The Jersey Boys Tour Thread- Page 17

[Michael Lennon]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 3:07pm

About Nick Massi: When you look at him, he is supposed to be the least interesting (and most normal) member of the group. I've seen Bobby, Michael, and Steve as Nick and they all do great...It took me three times to really get used to the new cast, especially the 5' 9' Frankie Valli: Christopher Kale Jones.

About Frankie Valli: I've have seen seven different actors play Frankie (Norona/Young/Longoria/Scott/Jones/Sternberg/Spector), and they all bring something different to the role. I've never seen a single bad performance from any of them, and I hope to keep it that way when I see Jarrod again next month.

I WANNA BUY SOMETHING FROM ERIC GUTMAN!

About Erich/Jackie: She can do better...just look at me!

[MelissaM]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 3:31pm

Miss Marshmellow, I am so thrilled that you are able to review all the characters the way you do. I can only hope that Des McAnuff (Director)and Ron Melrose (Musical Director)read your critiques so they can fix whatever it is that you don't approve of. As for the show, it was spectacular. Not a flaw. By anyone!

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 3:40pm

Am I misinterpreting some sarcasm there?

I want to see Taylor as Frankie!

[Michael Lennon]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 3:57pm

I assure you that if you get a chance to see Taylor (who looks a lot like Brandon, by the way...hehehe) play Frankie, you will be pleased.

I asked him if he would be playing Frankie anytime soon through MySpace, and in his response he called me "sir." I'm only five years older than him! That was nice.

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 4:04pm

I missed Taylor as Frankie as for your review shemarsmellow....it was nice to read your perspective and it is very detailed! makes it easy for us who didn't get to see it make a mental imagery of the opening night!

ML is so lucky to have seen Norona/Young/Longoria/Scott/Jones/Sternberg/Spector as Frankie!

On a different note...I want to see Courter Simmons and Taylor Sternberg as Frankie :P in the future.

and it was a treat to see Rick Faugno as well!!!

I wonder how the understudy for the 2nd tour will be....

More questions....

Who is gonna transfer to the Vegas Sit-down?
Who is gonna transfer to the Toronto sit-down?
Who will be picked to star and appear in the upcoming JB Movie?

Are they ever gonna update the souvenir program to include all the other new casts?

I would guess after the Vegas Show is set up.....hopefully.




Updated On: 5/5/07 at 04:04 PM

[Michael Lennon]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 4:08pm

I don't know if Courter is the understudy for Christopher yet, considering he just joined the cast.

I don't know who is going to play Frankie in the possible film, but it certainly won't be Christopher Kale Jones. It will either be David Norona or John Lloyd Young, in my opinion.

I don't know why I feel this way, but Steve McQueen would have been a great Tommy DeVito if a film were made during his time.

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 5:29pm

If anybody is planning to see the opening show in L.A. on May 25th...or the days following it, the tickets are all sold-out!!!

Best bet is the "Hot" seats which is sold on the day of performance for $20 and it could be anywhere in the house depending on what is available.

I am glad Melissa, Sandra, Deven and the rest of the cast appreciated the bouqet of roses I sent them on the last show :P

[jerseyboyslover]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 6:03pm

shesamarshmallow, mind if I post your review on the myspace page?


Who will be picked to star and appear in the upcoming JB Movie?

To tell you the truth I dont think any of the broadway or tour people wil be in the movie. Not that they shouldnt be, but from what I have heard they dont cast movies like that.

I wonder how the understudy for the 2nd tour will be....,/i>

Which one? their are three. John Michael Dias, John Michael Coppola, and Steven Goldsmith

Craig Laurie's Bob Crewe is very much like John Altieri's, and still hilarious. He has the role down. (He too, is the nicest person I've ever met.)

Craig is a doll! I know this is a stupid question. Did he jump when he shot the gun? He was telling me thurday how loud it was and it was going to take some getting used too.

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the world together."

Updated On: 5/6/07 at 06:03 PM

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 6:36pm

Sure! Use my 'review' or comments however you want!

Craig didn't jump. :)

John Michael Dias isn't an understudy, he's listed as the alternate!

I'm so excited to go back...

[jerseyboyslover]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 6:51pm

Sure! Use my 'review' or comments however you want!

Thanks!

Craig didn't jump. :)

thats good to know!

John Michael Dias isn't an understudy, he's listed as the alternate!

ok, yeah, thats what I was thinking, the last time I had heard no one knew yet.

Updated On: 5/5/07 at 06:51 PM

[jochang621]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 8:31pm

does anyone know when the alternate frankie goes on which performances? thanks~

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 8:34pm

I heard rumors Tues & Sat Mat, but that isn't confirmed, and I doubt it will happen for a few weeks.

[jerseyboyslover]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 8:36pm

Not sure.

