Jersey Boys-8/23 Matinee

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 9:56pm

Hey everybody, so today me, my mom, and my sister got up around 4(we live in Central Jersey) so that we could be in the city at the August Wilson Theatre hopefully before anyone else, but we were sadly wrong. We were a couple of feet from the theatre and my sister ran ahead and then she looked down and turned around with a shocked look on her face and we thought she was kidding but when we got there, there was already 12 people waiting there and we got there at 6:55am(that was absurd and insane).

We thought we weren't going to get into the matinee and have to go to the evening show, but we made it in with seats A5-A9(I thank God that they changed the policy over there so that you could get the evening or the matinee at 10am cause alot of people went to the evening show). There was even this lady who was waiting on line who asked group of kids(there were about 4) if they could get her a ticket(You gotta do what you gotta do).

When we walked back to the theatre, we were already knew Christian wasn't going to be there, but I looked in and we got a nice surprise. Turns out John took the matinee off and we had the great pleasure of seeing Michael Longoria play Frankie Valli, Matthew Scott went on for Joe Pesci(did not like it as much as Michael's), and Dominic Nolfi went on for Tommy Devito.

All in all, I just have to say that Michael was amazing, I was blown away by his performance. He was very energetic during the numbers(during Marianne, he did the spin thing and into a spilt). He received a well deserved standing ovation after Can't Take My Eyes Off You(It was the first time I ever stood up after a number). During the show in the front row there was this little old lady with big hair and she was really getting into it and she was singing along and dancing it was really cool. She tried to get a handshake from one of the guys but I guess they didn't see her.

Afterwards at the stagedoor, everyone basically came out. Peter Gregus was first and he was talking about how it was Dominic's second time as Tommy and he signed my vocal selections(he looked at it and was like wow when did they start selling this). Jennifer Naimo was the only Jersey Gal who stopped and she thought the vocal selection book was cool too and ask where I got it. Daniel came out next and we talked(he reconized me again). I asked him when his website is going online and he said it should be online soon and that he just upload the photos. After that, Dominic, Donnie, Bobby, and then Michael came out and Michael was handing out information on his solo album.

A little side note, the biggest thing happening at the stage door that everyone thought was really cool was the fact that my sister wore this homemade Jersey Boys/Frankie Valli T-shirt where on the front it had "Winter + Summer + Fall + Spring = 4 Seasons" and on the back it had photos of Jersey Boys and Frankie Valli and The Original Four Seasons. The all thought it was really cool.

So, all in all it was a great experience and I highly recommend that if you see the show and John's out to hope for Michael cause he's just amazing. I honestly think that whenever John decides to leave, that Michael will move up to Frankie Valli.

A little thing, in case anyone wonders if that's really Daniel Reichard on myspace, I can honestly tell you that it is him cause I left him a comment on his myspace telling him I was going to be at the show and when he was talking to me, he mentioned that.
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song, Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La. French, number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys

[smashingasian]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 10:28pm

Great review worrell! Michael is fantastic as Frankie!

"during Marianne, he did the spin thing and into a split"

I remember he did that the first time I saw the show. The women in the front row got all excited and giggly (I just got a kick out of that). He's also a great dancer. I'm so glad you enjoyed the show!

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 10:46pm

Well... I was going to start my own thread about the show LAST night, (8/22) but I guess now I don't have to. Not to mooch on your thread, worrell but I guess we might as well stick these together...

Last night was Dominic Nolfi's FIRST time as DeVito and I too felt he did a nice job. I was missing Christian Hoff, but Dominic did well. Personally, I felt he a was a smidge young for the role, but that might have also had something to do with the fact that I've seen him go on for Valli before. Also once saw him in the roles normally played by Tituss Burgess (back when he was still with the show)... In fact, of all the "Jersey" alternates, I think Nolfi is the one I've seen the most.

Matthew Scott was also on for Gaudio and Heather Ferguson was on for Erica Piccininni.

The story of last night was the sound system, though- oy and a vey! The show started off fifteen minutes late thanks to an announced, "Technical difficulty with the sound system." They started "Ces Soirees La", but Heather's microphone was obviously dead when she tried to do her lines. A minute or so after that- when Dominic opened his mouth for Tommy's first monologue- HIS microphone was dead too. Some rather annoying men behind me began yelling, "WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!!" and it was quickly announced that they were still having problems and would be right back. Heh. Nice and nerve-wracking for your first time on in a role, eh? The cast froze and cleared the stage, (with Bobby Spencer flashing the audience and grin and a peace sign before spinning off stage).

