The Jersey Boys Tour Thread- Page 95

[Aswatrowinkenbo]

Posted: 4/19/08 at 12:56am

I won the autographed prop music on ebay. I'm so excited for it to arrive!
Updated On: 4/19/08 at 12:56 AM

[mll85]

Posted: 4/19/08 at 2:32am

In this article (http://tinyurl.com/5uqm58) interviewing Bob Gaudio about the show there is a side blurb under the heading "'Jersey' cast members give back" that indicates that Chris is leaving the tour. This is what's mentioned.

Jones and his wife will be back at Stages this summer, co-starring in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." He'll play the title character in the popular musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. She will play the Narrator who musically guides the audience through the popular Bible story.

He's been with the tour for over a year so looks like he's decided to do something else.

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/21/08 at 1:30pm

Just returned from Chicago, and it's not helping at all that I got about a cumulative 15 hours sleep this weekend, but in brief, the show was as enjoyable as always, and if anything I enjoyed the show more than previously (except that the rush seats are more limited view than at the Curran). It was just great to see the show again, and to see the show making lots of money for BC/EFA.

I'll post more later when I'm somewhat more coherent.

[mll85]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 12:20am

According to a thread on the Jersey Boys Message Board, John Altieri will be out of the show for a while because he's come down with a cast of pneumonia. John Salvatore has been covering Crew in Vegas but they're bringing in former tour member Nate Klau to help cover.
The aforementioned thread

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 1:02pm

Poor John Altieri! I never saw an understudy for Crewe and I was beginning to believe that he and the other actors playing that role have indestructible health. Hope he is better soon!

So, Chicago. Rush was... interesting. We were the first ones there (7:15-ish), shortly followed by many other people. I still actually don't know what the strict policies were because no one explained them to us other than that it was $25 and no more than 2 tickets per person, but it did seem like you could get tickets to the matinee or evening performance when the box office opened.

The show: It was great to see the cast on stage again. Jersey Boys, for me, was sort of a wonderful way to decompress after a stressful week. It's almost guaranteed that a person will walk out with a smile on their face after watching the show, and the fact that the various casts are made up of such talented and kind people doesn't hurt, either.

The only casting change was, of course, Bryan McElroy, and John Hickman was on for Ryan Quinn West. Bryan McElroy is a large departure from Jeremy Kushnier's Tommy, who I always felt was relatively crafty but self-destructive, whereas McElroy's Tommy seems like he wants success yet has no idea really how to go about getting it and it's inevitable that he'll screw it up once he does. For example, for Kushnier's Tommy, "not getting" the title of "Walk Like a Man" seemed to me more a domination move by showing he could needle Bob, whereas McElroy's Tommy really doesn't get it. I saw him fairly early on in the SF/Vegas cast, and I felt like his take on the role has developed since-- his gestures aren't as big, and his portrayal was solid and worked. I enjoyed seeing him with this cast.

Everbody's performance had altered at least a little, of course, but nothing incredibly dramatic. I must mention, though, that Jarrod Spector had an intensity that I don't recall seeing previously (and this is not to say that I didn't enjoy him before). "Begging You" was sung with complete desperation at Gyp, and all of his emotional scenes had a lot of punch. And of course it was really great to hear his crazy effortless falsetto again.

Anyway, it was just lovely to see Michael Ingersoll's lovable but messed-up Nick, Drew Gehling and his great facial expressions, Craig Laurie's memorable Bob Crewe, John Hickman as the tallest Mika ever, Jenny Lee Stern's tough girl Mary, and of course everyone else.

Random thing: I think the LaSalle Bank theater has better sound than the Curran, because I had never really registered the car sound effects during the "Shopping, Jersey Style" scene before, and the echoing in the church scene sounded more pronounced.

BC/EFA: Two set of people paid $1700 for a photo with the cast on stage. Wow. Go, Chicago Jersey Boys.

