Roll up for the Magical Mystery Tour at Orcas Center

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH-ARMSTRONG for ORCAS CENTER |||

Rock on the Rock Choir and Orcas Center is presenting a Beatles Music Extravaganza on the main stage for three weekends in November.

Magical Mystery Tour is a one-act show featuring an all-island cast of singers, actors, dancers and musicians who will take you on a nostalgic, heartfelt odyssey. Directed and created by Grace McCune, the production is a re-imagined approach to the songs we all know and love from not only the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” album but also selected songs from the vast anthology of the Beatles repertoire.

Shows are Friday-Sunday, Nov. 7 to 22, at 7 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on the first two Sundays.

Rock on the Rock Choir, created by McCune in 2008, has brought to the stage Moulin Rouge, Across the Universe, Rock of Orcas, Cirque Us, What Dreams May Come and more.

Featuring original choral and band arrangements written by McCune, Stormy Hildreth and Jim Bredouw and dance numbers by Tiffany Loney, Magical Mystery Tour has an original storyline, written by McCune and Deborah Sparks, that follows the life of a young musician named Martha (Martha My Dear) who decides to risk her comfortable life to follow her dream of being a professional musician. Set to the backdrop of the 1960s-1970s music scene, Martha is joined by a troupe of “Merry Pranksters” traveling on a Magical Mystery Tour bus that unveils what life is like playing music from town-to-town across America.

Bredouw is leading a live band that includes Gene Nery, Martin Lund, Joel Gamble, Melody Funk, Bruce Harvie, Jeffrey Horton and the Turtleback Brass. For the first time ever, Rock on the Rock choir will be joined by Bruce Langford and the Orcas Choral Society for an epic finale to this show. 

Tickets range in price from $10-$70, with a special $10 price for students. Purchase tickets online at www.OrcasCenter.org, over the phone at 360-376-2281 x 1, or in-person Tuesday – Friday 11am-2pm, and an hour prior to showtime. And don’t forget, volunteers who help with iPad check-in get to see the show for free!

Beatles, Burgers and Brew

Before the last two Saturday performances of Magical Mystery Tour — Nov. 15 and 22 — join Orcas Center for a “Beatles, Burgers, and Brew” dinner fundraiser. For $49, you will enjoy a meal by the Lower Tavern, a beverage and a chance to win one of ten raffled prizes. Additional raffle tickets are available online or at the event to increase your chances of winning!

Raffled prizes include hosting your very own movie night in Center Stage; hosting your very own Dance Party or Karaoke night in our Black Box theatre; gift cards from local businesses; tickets to upcoming Orcas Center shows, lots of Beatles paraphernalia and collector items and more.

Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. You must be present to win.

Raffle winners will be chosen only from those present at the event. Those who volunteer to help out during the fundraiser will receive tickets to both the dinner and show for that evening. Visit www.orcascenter.org/volunteer to sign up. Tickets to Magical Mystery Tour show that starts at 7 p.m. are sold separately.