John Lloyd Young to Return to Jersey Boys?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 12:37am

What do you guys think if this was to happen? I saw Michael Longoria in the role, and though I loved him in it, I would like to see John Lloyd Young.

Sorry if this was posted. I didn't see it on the main page, and the link was posted about 40 minutes ago.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rialto_Chatter_John_Lloyd_Young_Wants_to_Return_to_Jersey_Boys_20090609

[jennafan]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 12:50am

Does this mean he can't find work in L.A.?

If anything, I think he should go to Vegas.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 12:57am

Does this mean he can't find work in L.A.?

HAHAHAHA!

If anything, I think he should go to Vegas.

He'd certainly be an improvement over Travis Cloer. On the other hand, if he were to be in a cagematch with Rick Faugno, I'd pay to see that.

[singingbackup]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:04am

Meh...he's kind of a tool. "I miss my fans....they travel all over to see me wherever I perform...."

[asdfghj2]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:08am

How do he and Jarrod Spector compare? I love Jarrod, but I'd love to see JLY too

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:13am

*sporfle*

I sense fear and conflict, Captain.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:20am

If the only reason you want to act is for your FANS, then you shouldn't be allowed on a stage to begin with.

Then again...we ARE talking about JERSEY BOYS. No acting involved. So I guess if he wants to sing and play like he's an actor, it won't hoirt!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 8:16am

Heck... if Jennifer Holliday can continue to play Effie White for 28 years then John Lloyd Young believes he can play Frankie Valli just as long.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 9:03am

Did he realize that there are no jobs for marginally talented Franki Valli impersonators?

[WestVillage]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 9:59am

He certainly comes across as obnoxious and full of himself, which is unfortunate. Maybe it is harder getting work in LA than he thought. His Tony win was a few years ago already ... he's old news and lost his momentum.

[JBSinger]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 10:03am

well, its basically all he can do.
this was made evident when he sang at the Lincoln Center songbook series. His reviews basically said as much.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 10:03am

It's the reality of the business - the toast of Broadway one minute, thrown to obscurity the next. It's a shame he never got a proper send off when he left Jersey Boys as the strike was going on at what would have been his final performance.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 10:24am

It sounds like the case of Sammy Williams all over again.

For those who don't know (or remember), Sammy Williams won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for playing Paul in the original 1975 Broadway production of A CHORUS LINE.

He went to Los Angeles with his Tony Award expecting ALL of Hollywood to greet him at the airport with tons and tons of TV and film offers since he was the toast of New York and Broadway and part of the whole A CHORUS LINE hoopla going on.

Nothing happened for him.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 10:31am

If he did come back, I would definitely see him again. I thought he was terrific in the role.

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:17am

JB, when you say that's "basically" all he can do...what do you mean by that? So, because a review said that, you automatically believe it?

Have you seen his other work? Are you personal friends with him, etc...

An actor on Broadway, winning a Tony, then leaving the role, hoping to go to Hollywood and get work in film and tv, is pretty slim to none. It's not that usual. Norbert Leo Butz is another example of that. It happens all the time.

JLY was brilliant in "Jersey Boys!" If he goes back to NYC or into the Las Vegas production, good for him. He's an actor. That's what he does.

Updated On: 6/9/09 at 11:17 AM

[sanda]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:43am

I will definitely go see him if he's back. He's simply amazing.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:45am

I thought he was fantastic in the role and really deserved his Tony.

If only he wasn't such a douche bag. Rumor has it that by the time he left the Broadway company of Jersey Boys that the entire company despised him.

Evidently, he really bought into the hype. Updated On: 6/9/09 at 11:45 AM

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:47am

He clearly deserved his Tony award. He was fantastic.

I don't listen to rumors - never have. Why is the truth never enough?

[Pippin]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:49am

"Then again...we ARE talking about JERSEY BOYS. No acting involved."


yeah.....ok. Have ya actually seen the show? they don't call the role the "King Lear" of musical theatre for nothing. I'm sure all shows send their potential leads through a three day boot camp for one role

Frankie has to age 40+ years in the span of the show, showing youthfulness and naivety at the start, and calmness, wisdom, and regret at the end, sing 20+ songs, dance, show vulnerabilities through a tough guy persona, become heartbroken, and spend the final 20 minutes of the show alone on stage commanding the audience.

no, no acting needed for this role at all.



I mean, really? please get a clue and don't belittle what the actor has to do for this role.

Updated On: 6/9/09 at 11:49 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:50am

Maybe he's the next Colm Wilkinson.

Or Anthony Rapp...

[Tom1071]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 11:57am

Actually nealb1, it is the truth.

"Rumor" is the word I chose to use because I can't reveal the source. But I will say that it was shared with me by an actual company member of Jersey Boys.

Again, I think his Tony was well deserved but his personality left something to be desired. Granted this is not based on my personal experience. I was quite disappointed to hear it but everything I have seen from him since (interviews, his inability to handle some teasing at Broadway Bares) seems to support it.

Updated On: 6/9/09 at 11:57 AM

[nealb1]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 12:28pm

Pippin.......thank you so much! Couldn't have said it better, myself.

Tom, I had a friend in JB for 2 years who I did shows with here in LA, who said nothing but wonderful things about JLY. In all fairness, not everyone likes to be teased, and we don't know what was said, implied, etc.

Everyone has a different take on things, for sure.
Updated On: 6/9/09 at 12:28 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:03pm

"yeah.....ok. Have ya actually seen the show? they don't call the role the "King Lear" of musical theatre for nothing. I'm sure all shows send their potential leads through a three day boot camp for one role"

Oh please. It is hardly a taxing role. None of the other Frankies have had the "problems" that John Lloyd Young had...and I've seen better acting in community theater. The Tony Award should have gone to Michael Cerveris or Bob Martin. And Christian Hoff certainly didn't deserve the Tony over Danny Burstein, who was absolutely hysterical in The Drowsy Chaperone.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:06pm

Crap, ok, I can't believe I'm defending him, but JLY was also the first and ONLY Frankie to have to do the show 8x a week on a regular basis. Hence the problems. (And the implementation of the alternate.)

[Pippin]

Posted: 6/9/09 at 1:08pm

well, I can't speak for Young as I have never seen him, but I personally know two Frankie's who have had vocal problems, and form someone who been involved with the show, I can tell you first hand that the role is no joke.

Updated On: 6/9/09 at 01:08 PM