Anyone else think Chad Doreck would do a good job as Nick Massi? I dont know if he can play bass but I am pretty sure he could sing and act the part.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MQeOX9qtF0

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 9:06pm

I'm still championing Kevin Greene for Bob...
but I wouldn't trade Drew for the world!

[Michael Lennon]

Posted: 5/5/07 at 9:14pm

Michael Lennon for Nick Massi in the Third National Tour!

Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?

[mll85]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 1:49am

I rushed today’s matinee, which surprisingly was very light. I got there at 10, my normal rush arrival time, the next group didn’t show up until 1130. Eric Gutman was still selling merch, he was at the table with Sarah and then did the walking around on in the orchestra during intermission. I saw Des McAnoff when I stepped outside during intermission, it looked like he had reporters around him, so if an article shows up in the local paper I’ll post links, they also sat by him during the show.

Now the review.

As much as I love the Sherry Co. and how great and talented I think they all are. I was impressed with the new cast. The boys voices blend very well but you could still hear each one distinctly. They didn’t try to be carbon copies, everyone owned their roles. But the way the actors delivered their lines gave a different feeling to the show then the Sherry Co. Some lines I didn’t think were funny with the last cast got a laugh out of me today. But I did notice some line flubs, but they were minor and it was probably do to nerves.

Jarrod wasn’t on as Frankie, instead it was the alternate John Michael Dias. Holy S***! This guys voice is amazing. The moment he stepped on the stage during “Silhouettes” I was blown away, and every single number after that I kept getting impressed. He has an impressive falsetto (reminiscent of JLY, although I only know it from the CD) and I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I thought John’s falsetto was better then Chris’ (still think Chris rocks though). He makes singing Frankie’s part look effortless. Also, an incredible actor. I thought his Frankie came off as the guy from the neighborhood who happen to get big, but is still connected to his roots, he was very relatable as a character. And I loved his rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and you could really feel the heartbreak and sadness when he sang “Fallen Angel”. Even though I saw the show so many times I was very close to shedding a tear during that song. This was his first time on but it did not read at all that way on stage, looked like he’s been playing Frankie for years.

Jeremy Kushnier, who like Deven, took a similar route and played Tommy over the top but not so much in the caricature way I thought Deven did. It was different and a great experience. Still thought of his Tommy as the guy who’s rough around the edges and screws everything up, but you can’t help but feel sorry for him. I also thought Jeremy delivered a lot of emotional intensity, when Tommy temper was about to blow Jeremy played that well. And his voice is fantastic. When he was singing “Silhouettes”, the first thing that came to mind was one of those crooners from the 50s and 60s (think Sinatra, or Dean Martin), it was very smooth.

Drew Gehling’s Bob was very similar to Erich’s Bob but there were differences that made it distinctly his. Mainly it was in the way he delivered his lines (he would put emphasis on different things) and some of his facial expressions, which I thought were funny. Although, I think he didn’t really put a distinction between the young kind of a dork Bob that’s before the “Oh What A Night” and the mature adult Bob you get after. But his voice is amazing, I loved his rendition of “Cry for Me”. Although I thought it didn’t beat Erich’s, it came pretty close.

Steve’s Nick was completely different from Michael’s, Steve played Nick like a normal guy. At first I was a bit put off by it because I’m used to Michael’s but I liked it at the end. That moment from not liking it switched after Nick’s monologue when he leaves the group, I can see why Steve played Nick that way and how it works. I felt that Steve’s Nick came off as a person who on the surface is normal and everyone thinks he’s ok. But after you hear his story you realize that his life is screwed up, he's a bit complicated, and that him being normal was all just a coverup for his problems.

Jenny Lee Ramos plays Mary Delgado and I loved her portrayal. Her Mary was very like a little firecracker and during certain scenes, she take Mary of the top. And her comedic timing is great. But I would have to agree with what was said earlier, she looks way older from the rush seats then Jackie did. And I was surprised with how short she is.

Lauren Marshall is Lorraine I thought she was great. She portrayed Lorraine as very flirtatious, even at the break up scene with Frankie. Even though their relationship was ending she still flirted with him a bit, but that all stopped when she realized that she’ll never be first in line. It’s like you could see her heartbreaking. She’s also the lead Angel. I personally loved Sandra’s singing in “My Boy Friend’s Back” and I think who ever is the lead Angel will make or break the song. Lauren was ok but it seemed liked she was holding back, so it didn’t completely work for me but there were moments here and there during the song where I could see her potential to sing that song like Sandra.

Craig Laurie was great as Bob Crewe. He played it similar to John Altieri’s but not as flamboyant, but it still worked.

