JB Toronto Update from Jeff Madden!
October 15th, 2009
On his Taking the Wheel Blog, JERSEY BOYS Toronto’s Jeff Madden has provided some great fall updates! On his September Song post, Jeff fills everyone in on the past month, including the big news that the Toronto cast raised $22,000 for the CIBC Run for the Cure in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the scoop about the fabulous cast performance in front of 10,000 people at the race! Jeff reports on many other happenings–so check it out!
On his A Fallen Angel post, Jeff reports on the sad passing of his beloved 92-year-old grandfather Larry (“Pep”) Bensette. Here’s a preview to this very touching post:
I have always felt a deep bond with Pep. We saw so much of him throughout the various stages of my life, and aside from bearing his name as my middle name, I felt that he gave me an awful lot of the musical talent I have. Surely, the style that I play jazz piano is almost exactly his.
Barely one week before his fall, Pep had made the trip to Toronto to see Jersey Boys. It was a special occasion to be sure. My Mom and her two sisters were all there, with their husbands in tow, and it had the air of a real special event for everyone. The show was great that night, and when I met them in the lobby after the show, my mom and two Aunts were singing along to the Four Seasons music being pumped through the speakers, as loud as could be!
As they sang and bopped along, Pep just beamed, ever the proud father and grandfather. Later, over a drink, he asked me many probing questions about the show, especially how the music was played, who played live onstage, where the microphones were positioned, how the sound was mixed, etc… I answered the best I could, marveling at how sharp he was at his age. I felt proud, as I often do when large groups of family come together to see a show of mine, that I was the reason for this reunion and these great memories.
Should read the entire ‘Fallen Angel’ blog entry which so eloquently describes such a deeply personal and vulnerable moment, incredibly profound and moving.
Comment by Sylvia — October 18, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
“Fallen Angel” blog entry melted my emotions with a flood of memories of my own dad. Jeff describes this timeless emotional moment with such grace and poise. What beautiful amazing memories of a difficult time in the life of a remarkable young man.
Comment by Michele — October 27, 2009 @ 2:38 pm