Local high school string quartet joins touring Beatles musical

When the touring show "In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles" comes to the Admiral Theatre on June 3, be on the lookout for two quartets -- not just one. The Bremerton High School string quartet has the privilege of joining the professional actors on stage to add an element of orchestral texture to the evening. Here's the rundown: The show: "In My Life" is the musical retelling of the Beatles story through the eyes of manager Brian Epstein and featuring the live music of renowned tribute band Abbey Road. The band features Chris Paul Overall ("Paul"), Nathaniel Bott ("John"), Jesse Wilder ("George") and Axel Clarke ("Ringo"). Brian Epstein is played by Alxander Jon (spelling is correct). The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments. It has toured for years, with a critic for the Orange County Register at one point declaring, "If you see one tribute show, see this one --smart and loads of fun." The show is widely considered by industry insiders to be the most unique Beatles show in decades. The string quartet: Bremerton High School senior Que 'Neshia Cox, junior Lydia Buck and sophomores Erika Niemoller and Everett Kinyon will join the band for the songs "Eleanor Rigby," "Yesterday," "A Day in the Life," "Hello Goodbye," and "Hey Jude." In a special touch, "Yesterday" is played as a scene in which the Paul McCartney character plays the song for the first time for Beatles producer George Martin, with the songwriter explaining that he envisioned a string-quartet accompaniment. How the "Beatles" connection was started: The producers of "In My Life" approached Bremerton High School's Director of Instrumental Music Max Karler, looking for a talented ensemble that could hold its own with a rock band in front of an audience. The show commonly uses a local quartet to augment the production while on tour. The quartet's Beatles fans: Niemoller and Cox are the quartet's Beatles fans. In the fifth grade, Cox first heard the song "Blackbird" and searched the internet with the lyrics she remembered until she found Beatles music. "I've been a fan ever since," said Cox. "My favorite Beatles song is 'Hey Jude' and I'm very excited that we get to play it during the show." After Niemoller's 4th grade teacher played Beatles music during reading hour, she went home and searched her parents' CD collection until she found Beatles albums. She has been a fan ever since. "I enjoy all their songs but I love the more experimental music they created," said Niemoller. Her favorite album is Revolver. The details: "In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles" performs on Tuesday, June 3 at the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton. Tickets are $25 - $55 and may be purchased online at www.admiraltheatre.org, by calling (360) 373- 6743 or by fax (360) 405-0673. The Admiral Theatre is located at 505 Pacific Avenue in Downtown Bremerton. The show is appropriate for all ages. And here is some additional information about the Bremerton HS String Quartet: When Erika Niemoller was seven years old, she watched violinist Andre Rieu on television and instantly fell in love with the instrument. "There are so many sounds, colors and different qualities you can get from the violin," said Niemoller. In addition to performing with the Bremerton High School Orchestra, she is a member of the Pennisula Youth Orchestra. She advanced to the state level as a first alternate in last year's Solo and Ensemble Competition. Niemoller is a member of her school's German Club and enjoys participating in We Day Seattle, a youth rally event. The sophomore is an honors student. After Niemoller's 4th grade teacher played Beatles music during reading hour, she went home and searched her parents' CD collection until she found Beatles' albums. "I now enjoy all their songs but I love the more experimental music they created," said Niemoller. Her favorite album is Revolver. After Que'Neshia Cox learned she was too short to play the bass seven years ago, she began to play the cello. "I love the deep, woody, relaxing sound of the cello," said Cox. "I feel like there is much more range to the cello than other string instrument." In addition to playing with her school's orchestra, she is a member of the Bremerton Youth Orchestra. For the past six years, Cox has been active with the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, a youth service organization which teaches leadership through community service. She has volunteered more than 500 hours of community service. The senior aspires to attend Western Washington University, enroll in law school and eventually work as an environmental lawyer. In the fifth grade, she first heard the song "Blackbird" and searched the internet with the few lyrics she remembered until she found Beatles music. "I've been a fan ever since," said Cox. "My favorite Beatles song is 'Hey Jude' and I'm very excited that we get to play it during the show." Lydia Buck plays both the viola and the violin and has performed with the Bremerton Youth Orchestra for five years. When not playing music, Buck competes with the state's high school Knowledge Competition. The junior maintains a 3.9 grade point average and plans to attend college and major in mathematics. She is a member of her school's swim team. Everett Kinyon has been playing the violin for five years. His grandfather was a violin maker and many members of his family play the instrument. "The violin produces sound that has a depth to it that can be interepreted in many different ways," said Kinyon. "You can communicate art with the violin." Kinyon enjoys hiking and weightlifting. The sophomore hopes to attend the University of Washington, major in mechanical engineering and enroll in a graduate business school. And here is some additional information about "In My Life": "In My Life: A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles" is the award winning, smash hit musical biography of the Beatles as seen through the eyes of their manager Brian Epstein and featuring the live music of renowned tribute band Abbey Road. This family friendly musical tale is widely considered by industry insiders to be the most unique Beatles show in decades. “The show delivers!” said the L.A. Times. “If you see one tribute show, see this one – smart and loads of fun,” said the O.C. Register. “This is the ticket for you,” said the Idaho Statesman. “The most original of all the shows on the Beatles,” San Diego Theatre Review. More than just a Beatles tribute concert, "In My Life" gives the audience a chance to “be there” at pivotal moments in the extraordinary career of the Beatles - from Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club, to the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium’s 50,000 + screaming fans and their final live performance on the rooftop of their Apple Corp offices. With manager Brian Epstein serving as Narrator, "In My Life" allows the audience to get a glimpse inside the world of the Beatles from their point of view, as well as hear some of the greatest songs ever written. "In My Life" takes the audience back to February 1964, when Americans saw the Beatles for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show, playing I Want to Hold Your Hand. Progressing through their various musical stages, the audience re-experiences the psychedelic era of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the creation of the haunting Yesterday and the raucous rock and roll of Revolution. And here is some information about Bremerton HS Director of Instrumental Music Max Karler: Max Karler is in his first year as Director of Instrumental Music at Bremerton High School. Prior to Bremerton, Mr. Karler was the Director of Instrumental Music at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. Under his direction the Mount Tahoma ensembles consistently scored Superior and Excellent ratings at local festivals. In the Spring of 2012 and 2013 Mr. Karler served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Puget Sound where he taught basic brass instrument pedagogy. Mr. Karler attended the University of Puget Sound where he graduated cum laude in 2009 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Teaching. In 2009 he was awarded the Jones Endowed music scholarship, the largest endowed music scholarship given to a student annually. The following year he was awarded a Music Teaching Graduate Fellowship. Mr. Karler presently holds memberships in the following organizations: National Association for Music Education, Washington Music Educators Association, Olympic Music Educators Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Beyond his own teaching responsibilities as Director of Instrumental at Bremerton High School, Mr. Karler is President of the Board of Directors of the Puget Sound Youth Wind Ensemble,a non-profit organization that provides musical enrichment for wind musicians throughout the South Puget Sound. Outside of his current position, Mr. Karler is an active trombonist and regularly performs with Brass Unlimited, a quartet of Tacoma music teachers that, in addition to performing professionally, hosts two Sounds of Brass Concerts a year each featuring a professional guest artist. As an orchestral musician, Mr. Karler recently won the Principal Trombone seat in the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and will be performing during the 2013-14 season. Students from Mr. Karler’s private trombone studio have attended the WMEA state solo and ensemble competition to receive superior ratings, have been featured soloists with the Tacoma Youth Symphony Organization, and are regularly accepted to honor ensembles such as WMEA All-State, NAfME AllNorthwest, and the PLU Honor Band.