May 17, 2012
Jersey Boys – Matt Bailey (Tommy DeVito), Alayna Gallo (Lorraine and others), and Kevin Crewell (Bob Crewe and others) from the national touring company of Jersey Boys talk about the show, their experiences, and their acting beginnings. They had a lot to say, including some particularly nice things about the Durham Performing Arts Center as a venue.
BWW: Jersey Boys has been around a long time now. What can fans who have seen the show before expect when they see it for a 2nd or 3rd time?
Kevin Crewell: Well, there’s so much that goes on, I feel like if you really do want to see everything, you need a good two or three shots at it.
Alayna Gallo: My mother has seen it at least 20 times, and every single time, she’s like “Oh, Alayna, I had no idea that this, this, and that happened.” She will still see it another 20 times.
Kevin Crewell: That’s the indicator – mom will keep seeing it…
Alayna Gallo: Yeah, and everybody that says that. It’s a show that they say that they would like to see it again. So much is happening and you start seeing other little tiny details and you’re like “Oh my God, that’s amazing.”
BWW: What’s the experience like joining a show that’s already established itself as a phenomenon?
Alayna Gallo: Wow. Um…
Kevin Crewell: I love it. I mean, I loved it. It was because the work’s kind of done for you. They’ve already carved this brilliant piece of theater and art out, so…
Alayna Gallo: But also, I feel it was also a little nerve-wracking to meet the expectation that it’s been at for so long. And just being a part of something that’s so much larger than us is so overwhelming. But then once you get the hang of it, you’re like, “oh, this is what it’s about.” And everyone’s always great and friendly and welcoming. So…
Kevin Crewell: Always? Always? [laughter]
Alayna Gallo: [laughter] I think so!
KC: Alayna ignored me our first three days. No, I’m just kidding. (laughter) She didn’t. I mean, it’s one of those shows that all you really gotta do is jump on the train at the beginning and ride it.
Alayna Gallo: Oh, yeah.
Kevin Crewell: Some shows, you feel like you’re kinda pulling, having to do work to compensate maybe that the material’s not so great or something like that. And this, boy, all you really gotta do is kind of get out of the way because the material’s just so good.
BWW: How is playing real people different from playing characters who are pure fiction? Is the process different?
Alayna Gallo: Actually yes, because when I first started, I was given a book of the dramaturgy, of the history of everything, from what New Jersey was like at that time, what the working class was like at that time, what was going on in the 50s, and about the character that I primarily play, Lorraine, which is his [Frankie’s] girlfriend towards the end of the show. I mean, I have three meaty scenes, but there was all this information about this woman. They are down to the detail. It’s like this is something you can really research and see who these people were, are, and their families and their lives, so I would say that that was kind of a different process because in most shows it’s all fictional for the most part. And you want to uphold the truth, because you can’t change the truth.
BWW: How do you keep the material fresh after so many performances?
AG: I mean, honestly, for me it’s easy because it’s so fast-paced, because I’m playing 17 different roles at a time.
KC: You guys don’t have time to think! [laughter]
AG: I really don’t. And the second that beat starts, the first before Ces Soir [hums the music], we’re on. We’re all on. And there’s no turning back. So, it’s easy for me.
KC: Mine, I get a lot of time down in the dressing room. [Laughter] To sit in my Italian suits. I mean, that’s where I think technique comes in. That’s where when we study, when you work on your craft and all of that. That’s where technique comes in. If you’re having a bad day personally, a bad day physically, any of that stuff, that’s when your technique of who are you talking to, what it’s about, what do you want, all of those things. The craft, I think, of acting, comes in to keep it fresh. There’s stuff about when new people come in and out of the show, that always gives it a nice little fresh spritz. You know, if you have an understudy on. If, all of a sudden, the person you’re across from is different. Audiences, every single night are different. Every single night. So, they’re the last piece of the puzzle. So, if they’re more tired, more excited, if they are rowdy, if they’re a little timid, then they add to the production in one way or another, which makes it different every single night. But, I call BS on actors that are like, “Um, it’s not different, every…” No. It is different. Totally different every single night.
