Harken back to the era of Beatlemania, love-ins and flower power during a special series of performances at Orcas Center.

“Across the Universe: A Celebration in Concert” is directed by Grace McCune and Jake Perrine and brings together the Rock on the Rock Choir, local dancers, musicians and the high school drama class. The production weaves 29 Beatles songs into a story of love, heartache and social revolution.

“I love how accessible the Beatles’ music is to all ages,” said McCune. “This concert is such a great way to bring people together because the music speaks to everyone’s heart.”

The show will run Friday and Saturday, May 8, 9 and 15, 16 at 7:30 p.m. Thanks to a local sponsor, ticket prices are affordable at $15 for adults and $5 for kids. They are available at www.orcascenter.org or 376-ACT1. The New Leaf Cafe is hosting a special dinner in the Outlook Inn’s Victorian Room before the opening night show on Friday, May 8 for $50, which includes a ticket to the show.

“Grace McCune and Jake Perrine are a creative team that always inspires,” said Orcas Center Executive Director Kara O’Toole. “The Orcas community comes out in droves for their shows. Locals will be hard pressed not to recognize someone on stage with a cast of over 100 performers from ages 6 to 90-plus.”

“Across the Universe: A Celebration in Concert” is a benefit for Orcas Center, and O’Toole said it is a performance that “celebrates the intrinsic value of Orcas Center and the arts to the island.” The concerts are based on the 2007 Julie Taymor film of the same name.

“Aside from seeming the logical conclusion to the arc of popular material available – what’s more popular than the Beatles?  Nothing! – it also is a rich tapestry of some of the all-time greatest songs ever written, and some of our favorites,” Perrine said.  “Certainly the Julie Taymor movie was a big inspiration to dramatize and stage it, but we’ve diverged from most of that at this point and made it our own.  I could not be happier about our decision to choose this material. It’s been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

McCune has watched the Rock on the Rock choir grow from 15 adults and eight kids to 55 adults and 37 kids. Not only has the choir’s numbers grown, but emotionally people have pushed themselves to new heights. Unlike traditional musicals on the stage where several lead roles take on most of the content, “Across the Universe” features numerous solos, duets, trios and quartets of singers.

“To see a variety of different people’s talents and ages adds to the charm of this production,” said McCune. “It pushes singers to rise to the occasion. A good percentage will have their debut on the stage singing.”

Not only will singers get their

moment under the bright lights, but will get to share the stage with a live band, dancers and a silk performance.

“I’ve always loved dance with live music, it is a visual for what a singer feels in the inside when they are singing a song,” said McCune.

She describes the choreography led by O’Toole and Laura Ludwig as a dream come true.

McCune said the magic of the show comes from teaming together with a dynamic creative team that includes O’Toole, Ludwig, producer Deborah Sparks and co-director Perrine.

The live band brings together Jim Bredouw on bass, guitar and piano, Martin Lund on keyboard, accordion and woodwinds, Lek Thixton on guitar and Jeff Horton on drums. The horn section includes Lund, Oliver Groenenwald, Craig Canine, Dimitri and Lorena Stankevich, Gregory Books, Steve Albouc, Dennis Cullen, Mathew Jenson and Charles Porter.

The high school drama class, consisting of 18 students, will finish up their year-long course with scenes in “Across the Universe.” They will sing “With a Little Help From my Friends,” “I Want you (She’s so Heavy)” and “Lucy in the sky with Diamonds.”

Some of the students are also in the Rock on the Rock adult choir and will sing solos.

“Aside from adding a live band, which has always been our dream and goal, we’ve refined the process of working with singers and dancers and kids, and I think this level-up in efficiency has allowed us to take on a far bigger scope than last year,” said Perrine.

He added that  audiences can expect “adventurous explorations of and new interpretations of almost 30 classic songs that the audience thought they knew! And it’s a collage of images, emotions, themes and music from a pivotal time in history that still are very much potent and relevant today.”

Cali Bagby contributed to this story.