“A deeply felt reflection of the man. Savour every minute”– NEW YORK TIMES
“Lennon’s spirit shines through” – New York Post
Lennon: Through a Glass Onion is back in Australia following their sensational 16 week season in New York. The internationally acclaimed theatrical event celebrating the genius, music and phenomenon of John Lennon which we know and loved as LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS ONION was re-produced and rebranded for its Off-Broadway debut at the Union Square Theatre.
Created and performed by renowned Australian actor/musician John Waters and esteemed singer/pianist Stewart D’Arrietta,Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, is part-concert, part-biography and features 31 iconic hits including Lennon solo works such as Imagine, Woman, Working Class Hero, and Jealous Guy and Lennon's collaborations with Paul McCartney, including, Strawberry Fields Forever, Revolution, and, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
“It was truly an emotional experience seeing Lennon: Through a Glass Onion in New York at its American premiere” said producer Harley Medcalf. “We were overwhelmed, blessed really, to have the support of Yoko Ono and the Lennon Estate. As Charles Waterstreet (Fairfax) said, “We should get out the streamers and confetti to shower D’Arrietta and Waters in an open limousine to the steps of our town halls””. The show will return to the US following the Australian tour in April/May.
John Waters added “To be embraced by New Yorkers as we were from October to January, this was a great reward for all of us who worked so hard to get our show there, at the Union Theatre. It truly felt as though Glass Onion had in fact given the city what it needed, to reconcile their own sense of loss of a much loved ‘son’, as John Lennon came to be. Night after night, our audiences stood to acknowledge us, and it doesn't get much better than that.”
In 1992, twelve years after Lennon’s death, Waters and D’Arrietta first conceived and performed Lennon: Through a Glass Onionon a small stage at the Tilbury Hotel in Sydney. The show was an instant success. In the years that followed, Waters and D’Arrietta toured the show and played sold out engagements at venues including The Sydney Opera House. The show performed a three-month engagement in London’s West End.
“Its been fantastic the response the show is receiving, especially from the younger audiences that are coming along, some of whom were not even born when Lennon and The Beatles were recording and releasing their music. It’s a testament to the legacy of the man and his music that still excites and intrigues people to this day” says Waters.
“It never ceases to amaze us how many people still request to see the show, even after our last lengthy tour, we’re constantly getting emails and messages asking when is the show coming back, so its great that the demand and interest is always there”, says Waters.
“The song Glass Onion was John Lennon’s postscript to The Beatles. It had such a strong image of crystal ball-gazing and peeling away the layers that it inspired the format for this show – a kaleidoscope collage of song, word, emotion and image”, agrees D’Arrietta with Waters.
For the audience this is either an emotional trip down memory lane or a wonderful introduction to the life and times of one of the most fascinating icons of our time.
LENNON THROUGH A GLASS ONION also appeared at the EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL in August 2016.
WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE SAID…..
“Lennon’s spirit shine through on “Glass Onion””– NEW YORK POST
“D’ARIETTA is a powerful pianist with strong beats for a Honky Tonk”– CURTIN UP NEW YORK
“His credible take on Lennon’s Liverpudlian dialect is top notch, meritoriously channeling the singer/songwriter’s acerbic wit and rebel yell moxie over the course of the 90 minute one act concert monologue”.– EDGE NEWORK NEW YORK
"a remarkable celebration of a unique talent... Waters does it brilliantly" – THE SPECTATOR, LONDON
"John Waters encapsulate the essence of Lennon."– CAPITAL RADIO, LONDON
"The humour, the pace, the crisp intercuts of light and sound, the emotional texture of music and narrative, and the insights add up to a stirring celebration of genius."– SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
"Part bio, part great concert, totally excellent."– THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
“Angry, wired and wiry…..a powerfully recalled lament.”– LONDON GUARDIAN