'Get Back!' offers grand tribute to the Fab Four

"Get Back!," which opened last night at the Hawai‘i Theatre for a three-day run, is part theater, part rock concert, part history and pure fun.

'Get Back!’ A tribute to The Beatles 8 p.m. today, 2 p.m. tomorrow Hawai‘i Theatre Tickets: $20-$30 (discounts for students, seniors and military). 528-0506

It helps if you’ve loved the catalog of Beatles music — yeah, yeah, yeah! — because that’s all you get in this two-hours-plus journey to Beatlesville.

If The Fab Four were the seminal boy band, then you have to respect the musicality, creativity and salability of the original group. As audience, however, we know that Jack Petrilla plays Paul McCartney, Peter McGann enacts John Lennon, Peter Santora impersonates George Harrison and Phil Rowland drums up Ringo Starr. So we play along.

That said, these singers-actors pay tribute to the Liverpool lads with accents, wigs, wit and attitude and attempt to rekindle the spirit of yesteryear. Trouble is, these are imposters — actors looking and sounding like the genuine article — so it’s quite a challenge to bridge that distance between the showmen and spectators.

While most everyone in the nearly full house had a grand time, the response last night was a pale echo of being at and connecting with the real Beatles. And as theater, "Get Back!" strings one tune after another, neglecting dramatic tension. The whole show is mostly routine showcasing of solo and group numbers to fit three periods of Beatlemania, from inception in the ’60s through the "Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club" band era, concluding with a few moments of magic from the "Abbey Road" chapter. Consequently, there are omissions of some true gold — you still have to resort to your old Beatle vinyls or your CD reissues for much of the oldies — though "Get Back!" packages 30 titles, including an encore.

By today’s standards, The Beatles are stodgy, even dull. They’re not agile and mobile as ‘N Sync (admit it — the contemporary lads are terrific dancers who are charismatic while bopping out that bubblegum rock). The Beatles always have been about lyrics and romance and revolution. Even innocence that eventually turned into cynicism and political activism.

"Get Back!" explores the early years through the obvious: the mop tops banging out "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "Please, Please Me," with occasional featured solos by Paul ("All My Loving"), George ("Roll Over, Beethoven"), John ("You Can’t Do That") and Ringo ("Act Naturally").

The four attempt to project the obvious: Paul’s baby-faced, left-handed guitarmanship; John’s legs-apart stance; George’s frequent body shuffles; Ringo’s stoic sit-down posture on drums.

Early on, their costumes are matching suits with ties, the psychedelic "Peppers" era bringing color, even an intermittent light show, with John proving to be most interesting, particularly in the closing segment when he dons dark glasses and a white suit with a perfect shoulder-length wig.

George doesn’t really look like George should, but the others are suitable impersonations. All you need is love, a little day-tripping, and a spirit of adventure to endure "Get Back!"

Since The Beatles never performed here, this is as close as you’ll get to singing "Hey, Jude" with the foursome.

Listen up and you’ll even catch a wry joke as Paul asks John, "What is a Yoko?"

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