EWHS String Quartet to join the pros — la jolla booking

The EWHS String Quartet

EDMONDS, Wash. – Sept. 30, 2017 – PRLog — When the touring show “In My Life – A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles” returns to the Edmonds Center, be on the lookout for two quartets — not just one.

The Edmonds-Woodway High School String Quartet will have the privilege of joining the professional actors on stage to add an element of orchestral texture to the evening.

Here’s the rundown:

The show: “In My Life” is the musical retelling of the Beatles story through the eyes of manager Brian Epstein and features the live music of renowned tribute band, Abbey Road. The band features Chris Paul Overall (“Paul”), Nathaniel Bott (“John”), Zak Schaffer (“George”) and Axel Clarke (“Ringo”). Brian Epstein is played by Murphy Martin. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the L.A. Times at one point declaring, “The show delivers where it counts, which is to say, the hits keep coming.” The production is widely considered by industry insiders to be the most unique Beatles show in decades. “In My Life” played to capacity audiences at ECA in 2014 and 2015 and is appropriate for all ages.

The string quartet: Seniors Helen Nguyen and Elaina Johnson and juniors James Gamboa and Andrew Tjandra will join the band for the songs “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “A Day in the Life,” “Hello Goodbye,” and “Hey Jude.” In a special touch, “Yesterday” is played as a scene in which the Paul McCartney character plays the song for the first time for Beatles producer George Martin, with the songwriter explaining that he envisioned a string-quartet accompaniment.

In addition to being principals in the Edmonds-Woodway Philharmonic Orchestra and Camerata, the most advanced ensemble, quartet members perform with prestigious ensembles including the All-State Orchestra. All members regularly receive superior ratings at Washington Music wfv Educators Association (WMEA) solo and ensemble competitions.

How the “Beatles” connection was started: The producers of “In My Life” approached Edmonds-Woodway High School’s Orchestra Director Karen Helseth  looking for a talented ensemble which could hold their own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show hired an EWHS string quartet in 2014 and 2015 to accompany when the production performed at the Edmonds Center for the Arts.

The quartet’s Beatles fans: All quartet members are Beatles fans.

Nguyen performed with the “In My Life” show two years ago with a string quartet from EWHS and became a Beatles fan.

“My favorite Beatles song is “Eleanor Rigby” and I’m very excited that we get to perform this song in the “In My Life” show,” said Nguyen.

“My dad had an old stereo and we used to listen to Beatles albums when I was young,” said Gamboa. “I love the beautiful harmonies of “Yesterday.”

Quartet for hire: The EWHS String Quartet performs at community events and weddings. They may be contacted by calling Karen Helseth at (425) 431-6230.

The details: “In My Life – A Musical Theatre Tribute to The Beatles” is the award-winning musical biography of The Beatles through the eyes of manager Brian Epstein and features the live music of renowned tribute band Abbey Road.  The multi-media musical returns to the Edmonds Center for the Arts on
Sunday, November 12 at 7:00 pm.Tickets are $35/$45/$55 and may be purchased online at www.edmondscenterforthearts.org by phone at 425.275.9595, by email to boxoffice@ec4arts.org or at the theatre box office. The Edmonds Center for the Arts is located at 410 Fourth Avenue North in Edmonds, WA 98020.