Orillia is the City of Festivals...

The Orillia Beatles Celebration, the largest community based Beatles festival in Canada, is back for a fourth year in beautiful downtown Orillia.

What sets The Orillia Beatles Celebration apart is the extent to which it involves the entire community.

ORILLIA BEATLES CELEBRATION -
WEEKEND SCHEDULE (click here to download)

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2010

6:00pm – Beer Garden Open/Main Stage - 116  Mississauga St. East

8:00pm – Lets Get Back – The popular Beatles Tribute band from Toronto returns to Orillia Beatles Celebration to host a popular all ages concert and dance. Admission is $5 per person or included in the purchase of a $20 wristband. Children under the age of 16 are free but must be accompanied by an adult. Concert concludes at midnight.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18, 2010

10:00am – Main Stage Open - 116  Mississauga St. East

10:00am – 11:30am   - UP AND COMING – A showcase of local rock talent from some of the areas best popular music schools. 

GILBERT GUITARS under the instruction of Jennifer Cooling
Jessica Smith
Kaitlin Thatcher
Alexandra Magyari
Devin Norsworthy

SCHEPP MUSIC under the instruction of Tom Schepp
Keegan McDonald

BARRIE MUSIC
Barrie Music Rock Band

11:45am – 12:45pm - CHRIS CLAUSE

1:00pm – 2:00pm – GET BACK – The Beatles tribute band from St. Thomas returns to the Main Stage this year after their electrifying street performances last year. 5 great young musicians all between the ages of 13 – 17, brought together by the Studio Arts Rock School. You will be amazed at the musicianship and tight harmonies of this great band!

West Street Stage
3:00pm – 4:00pm - HELP! – Young Beatles tribute band from St. Thomas

Main Stage
3:15pm – 4:15pm  - NUMBER NINE

Steve Porter - guitar and vocals
From Steve Porter Band 
www.myspace.com/steveportersongs 

Steve Lane - guitars and vocal
from Murphy's Lawyers
www.myspace.com/murphyslawyersmusic
 
Dawn Lane - drums and vocals
from Murphy's Lawyers
www.myspace.com/murphyslawyersmusic

With Jo-anne Pyke on bass guitar.

An electric quartet of musicians led by Steve Porter gathers to celebrate the Beatles.

4:30pm – 5:30pm – GLASS ONION

Ian Cunliffe: Guitar and vocals
Andy French: Lead guitar and vocals
Jay Cunliffe:  Bass guitar and vocals
Dave O’Brien: Keyboards, percussion and vocals
Rick Dawson: Drums. Percussion and vocals

HUGE Beatles fans that have been playing rock and roll since they were kids well into their fifties!

5:45pm – 7:30pm  - LIVERPOOL ECHO

Supreme Beatles tribute band complete with early Beatlemania stage outfits and replica instruments and gear. A great concert which is not to be missed.

8:00pm – 12:00 midnight - LETS GET BACK – The popular Beatles Tribute band from Toronto returns to Orillia Beatles Celebration to host a popular all ages concert and dance. Admission is $5 per person or included in the purchase of a $20 wristband. Children under the age of 16 are free but must be accompanied by an adult. Concert concludes at midnight.

Orillia Opera House – 20 Mississauga St. W

2:00pm – REVOLUTION 
It is the collaboration of music industry professionals, presenting a chronological journey of the growth and development of The Beatles musical history. The Revolution of the Beatles musical career, live on stage.
These seasoned professionals will perform one song from all of The Beatles albums, in chronological order. Not only will you be treated to a spectacular performance, you will also be given interesting facts on each song performed.
As a special feature, Revolution will present a detailed analysis of a selected song, and before your eyes create the “rebuild” of this song in a format often used by The Beatles.
 Witness the unique, approach to The Beatles Catalogue performed live. This is a must see for all Beatle fans!
This concert is included in the purchase price of a wristband  for $20 which gives wearers access to events for the weekend or for $10 on the day of the performance for those wishing to see only REVOLUTION.

8:00pm – THE MCCARTNEY YEARS
Praised by The Beatles’ promoter Sid Bernstein – the man who brought the Beatles to North America – and loved by audiences all over the world, this is The McCartney Years!

Never will you hear such talent, precision, perfection and love of craft equal to Sir Paul McCartney himself. Yuri George Jan Pool and the rest of the members of The McCartney Years travel the long and winding road back to many yesterday’s ago while this band on the run continues to play for packed, elated and appreciative audiences of any age all over the world that continue to enjoy, dance and sing-along to McCartney’s music.

