Here you go!
All of the qustions were sent in by fans.
Do you feel a weight on your shoulders having to compare to the Tony winning cast? There is a definitely a bit of pressure to live up to the amazing work that the Broadway cast puts out there every night. On the other hand, the New York cast and the creative team have made it clear to us that we are all part of the same "Jersey Boys family", so we feel alot of support, as if we're standing on the shoulders of giants as opposed to being squashed by them!
Who inspired you to be a actor? My family is very theatrical. My mom did theater throughout my childhood at a great company in Hartford, CT and I'd see her doing Neil Simon shows and all other sorts of work. In addition, my older sisters did a bunch of community theater that I would watch as a little guy and just totally be enamored with. There was also one particular director I worked with in community theater that made the process so fun and rewarding that I knew "this was what I wanted to do".
How rigoruous was the auditioning process for the show? I had gotten a few callbacks for the original Broadway production but it didn't work out. Months later I went to a chorus call (an open audition for union members), sang for Ron Melrose (the show's musical director) and got the sense he was definitely interested. I was called back several weeks later, sang for Des and Ron, got called back the next day, read some scenes and sang my same song for at least 15 new people (including Frankie Vallie and Bob Gaudio, yikes!), danced on a Friday, and got the call Monday! All in all, a somewhat speedy process.
Have you seen the show on broadway? Yes, I've seen the show in New York several times.
If so what think or feel the first time you saw it? I just remember being surprised at how affected I was when the Four Seasons finally "hit" with Sherry and I was really floored by the audience response. I had never seen standing ovations in the middle of a first act! I also remember being blown away by the performances, the great book by Elice and Brickman, and particularly the sound design. I had never heard a show sound so great since (what a coincidence), Des's production of TOMMY years before. I also remember being blown away by the vitality and excitement of music that I had usually dismissed as "oldies music".
Did you see Jersey Boys before you were cast or after? Both. I saw it a few times before I was cast and became sort of obsessed with it. I TiVo'd the cast's amazing performance on the Tony's and would watch it constantly. It was quite surreal when we actually started choreographing "Who Loves You" in rehearsal. I was actually IN the number instead of watching it with a TiVo remote in my hand!
why did you want to be in the Jersey Boys Tour? My first answer is easy-EMPLOYMENT! Every actor wants to work and make a living doing what they love. But to be part of a really wonderful piece of theater that connects with people so strongly...it really doesn't get better than that!
Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."