Blues Brothers groove Mendel Center
“The Official Blues Brothers Revue” hits the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage at 8 p.m. Oct. 6. Submitted photo
“The Official Blues Brothers Revue” hits the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center Mainstage at 8 p.m. Oct. 6.
It seems like yesterday that brothers Jake and Elwood Blues, played by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, invited the world to join them on a ‘mission from God’ in the hit movie The Blues Brothers. Now, the Blues Brothers live on.
The revue, starring Wayne Catania as Jake and Kieron Lafferty as Elwood, is the only Blues Brothers show to be sanctioned by Dan Aykroyd and wife of the late John Belushi, Judith Belushi Pisano. This live concert show combines the comedy and hits from the original movie and pays homage to Chicago’s rich history of blues, gospel and soul music, all performed with passion and precision.
In 1998, Catania and Lafferty began touring with the award-winning Las Vegas show, “Legends in Concert.” While immersed in the tour, film producer Paul Jay of the A&E Network approached them after seeing their show in Toronto. He followed the dynamic pair to Las Vegas with camera and crew to shoot a docudrama about the highs and lows of living in a 21st century boomtown. The result was the A&E film “Lost in Las Vegas.”
The film caught the attention of Victor Pisano and Judy Belushi Pisano, who asked Catania and Lafferty to audition for “The Official Blues Brothers Revival” that had a successful run in Chicago in the spring and summer of 2004.
After the huge success of the show, the boys decided to put together the revue with the support of the Belushi estate and Dan Aykroyd. Performing with the trademark passion and precision of the original Blues Brothers, “The Official Blues Brothers Revue,” including The Intercontinental Rhythm & Blues Revue Band, strikes the right balance of humor, music and mayhem that has kept audiences captivated.
Tickets, ranging from $37 to $47, for “The Official Blues Brothers Revue” at the LMC Mendel Center Mainstage are available by calling (269) 927-1221 or visiting www.lmcmainstage.org.
