Jersey Boys Blog

Jersey Boys fans’ passion and love for the show is happening on all coasts! We’re excited to present our 24th JBB Fantastic Fan Interview with Andrea Kim from Palo Alto California! Like so many of us (you know who you are!), Andrea adores the show! She tells us about how she became interested in seeing Jersey Boys; her favorite WOW! moments; the many charity-related events she’s attended featuring the JB cast; and why she keeps coming back for more!

JBB: Tell us about yourself.

AK: Hi! I’m Andrea Kim, a typical San Francisco Bay Area resident living in Palo Alto, California. I love the theatre, and all performing arts, though I’ve never been a performer myself and have never worked in the entertainment industry. My main talent appears to be the ability to spend more on theatre tickets than I probably should!

JBB: When did you first hear about Jersey Boys, and how did you become interested in the show?

AK: Like many people in this part of the country, I first heard of Jersey Boys when it won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The announcement that San Francisco would be the first stop in a national tour naturally generated a lot of excitement among people who had been fans of The Four Seasons in the 60s and 70s. By the time I started buying records, though, The Four Seasons were already past their prime and I was listening to younger groups. Yes, I was somewhat interested in seeing the show because I love good theatre, but the story of The Four Seasons didn’t really grab my attention. So the tour opened in December of 2006 and over a month passed before I bought my first ticket. What finally got my attention? I was watching the promotional ad on TV (which was “ubiquitous” at the time!) and I thought “…wow, those white minidresses are REALLY cute!” Yes, it was fashion that did me in! I bought a ticket to the Saturday matinee on January 20th and the rest, fellow fans, is history!

JBB: What was your reaction to the show upon seeing it for the first time?

AK: I distinctly remember the excitement I felt looking up at the chain-link fencing and weathered steel fixtures from my third-row seat while waiting for the show to begin. The starkness of the set was striking and I found myself wondering how they were going to make a show out of this. Then, the announcement that we’ve all come to know and love – “…hard candies and soothing lozenges…” – what a great touch! Next up, Brandon & Co. doing the French rap. Nobody opens a show like Brandon! My heart was already beating faster when Tommy and the two Nicks came strolling to the front of the stage. In the moments that followed, as Deven uttered the words “That’s our song…”–I suddenly realized that the next several months would be unlike any I’d ever experienced before. Mere minutes had passed since the opening announcement and I already knew I’d be coming back. The raw charisma wielded effortlessly by Deven May during that opening monologue drew me into the story immediately and wouldn’t let go. I’d never even heard of Tommy DeVito before stepping through the doors of that theatre, yet before The Variety Trio had finished their first song, Deven had created a character that I couldn’t help but love. As the story unfolded, I was amazed to find that the entire cast was having a similar effect on me as each new character was introduced. I was becoming personally invested in each one regardless of the number of lines or time on stage and I realized that it was the talent of each individual performer that caused me to react that way. By the time the musicians had finished their instrumental finale two and a half hours later, I was awestruck by what I’d just seen. I decided right then and there that it might be a good idea to keep my calendar clear!

JBB: How many times have you seen JB & what keeps bringing you back?

AK: I can already hear your readers gasping as I write the answer to this one! I was in the audience for 33 of The Sherry Company’s performances in The Curran Theatre. Since they left San Francisco, I’ve attended two more performances at The Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and will fly back to LA in a couple of weeks to see them three more times. In addition to that, I have a ticket to see them in Sacramento and will buy a ticket for a Costa Mesa performance as soon as they go on sale. I hope there aren’t any psychiatrists among your readership because they might be thinking about sending someone to get me right about now!

What keeps bringing me back? For me, that’s easy. It’s the cast. Not only are they some of the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, but I believe they’re far and away the most talented group of people I’ll ever have the privilege of witnessing in this lifetime. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that. And it’s not my intention to denigrate the performances of any other theatre talent in any other production. As far as I’m concerned, anybody with enough talent to get through an audition process to be cast in a stage role has my profound respect and admiration. But I’ve seen many productions on many stages in my day and The Sherry Company, from top to bottom, is the most uniformly talented group of people I’ve ever seen. It’s no accident that this company made history in March and April when they, for the first time ever, outperformed every theatrical production on Broadway in raising money for the annual Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS campaign. While no one can deny the generosity of Bay Area theatre patrons, the difference was the ability of this company to connect with their audiences in a way few performers can. That’s what makes them unique and that’s why I keep coming back. What you see on stage when The Sherry Company performs is lightning in a bottle and anyone who enjoys the theatre would be wise to witness that magic as many times as they can. They are truly that special.

