1. How did you hear about Beatlemania auditions?
PETER: I was living in Miami, Florida and read an ad in the Miami Herald and
decided to give it a shot.

2. Had you been impersonating John Lennon before you heard about Beatlemania?
PETER: Not really. I mean, I did some Beatle songs in my solo act and I
always tried to approximate the voices of the singers just to give my performance a
bit more authenticity. Actually, I specialized in imitating Dylan more than
Lennon at that time, but people always told me that I sounded like The Beatles, too.

3. What was your audition experience for Beatlemania like? EG: Was the room
full of Beatle impersonators, or was it just you and a music director?
PETER: My audition, I learned, was part of a nationwide search for Beatle
look-a-likes and sound-a-likes for the recently opened Broadway show. There was a
room full of people who looked very 1960's, and some looked downright
Beatle-ish. After a while, this guy came into the room with a Beatlemania tour jacket
on. He looked around and said, "If I have to ask you which Beatle you are
auditioning for, you might as well leave now". He looked at me and said "John,
right?". So, I played him 3 songs, "Nowhere Man", "You've Got to Hide Your Love
Away", and "Revolution". He said to come back tomorrow and gave me a list of
28 Beatle songs, with the right keys. He asked me "See how many songs you can
learn by tomorrow". I had a gig that night, so I didn't get a whole lot
accomplished. When I arrived the next day, the Miami News TV cameras were there and I
was thrilled to learn that I was hired. The only audition I did then was to
play "Revolution". The guy who held the auditions, who I learned was Sandy
Yaguda, had put together three other players so that I could audition with a full
band. I have no idea were he found them on such short notice. I watched the
footage on the evening news that night. I wish I had a copy of that today.

4. How old were you when you were accepted into the show?
PETER: 27, a veritable geezer compared with most of the guys.

5. What was your first experience on stage as John in front of an audience
like? Was it the first for your other band members as well?
PETER: Sandy sent me to L. A. to be "John" in that show, but I hadn't had a
chance to learn all the material and I was at a real disadvantage. The show was
to open in six weeks and they needed someone who could step in right away, so
they shipped me to Beatle School in New York. That was kind of a rough start.
Eventually, I performed on Broadway at the Lunt/Fontaine Theater, initially
filling in as "John" in Bunk 3 along with Mitch Weissman.

6. How many years were you with the show?
PETER: Three.

7. Were there ever any accidents on stage, say, during costume changes, stumbling around in the dark? 
EG:Trips and falls, etc.?
PETER: I believe it was in Edmonton, Alberta, but it could've been in
Calgary. We were on our 2nd Canadian and Western U. S. tour. Up to this point, every
theater had exits to the backstage area from either side, but this theater was
designed in such a way that the only way to the backstage was from the right.
The left side of the stage ended at the footlights and into the audience.
After "Lucy in the Sky", a cannon was fired to end the first set. We were
supposed to run off stage so that the curtains and house lights could come up again.
I jumped up from the keyboard and flew off stage LEFT and tripped over the
footlights and into the audience. Some pretty stunned people helped this shaky
John Lennon to his feet and I walked around the stage to the other side, more
embarrassed than injured. I could claim that I invented the "mosh pit" but I'm
just too humble.

8. What was your favorite part of the show?
PETER: I liked it all, especially the balloon popping in "Day Tripper". It
was a chance to have some fun and get some relief from the strict standards of
the performance. The whole second act was particularly enjoyable.

9. What was your least favorite part of the show? And WHY?
PETER: "Can't Buy Me Love", because we weren't actually playing the song.

10. Who did you enjoy working with the most?
PETER: Probably Sandy Yaguda, the Musical Director, because he auditioned me
and chose me, and, really acted as my champion. He seemed to believe in me and
my potential. You see, as opposed to other members, I came into the show not
knowing a lot of the material. Some of the guys knew everything,
note-for-note, and I had a lot to learn. In time, I caught up, but Sandy was always there
for me.

11. Did you play vintage instruments and use vintage equipment for the show?
PETER: I played a Rick 360, so it wasn't an exact duplicate of John's
Rickenbacker 325, but close enough. Other guitars were a Gibson J160-E ("Jumbo") and
an Epiphone Casino 65 (which was mine). I also played a Gibson organ.

12. We know that supposedly none of the original Beatles ever saw the show
live, but some people from The Beatles' camp (other than attorneys) did see it.
Do you recall who? Any other famous folks catch the show while you were
involved?
PETER: George Martin came to see the show during our London tour, although
technically I did not play that show. The "A" band took the stage that night. I
can say no more.

13. Did you ever meet any of The Beatles?
PETER: I don't think so. I was once in an elevator with "The Grateful Dead"
in NYC and I was in costume for the show and Jerry Garcia asked, "You're in
Beatlemania, right" and I said, "Yes. Are you guys in a band?" You see, I hadn't
recognized them and when I got off, someone asked me if I knew I was in an
elevator with "The Grateful Dead", and I hadn't a clue. I must've seemed like an
idiot when I asked them if they were in a band....duh.

14. Do you still perform with other alumni?
PETER: Off and on I have played in Beatle tribute bands (see below), but
recently I have been performing a solo act, "We All Shine On", a musical tribute
to John Lennon.

15. You've had quite a busy POST Beatlemania music career as well. Care to
fill us in on the old resume a bit?
PETER: I was in John Stuart's "Legends in Concert" for 3 years as John
Lennon. I also had a Tribute to The Beatles band in the early and mid 1980s with
other alumni Peter Santora, Don Linares and Phil Lomedico - a GREAT band! Also
with John Redgate and later with Alan LeBeouf in a show that toured all over
Canada, the U. S. and Sao Paolo, Brazil. Justin McNeil was in a few of the many
Beatle bands I played in as well. I went to Tokyo with John Redgate, Pete
Santora and Don Geross ("Ringo") for an 8 week stand at Club Sensation in Roppongi
(what a blast)! We jammed with David Lee Roth's band and got to hang out with
such rock luminaries as INXS, Hall and Oates, and Belinda Carlisle, an
experience I'll never forget. Right now, I'm living in Naples, Florida, with my wife,
Vivian, and I'm putting together a Willie Nelson tribute show. 
 

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(239) 775-3727

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