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1. Linda
   Member

   I think those of us that have seen the show a number of times enjoy the little subtle things that happen during the performance that you don't notice the first time you see the show. The more you see the show the more you notice how these things enhance the production. Some of my favorites are:

   Frankie's facial expression when Joey mentions Bob Gaudio wrote Short Shorts.

   Mary smoking Frankie's cigarette when Francine calls after she tells him not to light it because she just got out of the hospital.

   Watching Frankie getting angrier & angrier during the table fight until he yells at Tommy.

   The drummer leaves the stage after the audience leaves when they are singing "I Go Ape".

   Frankie flirting with Mary sitting at the bar while singing Sunday Kind of Love.

   What are some of your favorite subtle things?

   Posted 5 years ago #

2. jojen
   Member

   Linda, I went last week and I thought Frankie was laughing when Bobby is ranting about rooming with Tommy. He kept covering his mouth, but I thought his eyes were smileing. And I love the end when they put their arms around each other and run off.

   Posted 5 years ago #

3. Courtney
   Member

   Can you imagine what it would be like without those seemingly subtle things? The whole show would be different! My favorite -- extremely -- subtle thing happens right after Bob tells Frankie he's "a single," the song "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" begins playing the background. It's awesome, the first time I heard it I remember 1. Being shocked that I heard it & 2. Being in awe of the fact that Rick and Marshall really thought about EVERYTHING in this show!

   Posted 5 years ago #

4. Leanna
   Member

   Craig Laurie's expression when he hands Nick his guitar case when he quits the group. Breaks my heart!

   Posted 5 years ago #

5. Linda
   Member

   Ooh, Courtney, you're right. It's very drowsily (is that a word) played in the background. Jojen, I love they way they run off the stage too. It's a great ending.

   Posted 5 years ago #

6. Mike
   Member

   I don't know if all the actors playing Tommy do this but Jeremy does. Right after Tommy says "You sounded like a cat in heat. My ears are still bleeding from that shit." He makes a hissing cat sound and busts out the claws toward Frankie right before the lights go out on them and the spotlight hits Bob.

   And after the line about marriage. Jeremy looks out into the audience and looks for the guy that's rolling in his chair and points him out.

   Posted 5 years ago #

7. jojen
   Member

   I love,love,love it when Frankie is singing Fallen Angel, and Francine gets up to leave. John follows her with his head. Like he knew she was there. It gave me chills the first time I saw that. I wonder if other Frankie's do that.

   Posted 5 years ago #

8. thejackal
   Member

   I was going to mention the cat hissing thing. I didn't notice it until the third time I saw it, but I thought it was great! :)
   Also, one time during "Cry For Me," I noticed Deven May and Christopher Kale Jones kind of bumping shoulders with each other in time to the music and smiling at each other. It was a really cute little moment, I thought.

   Posted 5 years ago #

9. Audrey
   Member

   It took me a few times to notice how Frankie looks up at Gaudio when the horns come out on the catwalk with a knowing look referencing back to when Frankie asked Bob 'If things work out, can we talk about a saxophone?' 'If things work out, we can talk about a whole horn section' and there is the 'whole horn section'.

   The other thing that took me a while was noticing that Frankie is competing, as it were, with the female singer in the studio when it came to hitting the high notes. Then I realized the other guys kind of congratulate him when he hits the higher note in the end.

   Posted 5 years ago #

10. Courtney
    Member

    Yeah, Audrey, I love that too -- one of the times I saw it the 4 guys really started laughing at "Frankie Nolan" like they were making fun of her singing or something.

    Posted 5 years ago #

11. Leanna
    Member

    I always loved Melissa Strom's death glare at Frankie when he starts showing her up in that scene. ;)

    Posted 5 years ago #

12. Mike
    Member

    'I always loved Melissa Strom's death glare at Frankie when he starts showing her up in that scene. ;)'

    Love Melissa's death stare.

    During the scene where Bob is telling Frankie he doesn't want to perform anymore and that Frankie should be a single. If you look at the cook and the waitress they're obviously listening in becasue they're reacting to the news too. The cook takes a quick glance in Frankie and Bobs direction and (you probalby have to be in the very front row to notice it) the waitress raises her eyebrows.

    Posted 5 years ago #

13. thejackal
    Member

    I just thought of another one, though some of these are great (I kind of noticed the whole recording studio thing, it's pretty adorable.)
    When Bob Gaudio is talking about how the people their music was important to (The girl with the circles under her eyes or something like that) one of those cartoon pictures on the screens is of a guy in an airplane, like an air force kind of thing (sorry if I'm horrible at explaining what I mean...) and it says (I think) Sherry on the side of the plane. It's a really small detail but I noticed it the last time and I thought it was kind of touching. Yeah, I hope that made sense :)

    Posted 5 years ago #

14. JBfan
    Member

    "Craig Laurie's expression when he hands Nick his guitar case when he quits the group. Breaks my heart!"

    I'm with you Leanna! Like many of you, I like to notice the little things too! It's amazing how even the very small details make up the big picture. For example, Craig and Steven discussing the music in the recording studio while Bob talks to Frankie about getting two new guys. Or the girls bowling in the background of the bowling alley scene.

    Posted 5 years ago #

15. Linda
    Member

    Yes, I think they're making fun of Frankie Nolan when she is singing with "emotion", "I still care for youuuuuuuuuuuuu". The guys crack up when Frankie's voice is higher than hers. It's like they're congratulating him. LOL. I think they originally didn't have Bob standing above Frankie looking down at him but I love it. Such a nice touch. And Frankie looking up to say, thanks for the horns. Just a goose bump scene.

