Happy First Year Anniversary to Jersey Boys Chicago!
October 14th, 2008From BroadwayWorld.com:
‘Jersey Boys’ CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY IN CHICAGO – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14! Congratulations to the Chicago JB cast, crew, and creative team!
The record-breaking Chicago Company of Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, is thrilled to celebrate its first anniversary in Chicago on Tuesday, October 14, 2008. In celebration of this major event, a new block of tickets for performances through April 12, 2009 will go on-sale to the public at 10 a.m. Jersey Boys will also hold a citywide lunchtime pizza party, giving away 4,000 slices of Home Run Inn Pizza at various locations throughout the city, from noon – 1 p.m. and present a special anniversary performance at the Bank of America Theatre that evening at 7:30 p.m.
NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS TO GO ON-SALE (10 a.m.): Tickets for performances January 13 – April 12, 2009 will go on-sale to the public on Tuesday, October 14 at 10 a.m. Tickets are available by calling the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (312) 902-1400, at Broadway In Chicago box offices (18 W. Monroe, 24 W. Randolph St. and 151 W. Randolph St.), at all Ticketmaster retail locations (including Hot Tix, select Carson Pirie Scott, Coconuts and fye stores) or online at ticketmaster.com.
CITYWIDE PIZZA PARTY (NOON – 1 p.m.): Jersey Boys is delighted to thank Chicagoans for their support throughout the past year by offering a citywide lunchtime pizza party, open to the public, featuring 4,000 complimentary slices of Home Run Inn Pizza. From noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14, pizza lovers may stop by the Bank of America Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.), Couch Place – James M. Nederlander Way (State St. between Lake and Randolph), Pioneer Court (401 N Michigan Ave) or the Illinois Center Plaza (111 E. Wacker) to meet cast members and pick up a free slice.
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE (7:30 p.m.): The celebration continues Tuesday evening with the Jersey Boys official anniversary performance at 7:30 p.m. Following the regular curtain call, the entire cast of Jersey Boys will perform a special Four Seasons-style arrangement of “My Kind of Town.†After the performance, Jersey Boys ticket holders will be treated to refreshments from Home Run Inn Pizza, Eli’s Cheesecake and Coca-Cola and a chance to mingle with The cast of Jersey Boys. Tickets to the anniversary performance are currently on-sale.
The Chicago “Anniversary” celebration was fantastic. At the end of the show, the lead performers remained on stage to thank Chicago, then led the audience in a wonderful version of “Chicago, My Kind of Town.”
After that, on a pleasant fall night, a street party outside the theater kept hundreds of fans enjoying pizza, cheesecake — but most importantly wonderful interaction as several cast members appeared and mingled with fans. There was no rush to end the party, no cast member who didn’t graciously chat with fans, sign programs, answer questions, and pose for photos. I know that I’ll miss a few, but they were all great: Cory Grant, Michael Ingersoll, Drew Gehling, Brian McElroy, Steven Goldsmith, Craig Laurie, Jonathan Weir were all there — and others I’ll hope someone else might “credit.”
And everyone one of them was as fantastic off stage as they are on stage. Brian McElroy launched into a true “Tommy DeVito” role when he jokingly said “Sucka” when I shared that last night was my 16th performance. He then made sure we got a photo taken together (wish I could have recorded that). And Steven Goldsmith had the same energy, the same smile he brings to the stage every day as Joe Peschi (and sometimes Frankie Valli).
On stage Drew said he was looking forward to celebrating the second anniversary of the show in Chicago — I’d sure like to be there and wonder how many great performances I’ll be able to see before then.
Comment by Jim — October 15, 2008 @ 6:17 am