Read the complete interview {Via BroadwayWorld.com}
Jersey Boys opens at the Durham Performing Arts Center on October 30, and runs through November 18, 2012. Buy and Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Durham NC Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
May 15, 2012
Jersey Boys Broadway grossed $937,635 and had a 88.4% attendance rate, about 0.7% more than that of the previous week. The 38 shows on the boards grossed $25,244,974, about 0.71% more than that of the previous week’s totals.
Below are the Top 10 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending May 13, 2012.
1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,717,281
2. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,598,593
3. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,579,314
4. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,529,144
5. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,218,638
6. Nice Work If You Can Get It (IMPERIAL) – $1,092,937
7. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $937,635
8. Death Of A Salesman (ETHEL BARRYMORE) – $934,861
9. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $931,370
10. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) – $800,916
{Via BroadwayWorld.com}
May 11, 2012
The actor and singer who won a Tony Award in 2006 for his role as Frankie Valli will rejoin the Jersey Boys Broadway show from July 3 through Sept. 30. He is the lead singer on the Grammy-winning, certified-Platinum Jersey Boys original Broadway cast album. Since leaving the show, Young, who also sang on the original cast album, played Marius in” Les Miserables” at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and guest starred on “Glee.”
John Lloyd Young Returns to Jersey Boys Broadway
Jersey Boys Broadway Musical, has announced the return of John Lloyd Young who won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli. Young will again perform the role of Frankie Valli on Broadway for a limited engagement from Tuesday, July 3 through Sunday, September 30, 2012.
Jersey Boys musical is based on the life story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and chronicles the lives of a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time.
The Broadway cast also includes Matt Bogart (Nick Massi), Quinn VanAntwerp (Bob Gaudio) and Andy Karl (Tommy DeVito) as The Four Seasons; with Peter Gregus and Mark Lotito. The cast also includes Miles Aubrey, Erik Bates, Jared Bradshaw, Cara Cooper, Ken Dow, John Edwards, Russell Fischer, Katie O’Toole, Joe Payne, Jessica Rush, Dominic Scaglione Jr., Nathan Scherich, Sara Schmidt and Taylor Sternberg.
Jersey Boys is written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.
Buy Jersey Boys New York NY Tickets in advance to watch your favorite Jersey Boy John Lloyd Young Live! Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Virginia/August Wilson Theatre Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
May 7, 2012
Jersey Boys is currently playing on tour in Kansas City, MO and the performances at Music Hall Kansas City continue through May 20, 2012.
Jersey Boys Musical Reviewed by Russ Simmons at WDAF TV – FOX 4 – Here is the review:
The term “jukebox musical” is one that makes some Broadway purists cringe. It often refers to shows with weak or non-existent plots that are thrown together from existing music. They’re usually regarded as the poor stepchild of ‘real’ musicals.
The rousing, well-staged and engaging touring production of “Jersey Boys,” now on stage at Kansas City’s Music Hall, goes a long way to dispel the negative connotations usually associated with jukebox musicals.
“Jersey Boys,” the story of the pop music phenomenon The Four Seasons, might be more accurately described as a “musical docudrama.” It traces the history of the rise and fall of the group that achieved its fame and fortune in the time between the formation of rock and roll in 1950s and the British Invasion of the 1960s.
There’s a reason that The Four Seasons sold over 100 million records over the years. Their catchy songs with sophisticated arrangements and soaring falsetto lead vocals by Frankie Valli are considered pop classics. Their arrangements are faithfully replicated in “The Jersey Boys” by a crack band and talented acting ensemble.
The story unfolds in chronological order divided, appropriately, into four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. A different member of the group narrates each segment.
The group’s ascension to the top of the pop music charts was peppered with felonies, jail sentences, mob associations, affairs and divorces. The show’s amusing book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice provides us a sweeping overview of the conflicts that accompanied their artistic and commercial success.
Parents should be warned that the dialogue is filled with f-bombs and frank sexual dialogue. The Four Seasons may have sounded sweet, but they were closer to being ‘goodfellas’ than they were to choirboys. A movie version would, no doubt, garner an “R” rating.
“Jersey Boys” is an energetic crowd pleaser. As the group asks the audience the musical question “Who Loves You?” at the show’s finale, it’s clear that the affection goes both ways.
