolm in The Full Monty, and Robbie Hart in The Wedding Singer. Kevin is in a band called Sweet B’Jesus, and two songs off their latest album, Policeman’s Creek (on iTunes!), are being featured in a new Canadian indie film called Goner (gonermovie.com). Dabbs is excited to play the part of Jerry, Buddy’s drummer, in the Mayfield’s upcoming production of The Buddy Holly Story. He graduated with honours from NAIT’s Television Arts Program and is proud to be part of the Global Edmonton News Team (ENG editor). Kevin is also very busy finishing up an Education degree at the U of A. Love to Christine, Madison, and Jack!

Melissa MacPherson

Melissa

Melissa is delighted to ‘come together’ on the Mayfield stage with some old friends. She has been seen before at the Mayfield in The Golden Age of Rock, Pop & DooWop, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Peace, Love & Rock ‘n Roll and Little Shop of Horrors, to name a few. Other credits include Julius Caesar, Beauty and the Beast and Three Muskateers for the Citadel Theatre, Richard III and As You Like It for the Freewill Players, amd Courageous for the Tarragon Theatre. Thanks for coming, folks. Enjoy the ‘revolution’!

Roman Pfob

Matthew

Roman is very pleased to be back with the Lads for Part 2 of Four Lads Who Shook the World. Other theatre credits include: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Measure For Measure, A Christmas Carol, Homeward Bound, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet, The Sound of Music, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Robin Hood, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Beggar’s Opera, Richard III, and Oedipus for the Citadel; Young Art, Stone Angel, and Your Wildest Dreams for Theatre Network; and Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and Victor/Victoria for Stage West Calgary. Roman has also rock ‘n’ rolled in various musical productions here at the Mayfield. Among his favorites: Dark Star: The Life and Times of Roy Orbison (as Roy Orbison); Nashville Outlaws (as Johnny Cash); The British Invasion; and Forever Plaid.

Bob Rasko

Ringo Starr

Bob is very happy to be back with this great cast playing Ringo Starr in Four Lads Who Shook the World: Part 2. A very proud Edmontonian actor/musician, he is a graduate of MacEwan’s Theatre Arts and Music programs. He is a founding member of Ribbit RePublic, with whom he performed in fringe festivals all across Canada, contributing to Be a Man, Water, and Grimmer than Grimm. Previous credits at The Mayfield include Oklahoma, Singin’ in The Rain, and, of course, Four Lads Who Shook the World: Part 1. Bob has brought together his love of theatre and percussion in a cacophonic method of storytelling that he has been sharing with young audiences at the Edmonton Street Performers Festival, Edmonton Fringe Festival, and various schools around the city. With Concrete Theatre, he has composed and designed live soundscape for A Promise to the Sun and Carnival Magic. He continues to tour to schools in Alberta as part of Concrete’s artist in residency program where he assists children from K-6 in composing and performing a national anthem for their very own made up worlds. Bob is also a very proud member of Edmonton’s official ukulele band, The Be Arthurs.

Harley Symington

George Harrison

Harley is excited to once again join the Lads as the “quiet Beatle,” and for the challenge of not hiding in the band box to play guitar for the show. A few Mayfield highlights include Dark Star: The Life and Times of Roy Orbison, Super Groovy 70s: Parts 1 and 2, Jesus Christ Superstar back in the 90’s, and, of course, last season’s Four Lads Who Shook The World: The Beatles Story Part 1. He has toured extensively with artists of many different genres, including stops at events such as Lilith Fair and major jazz festivals. He plays and sings with his own group in support of his debut jazz/blues CD, entitled Don’t Talk. He also holds a diploma with honors from the Computer Systems Technology program at NAIT.

Chris Wynters

John Lennon

Chris is a huge Beatles fan, and he’s really feeling blessed to be back together with “the Lads” in 2012. Part 1 was such a blast! Has it already been a year?!? Chris spent much of his time since last fall creating a new musical called Measures to Measures, based on Shakespeare’s similarly titled work, for Lord Beaverbrook High School in Calgary, with much thanks to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Edmonton Arts Council. The show ran first in Calgary, then at the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland this past August. This year, Measures will be developed further with Strathcona High School here in Edmonton. His past work, Saint Aggie’s ’84, had its US debut at the Weaver Academy in Greensboro, North Carolina last March. For more than two decades, Chris has worked in Alberta as an actor, a musician, a studio owner and producer, a composer, and as a creator of theatre. He’s married to visual artist Maria Pace-Wynters and is the father of two beautiful children, Imogen, 9, and Scarlett, 6. This fall, Chris is excited to be taking the music industry by storm in a new capacity as Executive Director of the Alberta Music Industry Association.

Steve Hoy

Additional Musician

One of the most respected and in-demand drummers in Western Canada, Stephen performs and records with numerous national and international artists. Known for his versatility and keen musicianship, Stephen is looking forward to performing again at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre.

Derek Stremel

Additional Musician

Derek was working at Abbey Road Studios when John and Yoko stumbled in after a night of tomfoolery, debauchery, and shenanigans. Mr. Lennon was eager to begin the creative process and told Derek to roll tape and grab a guitar, because, as he put it, “it’s not like those other blokes know what they’re doing anyway!” Then John laughed in his post-intoxicated manner, and they jammed and created the beginnings of “Helter Skelter.” Derek, however, not wanting to get busted by his country-music-loving parents, declined any creative or financial credits for his part in the Abbey Road sessions. Derek’s contributions to the Beatles’ last few albums would go unnoticed until 2012, when Will Marks’ masterpiece would take to the Mayfield stage, and then the whole world would finally know the true story!