It's hard to believe Scot Arch doesn't have an accent.

But in truth, the Philadelphia native has just spent two decades impersonating one of the most famous British rock stars of all time -- John Lennon.

Arch will be appearing as Lennon in Beatlemania Now, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, when it comes to the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., at 7:30 Friday night.

Arch said the four cast members of the show look the part before they put on their costumes.

"We look similar to our characters even before we get made up," he said.

Arch added each actor remains completely in character throughout the show in the ways they speak, sing and perform.

"I'm supposed to be the sarcastic one, so I'll make some sarcastic comments along the way," he said about impersonating Lennon.

Aside from resembling the legends in looks and mannerisms, Arch said the cast members of Beatlemania Now have another thing in common.

"All of us in the show have a love for The Beatles and their music," he said. "It's great music, it's timeless music."

Although the main focus of Beatlemania Now is the music, Arch said there have been other elements added to make the performance more like a Broadway show than a concert.

First of all, he said, the actors go through eight different costume changes during the night.

"We start how they looked on the Ed Sullivan Show and then we progress through the years and add the wigs and the mustaches and the other things that changed along the way," he said.

Arch added there is a multimedia aspect to the show -- a screen on the stage that will show pictures and video clips that pertain to The Beatles' era.

"It displays many things from the time period which show how the '60s influenced The Beatles and how they influenced it," he said.

Arch added the multimedia reflects the fact the group's music was greatly affected by what was going on in the world at the time.

Finally, to complete the experience of The Beatles' more complex songs such as those from the Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour albums, the cast members needed the help of one other live instrument.

"Because in 1976 The Beatles began to do things they never performed live and they started to add orchestras and horn sections, we have an offstage keyboardist to do orchestrated parts," Arch said.

He added each onstage actor is irreplaceable, which validates why one of them is flying in from Las Vegas to appear in the show on Friday.

Bob McCutcheon, an outside promoter for Beatlemania Now, said another factor for the show's success is that the actors all share multiple years of experience.

"It is the fact that we have someone who was in the original Broadway show and has played George for over 30 years," he said. "There are only a few other bands that can say that."

Mike Negra, executive director of the State Theatre, said seeing the show will evoke reminiscent feelings.

"We certainly can't see them live anymore, so having a tribute band like this that represents the different eras of The Beatles is a great way to experience that nostalgia," he said.

Arch said college students will relate the most to the cross-generational appeal of The Beatles' music.

"People in college tend to be very thoughtful and there were a lot of messages Beatles sent of love and peace and 'stop the war,' " he said.