Comments on: Highlights of NJ From Two Real Jersey Boys–Bob Gaudio and John Michael Coppola

By: Kelly Welsch

Kelly Welsch — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 17:20:02 +0000

I just saw the show for the 3rd time a month ago (Saturday June 6th) and Mr. Coppola was on that day. They announced his name just before the show started because the actor slated to do the role that day became ill from what we were told. Mr. Coppola by far was the best Frankie I’d seen in Chicago. His emotional depth and singing were outstanding. How does it work with promoting actors because I don’t understand why someone that talented is doing the role full time? The other Frankies I’d seen were all great, but Mr.Coppola deserves to be recognized!

By: David Cace

David Cace — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:34:14 +0000

I was a little too young to make it to Jilly’s when it was the place for real life “Jersey Boys” to hang out but saw a clip of it yesterday as I was watching the original “Manchurian Candidate” starring Hoboken Jersey Boy Frank Sinatra. The scene is where Sinatra’s character, Major Bennett, is to meet the troubled Raymond Shaw, Laurence Harvey, in a bar – what bar you might ask – Jilly’s of course. In the movie Jilly is talking to some customers about playing cards and solitaire in particular. Raymond Shaw asks for a deck of cards, which Jilly just happens to have close by, and when the Queen of Diamonds comes up, the next words Jilly speaks are “go take a jump in the lake” – for those not familar with the movie, the Queen of Diamonds is central to the mind control game being played out in the movie – so Shaw leaves Jilly’s to go to Central Park and jump in the lake, literally, and as Sinatra follows you get a good shot of the Neil Simon Theatre where “Hairspray” is now playing (at least until January) and a quick, out of focus shot, across the street of what is now the August Wilson Theatre.

By: Linda Lehmann

Linda Lehmann — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:56:48 +0000

My daughter and I were lucky to see Coppola as Frankie last Tuesday night in Chicago. I’m 64 and she is 30…..and we were BOTH blown away by the show AND the incredible performance that Mr. Coppola offered. We thought that his representation of Valli was much better than the CD which we purchased at the show. Thank you for a wonderful evening and the incredible performance !!!

By: Mike B. Magbaleta

Mike B. Magbaleta — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 18:35:33 +0000

What a great article featuring my friend John Michael Coppola, as well as an original “architect” of the Four Seasons, Bob Gaudio! The Food Network had a sort of “Sopranos” food tour, but it would be great if they did something related to the “Four Seasons” too, since they were not fictional characters, and their old haunts really did exist…..

I spent so much time as a pre-teen in Trenton and Jersey City before, that I wished I could drive at the time and visit the nearby cities where the Four Seasons ate, lived and plied their trade…..

Thanks to the author, Bob and John Michael, for their informative piece of life in New Jersey!

By: Audrey

Audrey — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:00:10 +0000

Great article. One of my favorite videos (that used to be on the jerseyboysbroadway site) was the one where Bobby Spencer describes the whole hook/ refrain/ verse thing that was a Four Seasons’ trademark. I learned so much from Bobby’s explanation.

Is there a significance to Jilly’s nightclub, now the Russian Samovar, that I wasn’t aware of?