The Wallis Presents ‘Pepperland’ by Mark Morris Dance Group

The Wallis presents Pepperland by Mark Morris Dance Group for four performances May 16 – 18, 2025 in Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis).
 
Pepperland is choreographer Mark Morris’ unique tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” a joyous romp through the Beatles’ beloved, groundbreaking concept album – a playful and often poignant production bursting with energy and buoyant creativity, brightly colored costumes, and spectacular ensemble numbers.
 
Created at the request of the City of Liverpool to kick off its Sgt. Pepper at 50 Festival in May 2017, the evening-length work features an original score by composer Ethan Iverson interspersing arrangements of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, “With a Little Help From My Friends”, “A Day in the Life”, “When I’m Sixty-Four”, “Within You Without You”, and “Penny Lane” with six original Pepper-inspired pieces intended especially for Mark Morris’ profound understanding of classical forms: Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio, and the blues.
 
An unprecedented chamber music ensemble of voice, theremin, soprano sax, trombone, two keyboards, and percussion teases out and elaborates on “Sgt. Pepper’s” non-rock and roll influences. This colorful new piece resounds with the ingenuity, musicality, wit, and humanity for which the company is known.
 
The work also playfully evokes multiple aspects of the era, with colorful, mod-inspired costumes by Elizabeth Kurtzman, scenic design by Johan Henckens, and lighting design by Nick Kolin.
 
Mark Morris said, “The music for Pepperland, arranged and extrapolating from tracks on The Beatles’, ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is important to me because of the enormous impact the album caused in popular culture at large. ‘Beatlemania’ in the UK and particularly in the US was a pivotal event in the turbulent social/political semi-revolution of the late 1960s.”
 
He continued, “As a very young person, I was dazzled and confused by the music. I loved it and I loved The Beatles. Then, over the years, I lost touch and lost interest partly because of overexposure. When I was approached to participate in the commemorative project in Liverpool, I re-examined the recording and found so much of interest in it that I eagerly took on the big project of turning these very familiar songs into an evening length music and dance show. Pepperland is the exciting result.”
 
Ethan Iverson said, “The Pepperland score is a suite of chamber music performed by some of New York City’s finest iconoclasts. Half the piece is arrangements of the songs we all know, half are brand new danceable pieces responding to the strong undercurrent of classical music present on the original album.” 

Pepperland will be at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills 90210), Friday, May 16 at 7:30p, Saturday, May 17 at 2:00p and 7:30p, and Sunday, May 18 at 2:00p. Tickets start at $64.90. Book now.

Pepperland in Boston 2019, Photo credit Robert Torres