During "Sgt Pepper," the orchestra members actually did vocalize and clap the audience parts that are part of the recording. Prior to playing the song, the band left the stage for a quick costume change and reappeared in the colorful Sgt Pepper uniforms, long-hair wigs and mustaches, much to the delight of the crowd.
Drummer Chris Camilleri doesn't look much like Ringo Starr, but he spoke like him and drummed like a Ringo clone. His lead vocals on Yellow Submarine and the lesser-known "Good Night," from the White Album, were close enough to continue the illusion that this was The Beatles. Truthfully, the latter song wasn't well received by the audience, since few people really know it. They should have selected something else.
The 1973 McCartney song "Live and Let Die," from the James Bond film of the same name, was also performed with much aplomb and all the bombast of the original. Not to be undone, the member who changed costumes the most, Jim Owen (John Lennon), strolled onto the stage in a an-white suit with long hair parted in the middle, to a response of more gasps of surprise, and began Lennon's 1971 smash, "Imagine." Lennon's vocals were expertly mimicked by Owen, right down to the nasal sound. It was a surreal performance.
After completing the first two sets, The band returned after less than a minute, to perform "Hey, Jude," followed quickly by the evening's final song, "Twist and Shout," which involved almost everyone in the room standing and dancing, even the members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Richard Lee looks about as docile and as straight-laced as you can get, but he made his way to the front of the stage and strutted like a peacock, much to the delight of the audience. At one point, in true rock star form, he removed his tux jacket, whipped it around and around and gestured as if he was about to toss it into the audience. The already animated crowd hooted and hollered in response to his teasing. Not ready to call it a night, Lee actually made his way down to the front row and danced up a storm with a woman, again to the delight of the crowd. Seeing the WSO musicians up and shimmying was also quite a sight, and a most unexpected one.
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