If the walrus was Paul, who was John? This show attempts to answer

The latest entry to hit New York in the popular dead-folks-in-concert genre, Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, joins an already saturated market. In the past decade, New York audiences have experienced John Lennon thrice on Broadway (2005’s Lennon, 2010’s Rain, and 2013’s Let It Be). A trip from the “Imagine” mosaic in Central Park’s Strawberry Fields down to the Union Square Theatre (where Through a Glass Onion is showing) might give you the impression that the beloved former Beatle is the patron saint of this city and its restless artistic spirit — someone whose legacy is to be shared and enjoyed by all people. But make no mistake: A conspicuously placed program note reminds us that “John Lennon” is a trademark of Yoko Ono Lennon. “Imagine no possessions” indeed. With Ono’s blessing, Lennon: Through a Glass Onion is the creation of Australian actor John R. Waters and Stewart D’Arrietta. They’ve been touring the show off and on for over 20 years, ever since they first performed it in a Sydney hotel in 1992. Perhaps this high-concept tribute concert might feel more at home in a hotel bar or similarly intimate space. Sadly, it feels awfully small on this large and empty proscenium stage.