Actor and singer Reeve Charney chatted about his upcoming Beatles tribute shows in New York City.
Carney originated the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Broadway musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.”
A Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and actor, Carney will be playing homage to one of his greatest musical influences in “Reeve Carney Sings the Beatles,” on Monday, May 13 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at The Green Room 42 venue.
Carney will cover era-defining selections ranging from 1963’s “Twist and Shout” to 1970’s “Let It Be,” and everything in between in two different sets.
Carney on the relevance of The Beatles’ music
“I love all their music,” he said about The Beatles music. “It was hard to narrow the songs down. It was even hard to honestly narrow it down to 30 songs (with two sets of 15 songs).”
“I love their early musical work as well, but for me, 1965 was when they went into a whole new zone,” he admitted. “Most of the songs I am really interested in are from that era and beyond. There is a heavy focus on that part of the catalog.”
“The Beatles are among the greatest to ever exist. It is really cool to study their material because I feel I learn as a songwriter by studying their material so that is really cool,” he added.
He revealed that he will do a couple of George Harrison covers in his show.
“The Beatles catalog is almost like comfort food musically speaking for me because it is something I listened to since I was very little,” he said.
“Also, I like their music in a complex and intellectual way as well. I was really impressed how their album, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,’ sounded that good back then, especially since they were still using a four-track tape machine at that point. It is really amazing,” he elaborated.
“As a result, I am looking forward to presenting this show as a two-part evening,” he said.
This show coincides with the 54th anniversary of ‘Let It Be’
Carney shared that they are re-releasing the “Let it Be” documentary film, and this show will coincide with the 54th anniversary of that date,” he said. “The album was initially released on May 13, 1970.”
Future plans
On his future plans, Carney revealed, “There will be more music, acting, and I will be doing whatever projects are exciting.”
A recent star of Broadway’s “Hadestown,” Carney co-starred in Ridley Scott’s feature film “House of Gucci” such actors as opposite Al Pacino, Lady Gaga, and Adam Driver.
Reeve Carney: The Grammy award-winning artist
Four years ago, he won the Grammy Award for “Best Musical Theatre Album” for “Hadestown,” along with the cast. “Winning the Grammy for Musical Theatre Album was so cool,” he admitted, prior to adding that it felt like it was a childhood dream of his being fulfilled.
Favorite mottos to live by
On his favorite mottos to live by, he said, “You need to try your best; that is important.” “Do things that you enjoy and try to keep a good balance in life,” he said.
Carney on the album that he would cover live front to back
If he were to cover any album live front to back in his own shows, it would be Paul McCartney’s “Ram” album. “I would love to do that one,” he admitted. “That would be cool. Also, I am a huge Fiona Apple fan, though her songs might be a bit challenging to do. It would be cool to cover Fiona; I love her music.”
Success
Regarding his definition of success, he noted that it involves being happy doing what you love to do for a living.
“Performing for people is great for me,” he noted. “These concerts are really fun for me. It is a really nice feeling being in a room with everybody again. My audience is amazing; I love them.”
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, Carney said about his Beatles tribute shows, “I would love to see the fans come to the show, and I hope they come along for the ride with us.”
“It will be exciting for me because I will be doing a lot of experimentation in this show, especially because The Beatles are one of the most experimental bands of all time,” he explained.
“I am inspired by that, and I have been always inspired by that, and I am excited to bring my version of that into the live setting with their music,” he concluded.
To learn more about Reeve Carney, follow him on Instagram.