JBB: Who have you brought with you to see Jersey Boys, and what was their reaction to the show?

AK: Believe it or not, I never brought anybody with me to see the show! That’s because I never wanted to subject anybody else to the post-performance stage door experience. Not everybody is into that particular scene and I found it a much more pleasant experience when I didn’t have to worry about someone who might want to leave sooner than I did. And besides, it’s far easier to get a good seat if you’re looking for one instead of two or more! But I did recommend the show to everybody who’d listen. That included friends, family, and even casual acquaintances. As a result, quite a few people who probably wouldn’t have seen Jersey Boys otherwise fell in love, as I did, with The Sherry Company during their stay in San Francisco. My mother, in particular, went head-over-heels for Chris Jones (if only he could have been 40 years older!) and she even built a Jersey Boys “shrine” in her home! And even though The Sherry Company has moved on, I still recommend the show to others. The company that replaced them in San Francisco is a fine one and the production, regardless of who performs it, is still one of the best-constructed theatrical experiences ever conceived. And now that Michael Ingersoll has returned to San Francisco for the remainder of that run, there’s even more of a reason for people to catch it before it moves on to Chicago. Michael as “Nicky” is the very personification of “cool” and anyone who hasn’t seen him in that role needs to buy a ticket TODAY!

JBB: Why do you think people have such a strong connection to Jersey Boys?

AK: There may not be any one answer to that. There are those who were Four Seasons fans and the reason for that connection is obvious. Then there are others, like me, who were drawn into the Jersey Boys world almost by accident. And, of course, there are those who just love good theatre. And without a doubt, Jersey Boys is GREAT theatre! The way the production is constructed is nothing short of brilliant. From the seasonal narratives to the hot rod pacing to the orchestration of set changes, Jersey Boys takes the audience on a roller coaster ride through 40+ years of history in 2 1/2 hours without missing a beat. The sparseness of the sets is reminiscent of theatrical productions from the time of The Four Seasons and contributes to the show’s retro feel. And the pacing is such that few in the audience are even aware that nearly three hours have passed by the time the performers take their final bows. As patrons leave the theatre, I doubt that there are many among them who wouldn’t have preferred just a little more time with Tommy, Frankie, Bob, and Nicky. And let’s not forget the finale! I’ve never before seen a theatrical production that ends as spectacularly as Jersey Boys. After the “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” reprise, I defy anybody to leave the theatre without a little more bounce in their walk than there was when they entered. Regardless of any connection we may feel with the show, the story, the characters, or the performers, by the time the show is over each of us discovers that Jersey Boys has simply made us feel extraordinarily happy. If there’s any one thing that people who’ve enjoyed Jersey Boys have in common, that’s probably it.

JBB: Have you met any of the JB cast members?

AK: I’ve had the honor of meeting all of the cast and some crew and musicians of The Sherry Company. As I said, I knew I’d be back after seeing Jersey Boys for the first time. I also knew I’d want to collect some autographs on my Playbill and tell the performers how much I enjoyed their work. In preparation for that, I studied the cast photos at home until I was sure I could identify each one on sight. When I returned to The Curran four days later, I located the stage door after the show and met Deven May, Erich Bergen, Michael Ingersoll, and Chris Jones for the first time. I don’t need to describe how kind and gracious they were to all the fans who waited for them since so many others have already written about similar encounters. I’ll just say that by the end of that day, I was even more motivated to continue this Jersey Boys adventure than I was before.

I believe it was sometime in February when a promotional event at California Closets in San Rafael was announced. It was there that I met Jarrod Spector, one of the company’s two Frankie Vallis, and Tripp Phillips, the Production Stage Manager. Before I go on, I have to say that Jarrod is truly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. If we didn’t live in such different worlds, I have no doubt that we would be very close friends. Anyway, I picked up a Jersey Boys’ poster at the event that, unlike the ones sold at the merchandise table, was specific to the San Francisco production and included the local dates and theatre information. I decided to make a project of having it signed by the entire cast. Again, I studied the photos in the program so I could ask each cast member by name for their autograph. The way I see it, if I’m going to ask a performer for an autograph, the very least I could do is know whom I’m asking and what part they play! It was several performances later before I had all of the signatures and it was during that process that I met the rest of The Sherry Company. Nate Klau, listed as “Detective Two, Billy Dixon (and others)” in the program, was the last to sign as well as the most memorable! When I thanked him for signing, he replied “Thank YOU for even knowing I’m in the show!”

