“It’s the concert that never was,” said Steve Boulay ’83, producer and general manager of the Broadway hit Rain: a Tribute to The Beatles.
Now playing at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Rain transports
audience members back to the ’60s with many beloved songs that John, Paul,
Ringo, and George never performed live. Because The Beatles stopped
touring in 1966, their final three albums (Abbey Road, Let It Be, and The White Album) didn’t make it to the stage.
As CEO of Salt Lake City-based MagicSpace Entertainment, Boulay presents touring concerts and shows around North America.
When his company was approached by a Canadian producer who was looking for someone to expand Rain‘s presence in the United States, Boulay and his team worked to find the group an agent, increase booking in major U.S. cities, and build the show on Broadway.
Rain initially opened Oct. 19 at the Neil Simon Theatre and ran until mid-January; it reopened at the Brooks Atkinson in February and, because of its popularity, has been extended through Christmas.
Other productions that MagicSpace Entertainment has presented include Lord of the Dance, Donny and Marie: A Broadway Christmas, The Alexandrov Red Army Chorus and Dancers, and The Magic of David Copperfield.
A political science major at 51, Boulay got his start in the entertainment industry through a combination of his Russian studies and friendships with Russian professor Dick Sylvester and English professor Bob Blackmore.
While studying in Russia following his senior year, “I got involved with a bunch of musicians, and [the next year] we started a record company,” Boulay explained.
After graduation, he was also doing international tax work for Arthur Andersen LLP, but the changing dynamic between Russia and the United States led the young accountant to fully devote himself to music.
A cultural exchange agreement between Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan put a spotlight on American companies doing cultural business in Russia, and Boulay’s “dinky little record company” was brought into the public eye via a New York Times article. He developed relationships with concert producers wanting to work with large Russian attractions, and the business took off.
Boulay’s company produced tours for entertainers such as Janet Jackson, Fleetwood Mac, and Barry Manilow.
While theater is his main gig these days, Boulay’s love of music still comes into play with productions like Rain as well as a new project. He is working with another Canadian producer on a new show called Love Lies Bleeding, which tells the story of Elton John’s life through music and dance.