Mark Benson as John Lennon
Mark Benson was introduced to music playing drums and piano at age eight. At age 17 he started playing guitar and became fascinated by the different sounds that different guitars made and started servicing, repairing and building guitars which he learned how to do at Lay's guitar Repair in Akron, Ohio. He made guitars for Eddie Van Halen and Jackson Browne and sold vintage guitars to The Rolling Stones, The Who, Bad Company, Hall and Oates, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, The Eagles, Alvin Lee, Joe Walsh, The Allman Brothers, The Cars, David Lindley, Cheap Trick, and the Doobie Brothers. Mark played guitar in the local Ohio bands Ashes, Raintree, Coconut, Mr. French and Bock (with 1964 co-founder, Gary Grimes). In 1984 Mark and Gary, started "1964 The Tribute". "We had no idea when we first started this band, that it would lead to us performing at so many of the venues The Beatles played, like Carnegie Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheater, The Deauville Hotel, Shea Stadium, and The Cavern in Liverpool, England." He currently produces all aspects of the show and produced the "1964" CDs, "All You Need Is Live","Nine Hours In November", "Bootleg Vol. 1" and "30/50 Celebration". Mark says, "'1964' shows the audience what it was like to attend a Beatles concert in the early sixties and generates the same feeling of happiness that is still generated by the music of The Beatles. We get so much of this positive energy back from our audiences, it reassures us that for now, we are where we are supposed to be".
Mac Ruffing as Paul McCartney
Mac Ruffing was born and raised near Cleveland, Ohio and as a young child started listening to his older sisters' Beatle records. The first album he ever bought was "The Beatles 1962-66," which is exactly what 1964 The Tribute does, and is still his favorite music. Mac started playing the drums at 15, and at 17 he bought a Kingston violin bass (a Hofner knockoff) at a local music store and unknowingly started his role as "Paul." He played in several Southern California original, Top 40 and Beatle cover groups, including 'Help!,' 'Imagine,' 'The Yanks' and 'ATP', all while working full time as a land surveyor. Mac, not a natural 'south paw', spent the better part of a year training himself to play the bass guitar left handed, like Paul McCartney. In 1993 he joined the Beatles tribute 'Beatlemania Live!,' touring the world which led to his "passing the audition" in 2009 and joining the touring cast of the Beatles show 'RAIN' on Broadway and in theaters and Performing Arts centers all over the world. In 1982 he met 1964 The Tribute co-founders, Mark and Gary, and over the years subbed on occasion with the band. He joined the band full time in 2013, and has since been performing some of the world's best music with the world's best Beatles tribute band.
Tom Work as George Harrison
Tom Work (George) is a co-founder of "1964" The Tribute, and is the act's first George. Tom began playing guitar at the age of 7, and following high school he studied music at the University of Akron. Since the late 1960s Tom has played and sung in a variety of ensembles. During high school and college he played flute, sousaphone and bassoon in the marching and symphony bands; professionally, Tom has worked in well over a dozen "cover bands," most notably Dogs 'n Kids, The Lou Ciriano Combo, My Old School and The Jerry Bruno Orchestra. Tom even sang Lead for 8 years in a barbershop quartet (believe it or not, it's true!). Tom also worked in over 20 musical theatre productions, both onstage in leading roles, and behind the scenes as Producer and Music Director. "Performing onstage in a band is really where I belong," Tom says, "although conducting the pit orchestra, for me, is every bit as exciting-and even more challenging! It's a very rewarding experience to help extract top-notch performances from people, to guide performers to their pinnacle. There's nothing quite like sitting in the orchestra pit on opening night and hearing an actor deliver his or her best-ever performance!" In 2006 Tom returned to "1964" The Tribute, ending a 12-year sabbatical. "During my time away from 1964 I worked with a few of the other Beatles shows," he notes. "I learned a great deal and forged close friendships with some great people, but there's nowhere I'd rather be, no group of performers I'd rather work with than "1964". It's great to be back!"