Read the complete review {Via fox4kc.com}
Buy Jersey Boys Music Hall Kansas City Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Kansas City MO Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
May 3, 2012
Jersey Boys Broadway grossed $907,895 and had a 87.1% attendance rate, around 3.3% less than that of the previous week. The 39 shows on the boards grossed $26,084,412, about 0.66% more than that of the previous week’s totals.
Below are the Top 12 Grosses from BroadwayWorld.com for the week ending April 29, 2012.
1. The Lion King – (MINSKOFF) $1,761,855
2. Wicked – (GERSHWIN) $1,742,571
3. The Book Of Mormon – (EUGENE O’NEILL) $1,603,228
4. Evita – (MARQUIS) $1,515,746
5. Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – (FOXWOODS) $1,371,737
6. Jersey Boys – (AUGUST WILSON) $907,895
7. Death Of A Salesman (ETHEL BARRYMORE) – $900,749
8. Newsies – (NEDERLANDER) $897,046
9. Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (SCHOENFELD) – $892,877
10. The Phantom Of The Opera – (MAJESTIC) – $890,181
11. Nice Work If You Can Get It (IMPERIAL) – $829,755
12. Mamma Mia! – (WINTER GARDEN) $804,623
{Via BroadwayWorld.com}
May 1, 2012
Jersey Boys will make a much anticipated return to Atlanta GA May 22, 2012 as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta 2011-12 season. Jersey Boys returns to Fabulous Fox Theatre-GA from May 22 and continue through June 10, 2012.
Jersey Boys Fabulous Fox Theatre-GA Schedule:
Tuesday to Friday – 8:00 PM
Saturday – 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM
Sundays – 1 PM and 6:30 PM
A special weekday matinee on Thursday, June 7 at 1:00 PM
Jersey Boys Musical, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi: The touring company of “Jersey Boys” features John Gardiner as Tommy DeVito, Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi, Preston Truman Boyd as Bob Gaudio and Joseph Leo Bwarie as Four Seasons’ lead vocalist Frankie Valli. Jersey Boys is recommended for 12 years of age and older. The show contains smoke, gun shots, strobe lights, drug references, sexual situations and authentic “profane Jersey language.”
Jersey Boys Fabulous Fox Theatre – GA performances will close Sunday June 10, 2012. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Atlanta GA Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
Des McAnuff directs the successful story of the Four Seasons, but he was initially more than reluctant. His first reaction was: “No thanks” to Jersey Boys.
Jersey Boys Director Des McAnuff
and reporter Robert Trussell interviewed director Des McAnuff, who states that when it came to directing the show, his first reaction was: No thanks. Here’s a preview:
“I’ve gotten myself into all sorts of trouble over this,” McAnuff said with a laugh by phone during a rehearsal break in Stratford, Ontario. McAnuff is in his final season as artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
“You know, initially I didn’t see it,” he said. “But Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the book (script) writers, were very persistent. There was no book at that point. There was a kind of treatment or an outline. And the way this got resolved was they basically invited me to the party and we came up with an outline together.
“I was so enamored of that treatment that I put ‘Jersey Boys’ into production before we had a script. They were writing the book at the same time I was designing and planning the show. So it was a somewhat eccentric way of launching a new musical.”
McAnuff knew he didn’t want a traditional approach.
“Because it was a musical about a band, I wanted to resist a more conventional approach to musical theater,” he said. “And they (Brickman and Elice) were not resistant to this at all. I think the reason we have such a success has everything to do with the brilliant book that they wrote. And that’s their book. They did the writing. I did not do the writing on this project. I helped in a sense design the superstructure dramaturgically with them, but the writing is very much Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.
Read the complete interview {Via KansasCity.com}
Jersey Boys performances begin Wednesday May 02, 2012 and run through Sunday May 20, 2012 at the Music Hall Kansas City, 301 West 13th St. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Kansas City MO Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
April 29, 2012
Jersey Boys Return to Orpheum Theatre Memphis during the Holidays season 2012. Jersey Boys Tour will stop in Memphis, TN for the period of Dec 04, 2012 to Dec 16, 2012.