Steven Goldsmith’s Joey was a bit disappointing, it wasn’t horrible, just ok. I loved how Rick’s and Courter’s were over the top, crazy, and full of hyperactive energy. Steven just didn’t have that at all today, the audience still laughed, but I didn’t. Hopefully he changes it later in run.

The rest of the ensemble was great today (I can go into details about them later if you guys want), it’ll take some time for me to get used to them because they do a few things differently from the Sherry cast, but they won’t disappoint.

Now the stage door was insanely light after the show, very few people. But the whole cast was really great, really appreciative of everyone that sees the show, and so nice. Was able to exchange introductions and actually chat with a lot of them for a few minutes each. Was barely able to do that with the Sherry cast because they would be mobbed after. I did ask John what his performance schedule would be and as of right now he’ll be playing Sunday and Wednesday matinees.

Now another thing that did disappoint me. They took out the “Siberia… with tits” line. That was one of my favorite lines in the show.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 1:53am

I was bummed about "Siberia... with tits!" too. Oh well!

I guess the rumors are true that John will do Tues & Sat Mats then? I'll totally be there one Tuesday, then...

I'm a little disgusted with myself for seeing this show as often as I have. It's just... comforting, you know? Always reliable to lift my spirits.

[mll85]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 2:01am

I guess the rumors are true that John will do Tues & Sat Mats then? I'll totally be there one Tuesday, then...

He told me as of right now it's Sunday and Wensday mats, it could change though. I think he only went on today so he can get notes from Des.

I'm a little disgusted with myself for seeing this show as often as I have. It's just... comforting, you know? Always reliable to lift my spirits.

Yeah I feel you on that one. I'm starting to think I'm seeing this show way too much. But after a crappy week of school I like going back to the city and catching the show to lift my spirits.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I also saw Taylor at the theater after the show, don't think he saw the show but was just shopping downtown. I only realized it though when the people in rush yelled out his name. Updated On: 5/6/07 at 02:01 AM

[lite2shine]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 2:18am

I'd like to ask people who have seen JB in SF numerous times. Would you have seen it if there was no rush ticket? The lowest price is $50 from the nosebleed section. Would you have seen it from there as many times as you did from the rush seats?

The reason I'm asking is that when we went to see the show (my second time seeing JB, first on Broadway and the second time in SF), I enjoyed it, but I was SHOCKED when my husband and sister-in-law said that this show was the best show they've EVER seen. Granted, they are not a theatre snob like me but they have seen more than regular people. I agree it's a fun show, but it's still a jukebox musical or cataloge musical, so it's still hard for me to place the show along side with the musicals that have original scores.

BTW, Seth's interview on Sirius radio with two book writers was very interesting. I'm not sure if you can listen to it on the net, but if you could, you should.

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 2:23am

Actually, the nosebleed seats are $30 on Tues, Weds & Thurs. I've sat there about half of the times I've been - I don't always have time to rush.

It's definitely not the best show I've ever seen or even my favorite show. It's just... comforting.

[lite2shine]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 2:35am

$30 for weekday? Wow, that's a great price. I mean it's $10 more than rush but you can get it in advance and don't have to stand in line for hours.

But not even your fav show and you keep going back? Interesting...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 3:39am

But not even your fav show and you keep going back? Interesting...

Hey, I do it.

There are a lot of shows one can like and go back a lot; it doesn't neccessarily have to be at the top of your list to make you a repeat offender. I saw Phantom many times before I saw Les Miz a billion times, and Les Miz is my favorite show.

I mean it's $10 more than rush but you can get it in advance and don't have to stand in line for hours.

I'd rather get neck strain and a sore butt from the concrete than eyestrain!

Updated On: 5/6/07 at 03:39 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 3:41am

but I was SHOCKED when my husband and sister-in-law said that this show was the best show they've EVER seen.

Oh no! Someone thinks differently than you do!

Really, though, Jersey Boys is a good show for someone who doesn't really like musicals...and those who do...

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 4:08am

I don't know if Courter is the understudy for Christopher yet, considering he just joined the cast.

He is according to the insert.

[antonijan]

Posted: 5/6/07 at 4:09am

"I'm a little disgusted with myself for seeing this show as often as I have. It's just... comforting, you know? Always reliable to lift my spirits. "

Don't feel bad! For all the hard work you do...you need some outlet to relax and let the stress of the day melt away!!!

I have seen the show 5x and never regret any time I have seen it :P Though I could have just invested the money I spend on retirement options :P

"It's definitely not the best show I've ever seen or even my favorite show. It's just... comforting."

Sounds like you are in denial and in Sherry tour withdrawal symptoms :P

Although the rush seats makes it an affordable option to watch the shows numerous times.....I would definitely watch it more often even if it is regular price (except for the crazy prizes in L.A....that's why the "hot seats" option will still be better for those on a tight budget)