Interactive Beatles Experience” on Saturday, March 7, 2026. Unlike other concerts you’ve attended, this evening’s song list isn’t pre-set, but determined on the spot based on audience-submitted request cards.
Performed by the McGuigan brothers, who have toured North America since 2008, the show has enjoyed national acclaim for its novel approach.
Billy, Matthew and Ryan McGuigan learned the songbook from their dad, before he passed away when they were still young. They know that when performing such iconic songs, the connection is everything. “The Beatles’ music means something different to everyone,” says show manager Kate Whitecotton. “It’s tied to memories, relationships and moments in people’s lives. When we’re onstage, you can feel that. The audience sings along, laughs, sometimes gets emotional, and that energy comes right back to us. It never feels like we’re just playing songs, it feels like we’re sharing something together.”
Celebrating the Magic of the Beatles with a New Show Every Night
Before the music begins, the audience submits cards requesting their favorite pieces and sharing why that song matters to them. These heartfelt stories are read out, ensuring no two performances are the same.
Billy McGuigan, creator and lead musician, says that the first time this group played together as a band was in 2006. He explains that after their 90-minute set, he asked the audience for requests. “I was instantly flooded with napkins with requests on them,” McGuigan recalls. “I noticed that nearly everyone not only wrote their song request but they also included a little reason why they requested the song. I instantly thought ‘What a cool show idea!’ That was the spark and here we are 20 years later.”
One touching request remains with McGuigan today. They received a request for “Hey Jude” in honor of an audience goer whose sibling had passed away at the age of 13 in 1969. The card explained that after all the adults had left the graveside, the kids held hands and sang “Hey Jude” together. “We then got to play that song for the audience after telling their story,” says McGuigan. “That’s the unique twist that ‘Yesterday and Today’ provides Beatles fans, we’re like a Beatles core memory jukebox.”
A Gala Evening of Food, Music and Fun Honors the Washington Center for the Performing Arts
“Yesterday and Today” is part of a larger evening of fundraising for the Washington Center. The evening starts at 5 p.m. with a dinner, auction and awards ceremony at the Heritage Room. The festivities then move to the Washington Center for Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience at 8 p.m.
Executive Director Jill Barnes explains the evening is more than just a party, the Gala looks ahead to the future. “Funds raised through the Gala directly support the Washington Center’s mission to inspire audiences and artists of all ages through live performances, enriching the vibrancy of our community,” she says.
Whether you join for one part of the evening or the full celebration, your attendance helps keep the arts thriving in our community.
Want to experience the whole evening? Dinner, Auction and Show tickets can be purchased here, but may sell out soon!
Just want to see the Interactive Beatles Show? Get tickets for the show here or from the Washington Center Box Office (360.753.8586).The Box Office is open from noon until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon until 4 p.m. on Saturday and two hours before any ticketed event.
Questions about the Gala can be directed to jwood@washingtoncenter.org or 360.753.8585, x103.
The Beatles tribute concert may honor yesterday and today, but thanks to this annual fundraiser and generous sponsors, local families can enjoy the Washington Center well into tomorrow as well.
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