JBB EXCLUSIVE Tony Awards Coverage!
June 14th, 2006Jersey Boys Blog is thrilled to present Special Correspondent Fran Gatto’s coverage at the 2006 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on June 11, 2006!
My friend Andrew Baumer and I had decided we were going to see our Jersey Boys’ favorites sweep the Tonys this year. So we got dressed to the nines and were part of the 5000+ Broadway community to celebrate the end of a fantastic season, as well as the Four Seasons. We were lucky enough to meet both Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli, and offered our congratulations and thanks for all their accomplishments over the years, and most recently with Jersey Boys. Once we were seated, we knew we were in the JB rooting section and that made the anticipation and cheering so much fun! When Joe Pesci came out to introduce the JB for their live performance, the crowd went wild! My favorite part of “Who Loves You†is at the end–when the guys gather together, look at each other, and run offstage embracing each other. We all know that’s not acting.
When Christian Hoff accepted his award, not only for his performance, but for Tommy DeVito, it was heartfelt. Just imagine, if Mr. DeVito followed the “Golden Rules†and ate all his vegetables (broccoli rabe and eggplant parmigianna don’t count!) during those early years, there would be no story, no Four Seasons.
I knew John Lloyd Young was a winner from the first time I saw him onstage. We all jumped to our feet when we heard his name announced and saw our favorite become the industry’s top choice as well. Seeing the whole group together onstage to accept Best Musical was a thrill! Boy, did those binoculars come in handy!
As the event came to a close, and we headed downstairs towards the exit, I bumped into a tall handsome gentleman, and was greeted by J. Robert Spencer, who exclaimed, â€FRAN!†He and his beautiful wife were beaming and kind enough to pose for a photo. We then made a dash for the orchestra and stage area where we again saw Bob Gaudio, Rick Elice, Des McAnuff, and JLY’s father who also shook our hands and thanked us for our support.
What a great time we had, definitely a night not to forget!
For more photos of Fran and Andrew’s night at the Tony Awards, check out the JBB Photo Gallery.
Thank you to Special Correspondent Fran Gatto for sharing her phenomenal Tony Awards experience with Jersey Boys Blog!