“Concert for George” to premiere in Richmond

By Sharon Shaw
VCU Adcenter

The VCU Adcenter, Virginia Commonwealth University’s graduate program in advertising, is pleased to present the Richmond
premiere of an historic musical tribute to the late Beatle George Harrison in a one-time-only showing at the Byrd Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 11.

On Nov. 29, 2002, some of music’s biggest stars joined one another on stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall to pay tribute to Harrison one year after his death. The concert brought together Harrison’s closest friends, including Eric Clapton, Ravi Shankar, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr, who celebrated his life the best way they knew how: by playing his music.

From that memorable evening comes a music documentary called Concert for George. Directed by David Leland (Band of Brothers), the 104-minute film portrays the warmth, love, and respect felt by these legends for the life and work of “the quiet” Beatle. A limited theatrical release of the film began in late September with premieres in London, LA, New York and Tokyo. The reviews have been glowing.

“The documentary approximates the enveloping quality that the best rock shows create,” said Bob Strauss of the Los Angeles Daily News. “Concert for George [is] made with such unobtrusive expertise that it is truly the next best thing to having been there.”

Stephen Holden of The New York Times said, “The sweet, solemn music of George Harrison…has rarely sounded more majestic,” while Lou Lumenick of the New York Post predicts “few (Beatle fans) will remain dry-eyed” through the film.

Concert for George will make its Richmond premiere on Thursday, Dec. 11 at the historic Byrd Theatre with one matinee showing at 4 p.m. Proceeds from the premiere will help provide scholarships for VCU Adcenter students. Co-sponsors of the event are Kodak and @radical.media.

Adcenter board member Jon Kamen, chairman and CEO of @radical.media, produced Concert for George along with Olivia Harrison (George’s wife) and Ray Cooper. The film is rated PG-13, thanks to some risqué humor provided by members of Monty Python who perform a number of Harrison’s favorite skits.

Student tickets are $5 (with student ID), and $8 for the public. Tickets will go on sale at Richmond-area Plan 9 locations on Dec. 1, and will also be available at the Byrd box office 30 minutes before show time. Seating is limited. For more information, contact the Adcenter at 828-8384 ext. 104.