Jersey Boys musical is the story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds, and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30! Jersey Boys features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”
Jersey Boys Orpheum Theatre TN Performance Schedule:
Tuesday to Friday – 8:00 PM
Saturday – 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM
Sunday – 7:30PM
Jersey Boys will be performing at Orpheum Theatre TN from Tuesday Dec 04, 2012 and continue through Sunday Dec 16, 2012. Buy Jersey Boys Memphis TN Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Orpheum Theatre TN Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
April 27, 2012
Cast members from the Broadway show “Jersey Boys” made an early appearance on the Durham Performing Arts Center stage Thursday evening as they pitched the show to season ticket holders and potential group sales audiences – Here is the review by DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN, {Via Heraldsun.com}
This is the second time DPAC has offered a preview of a show since the 2012-13 Broadway season was announced. The horse from “War Horse” and its puppeteers also shared some behind the scenes information at a preview this spring.
Jersey Boys will be at Durham Performing Arts Center Oct. 30-Nov. 18, is the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Cast members Matt Bailey, Alayna Gallo and Kevin Crewell took the DPAC stage for a question and answer session with ABC11’s Angela Hampton for a few hundred guests. Bailey portrays Four Season Tommy DeVito, Gallo is Valli’s girlfriend Lorraine and several other female characters, and Crewell portrays music producer Bob Crewe. Bailey and Gallo said they had to audition seven times before getting the roles, approved by Valli himself.
Overshadowed by Beatlemania, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons never won a Grammy in the 1960s, though they have sold 175 million albums. Their hits include “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Dawn (Go Away),” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).” But the “Jersey Boys” musical did win a Grammy, for Best Musical Show Album, and in 2006 the production won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
Kay Goad, who attended the preview event, said she saw “Jersey Boys” in Raleigh last year and plans to see it again at DPAC.
“It is fantastic,” Goad said. During the on stage presentation, Bailey, Gallo and Crewell talked about how many men in the audience really enjoyed the musical as well as women, including working class guys from Jersey who identify with the Four Seasons. Goad said the last time “Jersey Boys” was in the Triangle, people in the audience were dancing in the aisles. Her husband loved it, too, she said, and bought the CD.
Debi Boyle, a volunteer at DPAC, will see “Jersey Boys” for the first time in Durham this fall. She said she volunteers doing anything DPAC needs on show nights, from helping with playbills to holding doors. “It’s fun,” she said.
Bailey told the preview audience that it’s fun playing DeVito, who grew up on the streets of New Jersey. Bailey said people don’t know that the band was around for 10 years before Valli joined. “Jersey Boys” shows the group’s rise to fame and run-ins with the law and the mafia as well as tender family moments. Not necessarily a show for kids, “Jersey Boys” has language they described as “authentic.”
Bailey said the guys who play Valli go to “Frankie camp.” While most have theatrical backgrounds, one Frankie was a Jersey construction worker whose father told him he should audition for the part, Crewell said.
Crewell’s favorite part of the show is after it has built the audience up and they are waiting excitedly for a performance. He comes out as producer Crewe, and with the house lights up, gets to see the audience’s joy.
Jersey Boys will be performing at Durham Performing Arts Center from October 30 and continue through November 18, 2012. Buy Jersey Boys Durham NC Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Durham Performing Arts Center Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
Jersey Boys Return to Providence Performing Arts Center in August 15, 2012 as posted earlier.
Jersey Boys Providence Performing Arts Center Tickets will go on sale Sunday, May 6 at 8am. Jersey Boys is part of the 2012/2013 Contemporary Classics Series presented in Providence by PPAC.
Jersey Boys will play in Providence at PPAC August 15 – September 2, 2012. Jersey Boys is a three-week engagement as scheduled below:
Tuesday to Friday – 7:30 PM
Saturday – 8:00 PM
Sunday – 1:00 PM & 6:30PM
Special Matinee on Thursday, August 16 at 1:00 PM
If you do not want to wait in the long queue, you can buy the tickets online with discounts. Jersey Boys will be in Providence RI till September 2, 2012. Buy Jersey Boys Providence Performing Arts Center Tickets Online. Get $10 OFF on Jersey Boys Providence RI Ticket Orders of $350 or more by using code #SpringSavings at Checkout!