    Posted 5 years ago #

16. JBfan
    Member

    I cried so hard at that scene the very first time I saw the show. I still get goosebumps and shed a tear or two. It's deeply poignant and indescribably touching!

    Posted 5 years ago #

17. thejackal
    Member

    Okay, one more (this website is making it so easy to procrastinate from the things I should be doing, haha...) When I saw Eric Gutman go on as Bob Gaudio once, after Tommy said "I don't get it." (I think that's the line) in reference to the title of "Walk Like a Man" he just gave him this...look. It's kind of hard to do it justice witha description but he just looked so at a loss for words and like he totally thought Tommy was a moron and he kind of wanted to smack him...just try to picture that. Haha, maybe you had to be there, but it was a priceless moment :)

    Posted 5 years ago #

18. JK1960
    Member

    When Tommy gets ousted from the band and is walking across the catwalk he glances back at his buddies and there's a look of longing for something lost, but he knows it's too late. Jeremy Kushnier really aces this scene.

    Also, when Frankie (Jarrod Spector) gets the phone call that he's lost his daughter you can (if your sitting close enough) actually see his face fall from the shock. It's a powerful moment that the upper balcony spectators never see (I know from first hand experience) but it puts a lump in my throat every time I see it.

    Powerful stuff. It's what keeps me coming back for more; each time I see something new.

    Posted 5 years ago #

19. JBfan
    Member

    JK1960, I know exactly what you're talking about! Jeremy does that part wonderfully. Jarrod shatters my heart every single time witht that facial expression change of his! I once sat in the box that is perfectly aligned w/ where he looks for this scene and I had chill like nothing else!

    I also love that look Jeremy gives Jarrod when Frankie decides to take all of Tommy's debt. Absolutely powerful like you said JK1960!

    Posted 5 years ago #

20. Leanna
    Member

    "When Tommy gets ousted from the band and is walking across the catwalk he glances back at his buddies and there's a look of longing for something lost, but he knows it's too late. Jeremy Kushnier really aces this scene."

    Jeremy does some of that "pah" choreography, too, before Waxman's goons push him on. I love it. He did a lot of that little stuff in Rent, too, which he's just fantastic at.

    This is only subtle in relation to everything else that's going on, but Craig's Bob Crewe swooning at Nick's low notes in "Sherry" is HYSTERICAL.

    Posted 5 years ago #

21. Courtney
    Member

    Has anyone else ever noticed the songs played in the background when each of the guys is giving his farewell monologue?

    Tommy's is "Silhouettes"
    Bob's is "Cry For Me"
    Nicky's is "Stay"
    Frankie's is "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"

    All these details just astound me, every time.

    Posted 5 years ago #

22. ireneeizen
    Member

    I am printing these posts with me and taken them to the show the next time I go. Missed some of these subtle "nuances." IE

    Posted 5 years ago #

23. JBJN54
    Member

    Linda, don't you just love Erica's expression when she does Frankie Nolan and John sings that high note at the end? And her take at him when she walks off, the guys are laughing!!! Also, Jen & I were talking about the little things she does when she first meets Frankie, all those wonderful things an actor brings to a character to make it their own. She mouths the words "type A" when Tommy tells Frankie "type A". She's so funny she has a million of them.

    Posted 5 years ago #

24. Courtney
    Member

    JBJN54 (Wanda, isn't it?), I will have to look for that next time, Jen mouthing "Type A." That would totally fit with her character! Side note, are you and Jen friends outside of JB?

    Posted 5 years ago #

25. Linda
    Member

    JBJN54, yeah, Erica looks a little put out when she leaves the recording studio. I never noticed Jen mimicking "type A'. Too funny!! All of these little touches add up to making the production that much more wonderful. That's why I was so dissapointed when Des didn't win the Tony nor did Marshall & Rick. I think a lot of the subtle things are in your subconscious and you don't realize until later how clever and talented the director and writers and performers are to enhance the production.

    Posted 5 years ago #

26. miladay
    Member

    Courtney:
    I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed...and loved the background music that were played while the 4 Seasons were doing their monologue. Yes...I sure did notice that each of those background music was especially tailored for each of them. Isn't it amazing that Rick Elice and Marshall deliberately did it that way ? I love those touch...subtle but creates an impact especially with fans who have seen the show several times. I actually did not notice it...and appreciated it until I have seen the show for the 4th time at least. I love Rick and Marshall. I think they should have won the Best Book award.

    Posted 5 years ago #

27. ireneeizen
    Member

    I am printing these posts with me and taken them to the show the next time I go. Missed some of these subtle "nuances." IE

    Posted 5 years ago #

28. JBfan
    Member

    Wow, I don't think I ever noticed the background music during the guys' monologues! I'm always so distracted with their words. I'll definitely look out for it this next time. I'm with you Irene, I'll have to take notes to remind me what to look for.

    Posted 5 years ago #

29. Linda
    Member

    Courtney: Wow, I only remembered Silhouettes. I didn't realize they changed it Thanks. Anyone notice Frankie wears a silver ID bracelet? That's what the real Frankie Valli wears. Nice touch. I also noticed the last time I saw the OBC when Frankie & Mary are fighting about him being on the road, JLY is grinning when he says: Okay, we'll let you go on the road and live off what you make". Boy, Jen just wipes that grin right off his face when he calls him a dumb wop.

    Posted 5 years ago #

30. Melissa
    Member

    Linda, I have noticed that bracelet. Do you know what it says?

    Posted 5 years ago #

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