Canton Lake High School String Quartet to join the pros

Lake High School String Quartet

CANTON, Ohio – July 31, 2018 – PRLog — When the touring show Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown comes to the Canton Palace Theatre on August 26, the Canton Lake High School String Quartet will join the professional musicians on stage to lend some local talent to this homage to the British Invasion.

The show pits Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction against rival Brit boys Abbey Road in an all-out musical showdown for rock dominance. The string quartet will perform seven songs with the bands.

Here’s the rundown:

The show:  The two greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time face off in Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown. Taking the side of the Fab Four is Abbey Road, one of the nation’s top Beatles tribute bands. With brilliant musicianship and authentic costumes and gear, Abbey Road plays beloved songs spanning the Beatles’ career. They engage in a “showdown” of the hits with Stones tribute band Satisfaction – The International Rolling Stones Show, who offer a faithful rendition of the music and style of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the bad boys of the British Invasion. The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Los Angeles Times at one point declaring: “this is the most unique tribute show in decades.” The Canton show is part of a 125 city tour of the U.S., Canada and Australia.

The string quartet: Seniors Alexandra Xuan, Abbie Neo, Emily Weil and Nick Desjardins will join the bands for the songs “Eleanor Rigby,” “Yesterday,” “A Day in the Life,” “Hello Goodbye,” “Hey Jude,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Ruby Tuesday.”

The quartet members belong to prestigious area ensembles, including the Canton Youth Symphony, the Cleveland Youth Orchestra, the Akron Youth Symphony and the Akron Youth Orchestra. Members have competed in Solo and Ensemble Festivals, consistently receiving superior ratings.

How the “Beatles” and “Stones” connection was started: The producers of Beatles vs. Stones approached Lake High Orchestra Director Arleen Scott looking for a talented ensemble that could hold their own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly hires a local quartet to augment the production while on tour.

The quartet’s Beatles or Stones fans: Alexandra Xuan and Abbie Neo are the quartet’s Beatles fans.

“If I had to pick one Beatles song, it would be ‘Yesterday’, but ‘Hey Jude’ is also a classic. It’s so hard to choose,” said Alexandra.

“I’ve grown up listening to a lot of Beatles, so being able to play it will be a lot of fun. ‘Hey Jude’ is definitely my favorite,” said Abbie.

The details: Two of the greatest bands of all time face off in a high-energy, adrenaline-pumping musical showdown. The Fab Four, represented by tribute band Abbey Road, will engage in a barrage of hits against premier Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction. Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown comes to the Canton Palace Theatre on Sunday, August 26 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $25-$55 and may be purchased by phone at 330-454-8172, at the Theatre Box Office or online at www.cantonpalacetheatre.org. Canton Palace Theatre is located at 605 Market Avenue North (https://maps.google.com/?q=605+Market+Avenue+North&en…) in Canton, OH 44702. The show is appropriate for all ages.

And here is some additional information about the Lake High School String Quartet:

Alexandra Xuan, 17, began playing violin at age eight. She has competed in Solo and Ensemble festivals since seventh grade, receiving superior ratings each year.

She has been member of the Cleveland Youth Orchestra for three years. She is active with the Rube Goldberg Computer Club and the Academic Challenge Club at Lake High.

The senior plans to attend college after graduation and join a local orchestra to keep music in her life.

Abbie Neo, 17, has been playing violin for seven years. She has competed in the solo, duet, and chamber orchestra divisions of State Solo and Ensemble Festivals for the past five years, receiving superior ratings for all performances.

“I enjoy orchestra because it is fun to connect with people who have the same interests as me. Our director is great and always pushes us to play our best.”

In addition of being a member of the Canton Youth Orchestra, she participates in her school’s theatre program, Ski Club and the annual Motion Science Competition.

The senior plans on attending college to study engineering and performing with an orchestra.

Emily Weil,17, has been playing viola for seven years. She has competed in Solo and Ensemble Festivals, receiving superior ratings for all solo performances.

“Viola sounds different than any other instrument I’ve heard and has a unique and expressive sound.  I really love the rich tone it has.”

Emily has been a member of the Akron Youth Symphony and the Akron Youth Orchestra. She also enjoys showing her horses at horse shows.

The senior plans to attend college after graduation.

Nick Desjardins,17, began playing cello at age ten, after learning the different ranges that could be created while playing it.

Nick is a member of the Canton Youth Symphony. He has competed at Ohio Music Education Association competitions, where he received superior ratings.

The junior plans on attending college to study music composition with the goal of becoming a music educator.