Las Lomas High School Musicians To Join Pros Onstage At Lesher

PHOTOS: “LL String Quartet 1” and “LL String Quartet 2” shows (l-r) Claire Yu, Lile Donahue, Sarah Tero and Reilly Terao. Photos taken by Kara Ravina.

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From Andy Nagle:

When the touring show “In My Life - A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles” comes to the Hofman Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts on September 13, be on the lookout for two quartets -- not just one.

Musicians from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek have 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 features the live music of renowned tribute band Abbey Road. The band members are Chris Paul Overall (“Paul”), Nathaniel Bott (“John”), Zak Schaffer (“George”) and Axel Clarke (“Ringo”). Brian Epstein is played by Murphy Martin.

The production includes multimedia, period costumes and vintage instruments.

The string quartet: Las Lomas High students Lile Donohue, Claire Yu, Sarah Tero and Reilly Terao 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.

Accomplishments of the quartet: In addition to performing with the Las Lomas High Orchestra, members of the quartet have earned superior ratings at statewide Solo and Ensemble competitions, perform with the prestigious Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra and the Napa Valley Youth Symphony.

Donahue is the concert mistress of the Diablo Regional Youth Orchestra.

The show commonly uses a local quartet to augment the production while on tour.

The quartet’s Beatles fans: Donohue and Terao are the quartet’s Beatles fans.

“Both of my parents are really into the Beatles, so I became a fan when I was young,” said Donohue. “I remember listening to Beatles for an entire trip to Yellowstone,” she continued. Her favorite Fab Four tunes are “Strawberrry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude.”
“I remember when I was young my mother used to play Beatles music when she cooked,” said Terao. “ I’m a Beatles fan and my favorite song is “Yellow Submarine.”

And here is some additional information about the quartet:

Lile Donohue, 15, has been playing the violin for seven years and also plays the piano. She won a gold rating in each of the last two California Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble competitions with solo performances and is the concert mistress of the Diablo Regional Youth Orchestra.
“I was captivated the first time I heard Vivaldi’s The Four Seasonsperformed,” said the junior. “I really connect with the instrument and I feel you can really put your heart into it.”

When not playing music, Donohue enjoys Irish dance. She plans to attend a four year university.

“Both of my parents are really into the Beatles, so I became a fan when I was young,” said Donohue. “I remember listening to Beatles for an entire trip to Yellowstone,” she continued. Her favorite Fab Four tunes are “Strawberrry Fields Forever” and “Hey Jude.”

Claire Yu, 16, has been playing the violin since the fourth grade and has been playing the piano for nine years. In addition to playing with her school’s orchestra, Yu has been a member of the Diablo Regional Youth Orchestra and the Napa Valley Youth Symphony.

“I enjoy playing in orchestras because you meet people who like music,” said the senior. “It’s fun creating music with other people.”

She has been a Girl Scout for more than ten years and is a member of her school’s lacrosse and cross country teams.
Yu volunteered in China last year with a non-profit organization called Half the Sky which helps orphans.

Reilly Terao, 14, has been playing the cello for four years. “The cello is so interesting,” said the sophmore.”You can play happy or angry songs with the instrument.” He is a member of Las Lomas’ Orchestra as well as the Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra.

“I feel connected with everyone in an orchestra when playing,” he said. “It’s great when you make music together.”
Terao is a member of his school’s tennis team. He plans to attend college after graduation.
“I remember when I was young my mother used to play Beatles music when she cooked,” said Terao. “ I’m a Beatles fan and my favorite song is “Yellow Submarine.”

Sarah Tero, 17, has been playing the viola for six years. She also plays guitar, ukelele and piano. She enjoys playing lacrosse and snowboarding.

The senior plans to attend college after graduation and work in computer science.
Terao’s favorite Beatles song is “Yesterday.”

The multi-media musical comes to the Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center on Sunday, September 13 at 2 pm. The show is appropriate for all ages.
Tickets are $29 - $90 and may be purchased online atwww.lesherartscenter.org, by phone at 925-943-7469 or at the theatre box office. The Lesher Center for the Arts is located at 1601 Civic Drive in Walnut Creek, CA 94596