RAIN's Resident Lennon Gives Run-Down of Show; Opens at Oriental Theater 6/26

Jim Irizarry, RAIN's resident John Lennon, is no amateur went it comes to The Beatles. Or their songs. Or mastering Lennon's accent, mannerisms, and musical style. For the first time since he joined the show, originally in the Broadway run over two years ago, he's back in Chicago, this time, performing for his hometown.

"I love it! This is my dream job," he said, and couldn't be more excited to share it with his family and friends who've yet to see him take on Lennon. RAIN, a tribute concert to the Beatles, is slated to open next Tuesday - June 26 - at Chicago's Oriental Theater, and will play through the rest of the week, closing on July 1.

It's a show unlike any other, Irizarry says, who has played with Beatles coverbands for the greater part of a decade. It features four performers, a Paul, John, Ringo, and George, donned completely in signature costumes, playing signature songs, and singing in the original men's signature style.

The show is a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience, a fusion of historical footage and television commercials from the 1960s lights up video screens and live cameras zoom in for close-ups. All the music is performed live, with no pre-recorded tapes or sequences.

"It's a walk through of the Beatles' time," Irizarry said. "You go through the eras and years of their career - it's a very exciting show."

RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. Together far longer than The Beatles, RAIN delivers a totally live, note-for-note performance that’s as infectious as it is transporting. From the early hits to later classics (I Want To Hold Your Hand,Let It Be, Come Together, Hey Jude, and more), these not-so-pseudo Beatles know it all.

"Bring the whole family," Irizarry insists. "Bring grandma, grandpa, the tiny tots - even bring the dog! Well, don't bring the dog."

More information on RAIN can be found at the show's official website, www.raintribute.com. Tickets for RAIN's stop in Chicago can be purchased at www.broadwayinchicago.com.

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