It occurred early on to Tony Kishman that he could build an entire evening out of sounding and looking like Paul McCartney.
"It's really, really fun. We're covering all of his hits by himself and with the Beatles and Wings," said Kishman, who brings his "Live and Let Die" show to the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Saturday.
One of the creators of the popular "Classical Mystery Tour" Beatles symphony show, Kishman created a spinoff that focused solely on McCartney about three years ago.
He believes he's the only one doing a McCartney symphony show.
"It's a fun thing to see the reaction of people when they get to see songs like 'Live and Let Die' with a full symphony," explained Kishman, a Tucson native who has spent his career looking and sounding like McCartney in tribute shows, including the national and international tours of the Broadway show "Beatlemania" from 1977 to 1983.
"It's really neat. It's a new, fresh look at all of Paul's greatest moments."
Kishman will share the stage with longtime collaborators Jim Owen on keyboards, guitar, bass and vocals; John Merjave on guitar; and Chris Camilleri on drums. The set list includes "Band on the Run," "Lady Madonna," "Silly Love Songs," "When I'm Sixty-Four," "The Long and Winding Road" and "Yesterday."
Kishman spoke by telephone from Vienna, Austria where his Twist and Shout Beatles tribute show performed as a side trip in its first major tour of Germany. The Vienna show was so popular the group was invited back to perform later this month.
The Canyon del Oro High grad was born and raised in Tucson and still makes his home here. He said he is popping in and out of the tour to do the McCartney shows.
"I love doing shows in Tucson," he said, adding that Twist and Shout will return in November to Desert Diamond Casino's Diamond Entertainment Center.
"The Tucson Symphony is a really good symphony. When you play with a professional organization like that, we know it's going to be a great show. They just happen to be really great."
Kishman said the world's appetite for good Beatles revue shows is still strong, which is why his group has shows lined up well into next year.
"There's a lot of demand for our shows," he said. "There are some Beatles shows out there that don't work that much because they aren't that good. But our shows have been booked for the last 10 to 20 years. It's really nuts. Tonight, we were amazed. A sold-out crowd in Vienna. They want us to come back and do another show at the end of the tour. ... This has been really nutty everywhere we've played."
If you go
• What: "Live and Let Die: Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney," with guest conductor Martin Herman, vocalist Tony Kishman and musicians Jim Owen and Chris Camilleri.
• When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
• Where: Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
• Tickets: $33 to $78 through www.tucsonsymphony.org or by calling 882-8585.