They totally re-started the show about ten minutes later and, though there were some rocky moments, things went much smoother after that. Actually, when Dominic Nolfi gave Tommy's opening monologue a second try he got HUGE applause!

Matthew Scott's first entrance as Gaudio was the nailbiter- his microphone died right before he began his monologue. Luckilly, thanks to some quick thinking on Jennifer Naimo's part, "Cry For Me" was saved, (she spent the entire number leaning on the piano with a handheld microphone and grinning wildly, in character, as the waitress). His body microphone was back in working order after the song, thankfully.

Overall, HUGE HUGE HUGE props to the cast for getting through all that mess- the show still played very well and my parents loved every minute of it!

[Alejandra925]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 11:25pm

Dreamflyer22, thanks for the review. I'm glad your parents loved the show!

Matthew Scott's first entrance as Gaudio was the nailbiter- his microphone died right before he began his monologue. Luckilly, thanks to some quick thinking on Jennifer Naimo's part, "Cry For Me" was saved, (she spent the entire number leaning on the piano with a handheld microphone and grinning wildly, in character, as the waitress). His body microphone was back in working order after the song, thankfully.

Gotta love live theatre and actors having presence of mind like that. Jennifer Naimo is absolutely wonderful, as is the entire JB cast.

[Luckydave14]

Posted: 8/23/06 at 11:37pm

Is Christian Hoff on vacation?

[DevDev]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 12:10am

Christian Hoff is on vaction from 8.22 until 8.27. I say it's well-deserved.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 2:37pm

DreamFlyer22 , I was at the matinee not the night show, and Daniel and Erica were on during the matinee. I thought Dominic and Michael were great yesterday, the only one I didn't like as much was Matthew Scott as Joe Pesci(It looked like his jacket was too small on him and Michael's costumes looked too big on him).

Was John in last night? I'm just curious cause Michael posted on his myspace and was talking to some people at the stage door that he was only doing Frankie for the matinee and he was going to be playing Pesci at the night show.
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song, Oh What A Night. Ces Soirees-La, French. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 2:58pm

Clarifying- I saw the show TUESDAY night... you saw the Wednesday matinee, yes? I'm sure John was on Wednesday night since Michael was Valli at the matinee and John only takes one show a week off if he needs it, (as per his contract allows).

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/24/06 at 3:08pm

Oh, I thought you were at the night show. My bad, but did anyone go to last night's show and if so was John in?
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song. Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La, French. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys

[bitey dog]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 10:54am

Quick question to those of you who've done rush lately.

What time have you gotten there and what's the line been like? Full/Half-Full/Etc?

I'm thinking about going to rush for the matinee tomorrow since it'll be my last chance before school starts.

[smashingasian]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 11:11am

Since it's a Saturday... you should be at the theatre by the break of dawn. Okay, I'll stop exhaggerating lol. The new policy is that tickets for both shows are on sale at the same time, that being 10 AM. I suggest you get up very early considernig it's a two show day, because tickets sell out very fast.

[Duckie93]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 11:12am

you need to get there really early ... like a 6-6:30 because we got there a 6:55 and there was already like 12 ppl there

[WiiCKED x3]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 1:23pm

I'm so excited! I'm seeing Jersey Boys December 24th.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/25/06 at 1:53pm

When I went on Wednesday and saw Dominic as Tommy, I couldn't help notice that he kinda looks a little like Alec Baldwin and it's true. In some photos of Dominic, he looks a little like Alec Baldwin.

I'm probably going to go back sometime in the next couple of months(maybe for my birthday, December 27th which I do believe is the day that Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons released December 1963(Oh What A Night) on December 27, 1975, it's mentioned in the program).

Does anybody else think that they should sell Michael's cd at the theatre? I think they should especially on the days that he goes on as Frankie Valli.
________________________________________________________________
"That's our song. Oh What A Night, Ces Soirees-La, french. Number one in Paris, 2000, ten weeks. Not bad for a song from thirty years ago."
-Jersey Boys
Updated On: 8/25/06 at 01:53 PM