Rain, the wonderful Beatles tribute band is coming to the Orange County Performing Arts Center starting March 23. Their show is more than just a band playing–they offer a whole multi-media and multi-dimensional experience, a mix of historical footage, TV commercials, along with the band going through the Beatles’ repertoire, a history through song if you will. They look like them, sound like and is the next best thing to seeing the Beatles’ themselves (especially for those of us who weren’t around to witness it for ourselves.) Ralph Castelli, “Ringo”, took time away from his busy touring schedule to let me know more about himself, the band, and the whole experience.
Liesl Prentice: Where did you all meet?
Ralph Castelli: We all met in the broadway show, Beatlemania. We all decided to stay together since we made beautiful music, and all got along well, and you have to get along to withstand the length of time together. It’s more than just a band, it’s a brotherhood.
LP: Where are you from originally and how did you get started with Beatlemania?
RC: I grew up in San Gabriel Valley and Pasadena during my childhood and teenage years. The show opened on Broadway and it was so successful so they decided to open up a second company. There were ads in newspapers, theatrical magazines looking for look a-likes and sound a-likes, so after 4 or 5 call backs I won the part for Beatlemnia and at 21 years old, was on the road to Broadway. We went on a world tour, starting in the west coast and Canada, then went on to Asia, Australia, and other countries.
LP: So tell me about your current tour and concerts.
RC: Well, we play the Beatles, and built sets that look like the album covers. There’s six costume changes and it’s a multi-media experience with theatrical lighting. Along with that we play TV commercials from the period, and news clips showing important events, such as JFK’s assassination, so it’s very nostalgic. We recreate the Ed Sullivan performance, even having it be in black and white, and eventually it progresses to color during the show, and when we get to Sgt. Pepper it’s really psychedelic, then after the intermission we come out on the All You Need is Love set, wearing flower power outfits, then we bring out the acoustic guitars, changing the mood a bit. It’s just a great night of rock n roll, with three generations coming to see the show, all singing and dancing having a good ol’ time. It began with parents taking the kids and now the kids take their parents.
LP: How has touring been?
RC: Touring has its ups and downs. There’s so many cities but we just pass through town so don’t see much because we’re so quick; have to get to the next city. But when you love performing, it’s part of what it takes to get there.
LP: How long have you been touring?
RC: Three decades; it’s a non-stop tour. Sometimes we take a break in the summer.
LP: How did you first get interested in music and specifically, playing the drums?
RC: I had three older brothers who were all musicians and my parents loved and played music all the time. Conveniently, there was a drum set in the house, and when I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show that was the night I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I put Meet the Beatles on, put on my headset and played along, and just went from there.
LP: Have you played in Orange County before?
RC: We played here last year, two nights in the OC and were at the Pantages also, where we did 8 shows.
LP: So I have to ask, who is your favorite Beatles? Ringo?
RC: Bottom line is that I’m a Beatles fan, and especially a Ringo fan. I’d like to thank the Beatles for playing such wonderful music and to thank Ringo Starr for teaching me to play an instrument. And to thank them for being the music for generations.
For more information on Rain please visit the Orange County Performing Arts Center here!

My knowledge of Shel Silverstein is him as a writer of children’s poetry, specifically A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends–quirky poems, with odd drawings accompanying them. Interestingly enough, Silverstein didn’t have his start with children’s poems–it was more a suggestion by his editor.
As I mentioned, the actors definitely held it together for me. This could have been a disaster, but they completely commit to their roles causing it to be a bit easier to go along with what’s happening. It’s not for everyone, but perhaps you are a lover of Silverstein or of just odd, dark humor, than you will enjoy this play.
Tick, Tick…Boom! is an autobiographical musical, telling of Jonathan Larson’s early years, when he has yet to discover the genius that was to be RENT. At this point in time, he is workshopping on his musical Superbia, which just doesn’t want to come together. His 30th birthday is coming up, and he feels as though his life has become this time bomb; for he hasn’t reached the success he had imagined he would by this age. Does he keep trying or should he give up on his dream and move out to the suburbs?
The Empire Theatre is a small theatre, so it certainly does an impressive job. If you are a Jonathan Larson or RENT fan, you should definitely check out Tick, Tick…Boom! just to see where he got his start. I would like to recommend that you not compare the two, but I don’t think that will be possible, since many of the issues raised in RENT are brought up here as well. My advice is to see this as the starting block for what was to come.
STAGEStheatre is a non-profit organization, that strives to cultivate the theatrical arts by working with local schools and organizations to provide educational opportunities, along with internships for student artists and technicians. They are constantly evolving, creating a venue for actors, directors, writers, designers and artists with a creative environment and a wide array of opportunities at all “stages” of the process. 


With a handful of audience members sitting onstage adding to the ambience of the simple set, a small band which included a synth-keyboard (that was played to perfection), a cast of performers taking on two to four characters, 80s pop references that make your head spin, a lead with long flowing blonde locks that is not afraid to use them, a pair of tiny cut off denim shorts worn by the male lead, and way too many awkward battements, fan-kicks, arabesques, and “Toyota” jumps (all the official dance moves of the 80s) to count paired with a good sense of humor and an imagination really leaves me with no room to write anything ill about Xanadu The Musical now at OCPAC Dec. 15-27th.







