The Beatles: The Worldwide Phenomenon

The beaTles:

Treading the Boards

The Beatles and their music have long been popular fodder for film, television, and other media going all the way back to The Beatles’ own films such as Help! and A Hard Day’s Night. This popularity has extended to the stage in the guise of various theatrical events based on their lives and music.

Beatlemania (1977)

Beatlemania Broadway marquee. Photo credit: Beatlemaniaalumni.com

Lennon (2005)

Cast of Lennon. Photo credit: Joan Marcus, Playbill.

Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles (2010) The Beatles LOVE (2006)

David Leon as John Lennon in Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles. Photo credit: Broadway. com. Cast of The Beatles LOVE with Sir Paul McCartney. Photo Credit: MJ Kim.

Let It Be (2013)

In My Life A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles (2013)

The beaTles:

The Worldwide Phenomenon

“Beatlemania” began in 1963, with rabid fans going crazy for the young lads from Liverpool, but when The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on April 9, 1964, Beatlemania fully engulfed the American consciousness. From then on, the cultural impact of The Beatles would be a reflection of the 1960s, changing youth culture and the world.

Beatlemania

Crazed Beatles fans at a London airport in February of 1964. Photo credit: Associated Press. The Beatles with Ed Sullivan before their groundbreaking appearance on his show on February 9, 1964. Photo Credit: AP Images.

The Beatles dominated the charts during their early years, having the top five spots on the Billboard chart the week they first appeared on Ed Sullivan in addition to eleven other songs in the Top 100. They were the first music group to play a sports stadium when they gave a concert at Shea Stadium in 1965. Throughout the U.K, the U.S., and the world, The Beatles left screaming and crying fans in their wake.

The influence of The Beatles gave British culture a clout that it had not experienced around the world since the Industrial Revolution. Their popularity brought about a “British Invasion” of pop music in the U.S. with other U.K. groups outshining American musicians. When Queen Elizabeth awarded the members of the band MBEs, crowds of fans gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Journalist Robert Sandall later commented that “Never had a ruling monarch been so thoroughly upstaged by a group of her subjects as was Elizabeth II on [26 October 1965].”

Fashion

The Beatles evolved in their fashion choices throughout their existence and those choices had a great influence on youth trends throughout the decade. Whether in hair or clothing, The Beatles were style influencers long before that term became de rigeur.

Early in their careers, The Beatles all shared mop-top haircuts, a longer bowl-cut than was popular in the more clean-cut 1950s. This style became very popular with youth and as The Beatles began to adopt more free flowing hair and facial hair as they grew older, youth trends veered in a similar direction.

The Beatles also held sway over fashion, as their styles were emulated by many young men throughout the decade. Early on, their skinny ties and fitted suits were popular, ushering in