The Beatles tribute performer Jon Perry will bring his one-man show, The Music of Lennon & McCartney, back to the Laurel Mill Playhouse this April, bringing decades of iconic songs to a local stage.
For more than 20 years, Perry has performed the music of John Lennon and Paul McCartney on stages around the world. The show blends live music and storytelling, guiding audiences through songs by the English rock band The Beatles, from their rise in the 1960s to their later years and solo work. Lennon and McCartney were founding members of the band and its primary songwriters.
The upcoming performances will take place at the Laurel Mill Playhouse on Main Street, a small, community-driven theater known for its diverse productions and dedicated volunteer base.
Perry’s performance recreates The Beatles’ sound using background tracks, live vocals, and instrumentals.
“The vocals have to be right,” Perry said. “All of my singing is live. The bass guitar is performed live. The acoustic guitar on the Lennon numbers, and the keyboard on songs like ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,’ ‘Hey Jude,’ and ‘Golden Slumbers,’ are live.”
The Baltimore native said The Beatles’ music has always felt natural to him, both as a musician and a lifelong fan. His connection to music began early in life and was shaped by his upbringing—his mother was a professional dancer and his father a musician.
“I was in diapers when my father set me in front of snare drums. I got my first kit when I was five for Christmas,” he said. “I was given a guitar when I was 12 because drums were always way too loud.”
He said his career was never about fame.
“It wasn’t about being on television, money, or fame. I’ve just always loved music.”
The focus of the performance is not on Perry as an individual performer, but on recreating the experience of The Beatles’ music.
“I’m just as big a fan. I just get to wear the suit,” Perry said. “I’m not so much selling myself as I am The Beatles’ experience.’ The brand of the show isn’t me—it’s bigger than me.”
That philosophy fits well with the Laurel Mill Playhouse, a small venue that seats about 65 people and allows audiences to feel closely connected to performers.
“The intimacy of the theater really draws people in,” said Maureen Rogers, co-owner of the Laurel Mill Playhouse. “You’re not at the Kennedy Center 100 rows back with theater glasses.”
Marvin Rogers, Maureen Rogers’ husband and co-owner of the playhouse, said Perry’s show consistently draws a crowd.
“When it gets packed, as it has during Jon’s performances, some people even sit on the stage,” he said.
Laurel resident Jim Cross, 78, who has both attended and performed at the Laurel Mill Playhouse, said tribute shows resonate with audiences on a personal level.
“Jon does a terrific job,” Cross said. “When he’s singing, I’m quietly singing along with him, taking me back to my teenage years.”
Performances like Perry’s often bring new audiences into the theater, Maureen Rogers said.
“It brings in a different crowd of people—Beatles fans from the 1960s as well as younger listeners,” Rogers said.
The Music of Lennon & McCartney will be performed at the Laurel Mill Playhouse on Friday, April 17, at 8 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet at Oliver’s Old Town Tavern, 531 Main St., and on Saturday, April 18, with dinner at 6 p.m. at Olive on Main and the show at 8 p.m.
Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Laurel Mill Playhouse website.
More information and tickets are available at laurelmillplayhouse.org or by calling 301-617-9906.