Blooper: During the call Francine makes to Frankie and Mary, I noticed something was a bit off but I couldn't tell what (being that close to the stage didn't help as I couldn't see the top of the table at all). Jarrod Spector said the "I'm an entertainer, remember?" line, but Jenny Lee Stern didn't reply with her line. Instead, the phone rang and she quickly walked off the stage. There was a moment of silence, then she walked back in, holding the phone, and irritably smacked it down on the table. Then the scene went on as usual. It was handled nicely and I don't think that it would have been that noticeable if you hadn't seen the show a, er, few times before.

Why is it that the bloopers I catch always have to do with phones?

Updated On: 4/22/08 at 01:02 PM

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:36pm

"Jones and his wife will be back at Stages this summer, co-starring in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." He'll play the title character in the popular musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. She will play the Narrator who musically guides the audience through the popular Bible story."

That's sad he is leaving the tour, but super exciting that he will be in St. Louis this summer at STAGES! Opening Night tomorrow here in St. Louis! Will post my review after I see the show!

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:42pm

Was it ever established that Jones is leaving the tour, or if it is a leave of absence of some kind? Sorry if someone posted the answer and I failed to comprehend it.

[mll85]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:54pm

It wasn't established if Chris is going to be done with the tour or if it's just a temporary leave so he can do the show at Stages, hopefully it somehow get's cleared up.

Anyway, Shawk thanks for updateing us on how the Chicago cast is doing. But I thought that Jenny Lee left the cast last month and Michelle Knight was going to take her place.
Updated On: 4/22/08 at 02:54 PM

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 2:59pm

Jenny Lee Stern is in the Playbill as Mary Delgado and Michelle Knight is listed as a swing. Obviously she could leave and they could put in a slip at any time and I wouldn't know about it, but as of Friday, she was in as Mary.

Updated On: 4/22/08 at 02:59 PM

[mll85]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 3:05pm

Is Tonya Wathen still listed in the playbill as a swing? I think she was hired to replace Kara and remember they sent her and Diaz out to help do some promos for the tour stop in, I think it was St. Louis, last month.
Updated On: 4/22/08 at 03:05 PM

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 3:07pm

I believe so. There were two female swings listed, and that name sounds right, but I don't have the Playbill in front of me so I can't be completely certain.

[mll85]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 3:09pm

Thanks for clearing that stuff up.

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 3:13pm

Sure. Too bad I apparently can't type worth a darn today. Stupid typos.

If anyone was dying to know something about the performance or the venue, let me know.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:43pm

The names of the two female swings that are listed in the Playbill are Taylor Sternberg and Kara Tremel.

Saw the show last night here in St. Louis and absolutely loved it! I saw it on Broadway in May of 2006 and enjoyed it then, but you forget the little things that bring a smile to your face. (How they look into the camera and it shows up on the TV screens while their backs are to the audience). Christopher Kale Jones got an applause after every song pretty much-Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, so on and so forth. I also enjoyed the splitz by Christopher during Beggin. It immediately got a standing ovation as soon as it was over, which for St. Louis doesn't happy very often. I think it will have a great run while in town!

Updated On: 4/24/08 at 03:43 PM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:54pm

Taylor's a guy...

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:54pm

Uh, Taylor Sternberg is male. :)

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:55pm

Jinx!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:57pm

Now we just need Taylor to reply. Oh well!

[Shawk]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 3:59pm

Taylor Sternberg is the best rapper EVAH.

Glad you liked the touring cast, broadwayfan7.

[broadwayfan7]

Posted: 4/24/08 at 6:01pm

Thanks for clearing that up! lol.

[mll85]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 10:38pm

From the BC/EFA site.
Minneapolis Rocks ‘Shout House’ for BC/EFA Jersey Boys Benefit Raises Over $10,000

[mll85]

Posted: 4/26/08 at 9:57pm

The Vegas production has on online store now. So you can get what I'm assuming is merch specific to the Vegas production.
The Jersey Store

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 1:24am

Wow, some real bargains there!

[jwonjy119]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 3:03am

Yeah, all the JB casts have ONE female swing. ;D

Some of those merch...

Omg.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/27/08 at 12:06pm

So apparently Zachary Prince is doing three shows a week in STL? Or the critic misread something...
Review in STLtoday