The Landings & Bay Colony
32
News, Updates & Events continued
THE WANNABEATLES AND THE SOUTH
FLORIDA SYMPHONY “COME TOGETHER”
TO CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF MUSIC BY THE BEATLES
The South Florida Symphony will join forces with the
Grammy-nominated Beatles tribute band, The
WannaBeatles, for a “Magical Mystery Tour” de force.
It’s been a long and winding road for The South Florida
Symphony. “The little symphony that could” is once again
proving itself to be a key player in the Fort Lauderdale
musical landscape. This time they will play host to a “re-
imagining” of the 1964 British invasion, but even The
Beatles never toured with an orchestra – until now.
On Friday, February 6th, the symphony will utilize their
classical chops to recreate the dazzling orchestrations first
heard on the vinyl recordings of John, Paul, George, and
Ringo. With a little help from their friends – the Nashville-
based tribute band, The WannaBeatles – the concert hall
will be turned into a family-friendly “happening” – utilizing
the sights and sounds of the 60’s. The fun begins at 7:30
PM at The First Baptist Church, located at 301 East
Broward Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. The full South Florida
Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestra Sebrina
Maria Alfonso, will join The WannaBeatles on such hits as
“Something,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,”
“Penny Lane,” “Got to Get You into My Life,” “Yellow
Submarine,” “A Day in the Life,” and many more.
The WannaBeatles are an entertaining group of four award-
winning musicians that will bring back memories of when the
mop-topped Liverpudlians wowed America with their music
and charisma. These musical veterans, who pride themselves
on capturing all the nuances of the original recordings, will
engage the audience with their humorous antics and foot-
tapping renditions of Beatles classics.
Not even Paul McCartney tours with a full orchestra. “It’s a
mind-blowing experience to hear this music performed with
all the colors available in a symphony orchestra,” says
WannaBeatles bass player/arranger, Nathan Burbank.
For the group’s drummer, performing in South Florida is
like coming home. “I was born in Cuba, raised in Key
West, then moved to Miami where I got my musical
training,” says David Toledo. “And through it all, there was
always an underscoring of Beatles music.” David attended
both Key West High and Miami High School. After
graduating, he got his Bachelors and Masters Degree from
the University of Miami.
But there’s an even deeper connection to the South Florida
Symphony Orchestra for the WannaBeatles drummer. In
1972, David met the Maestra-to-be, Sebrina Maria
Alfonso, while the two were band classmates in junior high
school. They have remained in touch ever since. When
Sebrina booked The WannaBeatles to play with SFSO, the
Ringo wannabe donned his composer’s cap and penned
an original song in honor of his childhood home called,
“Come to Key West.” The song will be debuted during