Robert Potter as Ringo Starr
Bobby was born in Indiana. He started taking snare drum lessons in the 5th grade and got his first set of drums in the 7th. Later, when The Beatles arrived on the music scene, he made it a personal goal to be like Ringo. He played in 3 bands through high school - a Tijuana Brass band, high school pep band and a top 40 band. He helped form a popular local band that performed in his home town and surrounding area teen clubs. He later moved to Champaign, Illinois and joined a band that performed in and around the tri-state area. Wanting to spread his wings he then set his sights on the west coast and moved to Los Angeles where he helped form The Finders, then Shake, Rattle N' Roll and played the nightclubs there for 10 years. He then moved to Las Vegas and played the Nevada casino circuit. Capitalizing on his experience he backed such greats as Chris Montez, Billy Swan, Jewel Akens, Al Wilson, J.J. Jackson, The Coasters, The Drifters, The Dell Vikings, 7 show/lounge acts and too many Elvis impersonators to mention. Still wanting to achieve his personal "Ringo" goal he joined two Beatle tributes, spending 8 years in this endeavor. His personality shines onstage as he authentically reproduces every beat and moves his head to the music portraying Ringo with precision and style. This accomplished artist transports the audience to the carefree magical era with his voice when he performs "Boys" and "Act Naturally". Bobby is thrilled to be a member of "1964"...The Tribute! He states in his own words, "In the tribute world, you can't get any closer or higher up than this for authenticity, style and sound in the same way The Beatles performed live."
Plan Your Visit:▼
Parking: Free parking is available at the venue. Please have patience and be respectful when leaving our parking lots after the show.
Ticket Office: For ticket sales and assistance with ticket orders, please visit our box office or call 260-768-4725. Box Office hours are Monday thru Saturday, 10am to 7pm. All ticket sales are final and non-refundable, no exception.
Tickets: Your phone is your ticket. Make sure you have downloaded your ticket before arriving at the venue to present at ticket check. Will Call tickets can be picked up at the box office window, and you must present a photo ID. If you need your tickets printed for any reason, visit the venue box office prior to entering ticket check. Tickets that include a dining package will need to be printed prior to visiting the restaurant since they serve as your dining voucher.
Rain or Shine Events: All events are rain or shine. In the event of hazardous weather during an event, please follow the safety directions given by venue staff and displayed on digital screens.
Bag Policy: For safety and efficiency, we recommend entering without a purse or bag at our venues. If essential items are needed, we encourage guests to bring them in a small, clear purse. All non-clear purses will be searched, and this will be enforced upon entry at our Performing Arts Center. Diaper Bags for families with small children and bags with required medical items are permitted. No oversized purses, tote or duffel bags, or backpacks of any type will be allowed.
Prohibited Items: Please review the prohibited items list before you come to an event. This list can be found on our FAQ page.
Concessions: Refreshments are available for purchase within the venue. No outside food, candy, or beverages are allowed.
Bar Service: We do have beer and wine service available at most of our PAC concerts. Hours of service vary, depending on show schedule, but the bar is typically open for at least 90 minutes once doors are open.
No Smoking: Smoking and vaping are strictly prohibited inside the venue.
Safety and Security Policies: All members of your party must have a ticket to enter the venue. All individuals entering the facility are required to go through a security screening which includes metal detection and checking bags for prohibited items. These security screenings may vary on some events, so please refer to your "Know Before You Go" email to plan your visit accordingly. Re-entry is not permitted without a ticket. For a complete list of prohibited items and venue policies, visit our FAQ page.
Accessibility: For complete information on our services, please visit the Accessibility section of our FAQ page.
Dining Packages: Buffet dining at our Blue Gate Restaurant can be added to any ticket price for your convenience. Price would include meal but not gratuity. To ensure guests have time to dine, we suggest arriving no later than 2 hours prior to show time, in case the restaurant is on a wait.
Hotel Reservations: If you need hotel accommodations, consider staying at our Blue Gate Garden Inn – adjacent to the Performing Arts Center! For more information and to check availability, visit https://www.bluegategardeninn.com/ or call 260.768.4725.
You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ') AS match_score
FROM calendar_event e2
' at line 5:
SELECT *,
e2.event_id,
e2.sub_name,
e2.event_start_date,
() AS match_score
FROM calendar_event e2
WHERE e2.url_name != 'event'
AND e2.event_start_date >= CURDATE()
and post_date <= CURDATE()
ORDER BY match_score DESC limit 8
Oops! No Artists Change your dates or pick another genre...