Adults $25.00, Sen/Stu/Child $18.00.  Groups of 10+ contact the Box Office at 326-8011 for $23.00 p.p.  Additional On line fee of $1.13 per ticket.
Buy tickets online: www.orilliaoperahouse.ca

ORILLIA OPERA HOUSE – The Green Room

Andrew Croft, Beatles expert and the publisher of Beatlology Magazine will be in The Green Room Lounge in the Orillia Opera House appraising Beatles memorabilia for free. www.beatlology.com

Times: 1:00pm and 5:00pm

Jeff Walker – Author on hand with a book launch of his new book, 'Let's Put the Beatles Back Together Again 1970-2010--How to Assemble & Appreciate the 2nd Half of the Beatles Legacy' A fascinating timeline that continues the Beatles legacy in a What if…? scenario where they didn’t break-up.

Times: 12:00pm and 4:00pm

Sean Ward  - THE VISUAL BEATLES  - Ward is a cartoonist and video artist from Toronto, Canada.  The Beatles have played a huge part in the development of his art from his underground comic books.  He is the creator of the 64-page comic book The Beatles Go Too Far, and has appeared as a Beatles expert on a range of outlets from CityTV locally to CBC Newsworld nationally. "The Beatles are my biggest inspiration as an artist.  They remain the best of all time not only as musicians, but as pop craftsmen.  They weren't just making music, they were making culture.  They're up there with Shakespeare and Beethoven and with my recent Beatles-themed works Beatles to Battle and my comics retelling of The Ballad of John and Yoko, it's fun to have a hand in perpetuating their legacy."

Times: All Day

THESE EVENTS IN THE GREEN ROOM ARE FREE

ORILLIA COMMUNITY CHURCH THEATRE – 64 Colbourne St. E

FILM SCREENINGS

“Let Him Be” (2009) Director Peter McNamee
Two film students discover something uncanny on a tape found inside an old video camera bought at a garage sale in Northern Ontario. It contains a brief clip of an old man who bears more than a passing resemblance to an older John Lennon. Is Lennon alive and living? The two become fixated. Could it be him? It’s an absurd idea that they might have passed off if it were not for the fact that the man also sounds so much like Lennon. Did he stage his own death to live a life of anonymity in his second-favourite nation, Canada? The filmmakers decide to uncover the truth. With hidden body cameras, wireless cameras and surveillance cameras, the viewer gets to experience first-hand the possibility that history deceived us. Illusion and reality tangle and swirl on this remarkable journey of discovery.

Q & A with the director and actors will take place following the film.

Times: 12:30pm and 4:00pm

These screenings are included in the purchase price of a wristband  for $20 which gives wearers access to events for the weekend or for $5 on the day of the screening  for those wishing to see only “Let Him Be”.

“Let it be” (1970) Director Michael Lindsay Hogg

The dissolution of the Fab Four is captured on camera in Michael Lindsay-Hogg's documentary, a filmed record of the sessions for what would become the Beatles' final release, Let It Be. Included is footage shot at the famous rooftop concert that was to be their final live appearance. The Beatles are shown rehearsing, performing, arguing, and recording and allow the cameras to record their every word and note in the recording studio. The film opens with Paul showing Ringo a piano composition, while the group is surrounded in silence, seemingly light years removed from the screaming hordes of fans that necessitated their withdrawal from performing live. Billy Preston later drops by to jam on keyboards. For this film, the Beatles collectively won an Oscar for "Best Original Film Score," their only Academy Award

Times: 6:00pm

The screening of ‘Let it be’ is FREE.

MISSISSAUGA STREET – Side Walk Events

Street Vendors – All Day

Street Musicians – All Day – Great performances by Across the Universe, help, Andrew McMillen, Fast Train and many more.

BEATLES HISTORY TOUR / DOWTOWN PASSPORTS  - A self guided Mystery Trip through 30 particupating vendors shops in downtown Orillia. Have your passports stamped and find the hidden Beatles LP’s scattered throughout the downtown merchant shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Participants have a chance at winning spectacular grand prizes.

All Day until Draw time

BEATLES TRIVIA DECATHELON

Six Fab Categories: Songs, Movies, History, Albums & Singles, The Beatles in America and, On Their Own. Competetors can show their Beatlemania knowledge by acing questions that span the groups phenomenal 50 Year legacy.
Participants have a chance at winning spectacular grand prizes.

Hosted by Todd Cleland

Register to play: 11am – 12pm
Playing Period / Elimination Rounds 12:30pm – 2:00pm

Attendance figures have risen in the last 3 years.  The organizing committee expects to see attendance of approximately 17,000 people in 2010.