Fans of the Beatles know that the Fab Four weren’t always four. There were actually five working-class lads—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe—from Liverpool who banded together and brought their groundbreaking brand of rock ‘n’ roll to seedy clubs in Hamburg, Germany. Opening Jan. 20 at the Ahmanson Theatre downtown, Backbeat tells the story of the formative days in the history of the Beatles. Directed by five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux and co-written by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys, Backbeat‘s book contains early Beatles hits such as “Twist and Shout” and “Love Me Do.” Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.628.2772. centertheatregroup.org