Magic in the Air
A short history of the Annual John Lennon Tribute
To appreciate the history of the Annual John Lennon Tribute, it’s helpful to know something about the Theatre Within Workshop and its founder, Alec Rubin.
Alec was a theater director and a primal therapist, a truly powerful combination. As a director, Alec used primal therapy techniques to help performing artists develop raw autobiographical material for the stage.
When I joined the workshop in 1979 there was a photo of John Lennon as a boy hanging in the studio. It was the back cover of the album Plastic Ono Band, which Lennon recorded after his experience in primal therapy with Dr. Arthur Janov. Lennon was an inspiration to us, not for his rock stardom, but for his commitment to shining light into the dark places within himself and for authentically sharing his journey.
Fast forward to the summer of 1981: Lennon had been senselessly murdered the previous December and we were planning a reading of a new play, Show Me The Way To Strawberry Fields, about the impact of Lennon’s death on two couples in crisis.
As fate would have it, about a month before the reading the playwright got cold feet and pulled the script. With our strong impulse to do something to remember Lennon, we decided to stage a John Lennon Tribute, a gathering of monologists, musicians, and dancers.
What I remember most about that first Tribute is how sad it was. We never envisioned it as an annual event, but it felt important to come together over John, so we just kept doing it.
The one thing you can count on this life is change: We lost the studio in the late 80s and scrambled each year to find a venue for the Tribute. Over time it morphed into a holiday celebration. Alec retired in 2000, leaving the tradition in my hands.
Instinctively, I turned the Tribute into a charity event, a benefit for an education program for children living in transitional housing at the Harriet Tubman Center in Harlem. I also started to break away from the mostly improvisational format that was Alec’s trademark.
In 2004, in its 24th year, the Tribute got its first mention in the press, a short blurb in The Daily News. The next day I received a note from Yoko Ono inviting me to contribute an essay to a book she was working on called Memories Of John Lennon. That, combined with Alec’s death the following year, served as a major turning point.
The Tribute began to attract notable artists: Steve Forbert, Marshall Crenshaw, Joan Osborne, David Bromberg, Bettye LaVette and more. By 2010 we had somehow found our way to the Beacon Theatre with headliners Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, Cyndi Lauper and Taj Mahal.
In 2014, after years of raising funds for other charities, the Tribute was finally established as a benefit for Theatre Within, in support of its mission of bringing free workshops in creative expression and mindfulness to communities in need.
There were two other things that made 2014 such a notable year:
The first was the launch of the John Lennon Real Love Project, a visionary songwriting program which has since been provided for the cancer community in eight states, elementary and middle schools, and youth in crisis.
The second was the establishment of the John Lennon Real Love Award, bestowed at the Tribute each year to an artist in recognition of their creative excellence and charitable/social impact. Honorees have included Natalie Merchant, Patti Smith, Ani DiFranco, Donovan, Rosanne Cash and Joan Osborne.
That the Tribute has endured for so long speaks to the unique place that John Lennon holds in the heart of New York City.
It also speaks to the relentless dedication of the Theatre Within team, which after over four decades remains deeply inspired by John Lennon’s music and timeless message of peace, love and equality.
A true labor of love for all involved, each year we create the Tribute anew.
It’s a great joy and privilege.
We’ll keep it going as long as we can.
The finale for the 34th Annual John Lennon Tribute
Featuring Debbie Harry, Ben E. King, Marshall Crenshaw, David Johansen, Kate Pierson and more.
What I remember most about that first Tribute is how sad it was. We had never envisioned it as an annual event, but it felt important to come together over John, so we just kept doing it. Alec retired in 2000, leaving the Tribute in my hands. I immediately turned it into a charity event.
The Tribute continued to fly mostly under the radar, until 2004 when the Daily News published a short blurb about it. The next day I received a note from Yoko Ono inviting me to contribute an essay to a book she was working on called Memories Of John Lennon. That, combined with Alec’s death the following year, served as a major turning point.
The Tribute soon blossomed from small workshop production to a full-scale concert with top artists, including Patti Smith, Natalie Merchant, Jackson Browne, Ben E. King, and many others. Along the way, it raised money to help feed the hungry, build music schools in developing nations, fund education programs for children living in temporary housing, and support Hurricane Sandy relief.
Since 2014, all Tribute proceeds have benefited Theatre Within in support of its mission of bringing free workshops in creative expression and mindfulness to communities in need. Since the onset of the Covid pandemic in March 2020, Theatre Within has provided more than 500 free workshops for children, teens and adults impacted by cancer.
In addition, Theatre Within offers the John Lennon Real Love Project, a visionary songwriting program to public elementary schools for free. After learning about John Lennon’s life and music, students compose new lyrics to “Real Love” and make their own recording of the song accompanied by John Lennon’s original piano track and vocal.
In 2022, we’re excited to be moving the Tribute from its traditional December date to October 8, the day before John Lennon’s birthday. Given the news of the day at home and abroad, celebrating John Lennon and his timeless message of peace, love and equality feel as important as ever.