Skidmore is full of its coveted traditions: Big Show, Fun Day, and, of course, Beatlemore. This all-things-Beatles concert is a high attendance event for both the student body and the Saratoga community. Those in charge of planning the shows, Sami Hutchinson ’20, L. Esther Hibbs ’20, Katelyn Reichheld ’20, and Artist in Resident, Joel Brown, have spent months getting everything ready so the show will be as enjoyable as we all know it to be.
The planning started with recruitment, since the most important aspect of the show is the performing groups. Reichheld explained how “we really want to try to get the most people on campus involved from all class years and all different types of groups.” She mentioned how the group isn’t just looking for rock bands, they want a broad range of music that can cover each of the iconic Beatles songs in a unique way.
The aim is to have about 16 groups perform for the entire event, with one big finale performance that incorporates everyone. Until these groups are selected, however, the four planners play the waiting game before the deadline for group submissions hits.
Hibbs explained how “there’s always a moment of suspense right before the deadline for submitting auditions, because if we don’t have enough auditions, then we don’t have a show.” This has yet to cause a problem though, seeing as an event as big as this one can often draw in too many groups.
After group details are worked out, advertising becomes the main focus. They need to spread the word and try to get the highest attendance at all of the shows so as to raise the most money for their charity, Skidmore Cares, which helps provide support to ten organizations in the Saratoga area by donating food, clothing, or money . To help make everyone aware of this great cause, the planning committee works with a digital design class on campus to create the poster that best encapsulates this year’s Beatles album, where they then choose the one that gets posted around campus.
Abbey Road and Let it Be are this year’s albums. Every group performing chooses a song from the two albums and puts their own unique twist on it. As Abbey Road celebrates its 50th anniversary and Let it Be its 49th, the two albums hold a ton of history between them.
Abbey Road, the first album that the band recorded in stereo, holds iconic songs that even the youngest of teenagers know, such as “Come Together” and “Here Comes the Sun.” Let it Be on the other hand is a smaller album, containing the title song “Let it Be,” among others.
This attention to detail is what everyone loves about the Beatles, and what the Beatlemore planning committee hope to make apparent in their lively and fun concerts.
The Beatlemore tradition, created 19 years ago by Professor Gordon Thompson, is still dazzling many. Back then, it took place in Filene, before Zankel was built. During that time, there was no theme or album to follow and groups just got up on stage the night of and performed whatever Beatles song they wanted.
Since then, the mission has consistently been “how do we maintain the playfulness of the original event, while still making it more structured so we can maximize the capacity to do good that this event has,” explains Hibbs.
Beatlemore Skidmania will continue to be a celebrated event for years to come, thanks to the countless performers and the endless work of the planning committee. However, the current planning committee is graduating all of its members and is looking for four to six people who are interested and passionate about the event and want to carry on the legacy. It is a unique opportunity to be involved in an event that helps bridge the gap between Skidmore and the Saratoga community.
This year’s concert will be on Nov. 22 and 23, with two evening shows and one matinee.
During the shows, there will also be Skidmore volunteers doing everything from ushering to selling t-shirts and merchandise, and they are always looking for interested students.
If you are interested in being involved with the planning committee or volunteering during the show, contact beatlemoreskidmania1@gmail.com
Follow @beatlemoreskidmania on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date on this year’s concert.