In March, the Broadway Cares campaign began and Jersey Boys offered a great variety of opportunities for fans. It started with on stage photos with The Four Seasons after selected performances and I took as many of those as I could. I believe they’re being displayed here as part of this interview. The autographed Playbills and posters that were sold later in the campaign made great gifts for friends and family to whom I’d passed on the Jersey Boys bug! And it was probably during the month of March that The Sherry Company and I actually started to know each other. Smiles and waves turned into hugs and more than a few gifts and souvenirs were exchanged. And although I became something of a fixture at the stage door, I always made an effort not to impose myself on the time or privacy of anybody in the company. It was around that time when Michael Ingersoll, and I’ll always be grateful to him for this, extended himself above and beyond the call of duty. I’d read in Eric Gutman’s online blog that Jersey Boys would offer backstage tours as part of the Broadway Cares campaign. One day after a show, I asked Michael about the tours and when they might be offered. Without hesitation, Michael offered to show me around personally and in early April I went backstage on a solo tour with Nick Massi himself!

Now, despite my apparent obsession with the show, I wasn’t always aware of everything that was going on with Jersey Boys, so I didn’t find out about “One Night Only” until a week before the event. “One Night Only” was part of the Broadway Cares campaign in conjunction with a local AIDS organization and was a benefit performance to be held at a popular local nightclub called Club Fugazi on April 16. Jersey Boys cast and musicians were to perform and play music unrelated to the show and it promised to be quite an event. But by the time I found out about it, the event had sold out. One day at the stage door, Erich Bergen asked me if I’d be going to Club Fugazi the following Monday. When I told him they’d already sold out, Erich turned to Michael and said “We can get her a ticket, can’t we?” A few seconds later Erich turned to me and said to go to Club Fugazi on Monday and give my name to the person at the ticket window. He said a ticket would be there for me. I could hardly contain my excitement as I thanked him and returned home! While at home, I couldn’t help thinking that this was too good to be true…something’s bound to go wrong. But when I arrived at the club on Monday evening, not only was the ticket there, but there was also a second ticket to the cast dessert party following the show! Well, it was not only an amazing show; it also turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of my life. Erich, if you’re reading this, you’ll always have a special place in my heart for what you did for me that day.

After “One Night Only,” I started to realize that this extraordinary experience was coming to an end. The following week found me at The Curran Theatre just about every day. And from The Sherry Company’s final weekend in San Francisco until their last performance on May 3, I was there for every single one. Before the show and during intermission, people in the audience came up to me and asked how many times I’d been there because they’d recognized me from previous shows. And after the final performance, it took all the willpower I had to keep tears from falling as I hugged them on that rainy night while the trucks collected their tailored wardrobe for the trip to LA.

Two months later, Michael Ingersoll returned to San Francisco to join the company that would eventually take him back home to Chicago. I returned to The Curran to welcome Michael back to town and it was thrilling to see him once again on the stage where my adventure began so many months ago. During the show, the applause for Michael in places where there usually was none made it clear that I wasn’t the only one riding the welcome wagon! And at curtain call, I’m sure some in the audience might have wondered why the ovation for Nick rivaled Frankie’s! Later, that familiar smile quickly spread across Michael’s face as he emerged from the stage door to the applause and cheers of those who had gathered there just for him. It was one of the most beautiful and moving moments I’d ever seen.

After that night, it wasn’t long before I abandoned my plan to move on to a post-Jersey Boys’ life. I booked a flight to LAX and did a double-header on a sunny Southern California Saturday. As the matinee began, it was almost as if no time had passed at all. Even though Steve Gouveia now occupied the place on stage where Michael had been, the same magic that swept me away on a cold January afternoon in San Francisco was once again filling the house. After the show, I hurried over to The Ahmanson’s stage door where I was soon greeted with big smiles and outstretched arms as those wonderfully familiar faces emerged from the theatre. For one blissful (but brief) moment, I actually felt like a celebrity myself! And yes, Jackie Seiden is right. Everybody DOES wear sunglasses in LA! Afterwards, I found myself at a beautiful outdoor bar just outside the theatre, leisurely sipping on a delicious raspberry-vanilla concoction in a martini glass. As I sat and enjoyed my cocktail, I had one of those “this is the way life should be” moments. By the time the evening show was over, I knew I’d have to do it all over again. I’ve now accepted that I simply can’t plan when this thing will end. When it does, I suppose I’ll know it. Until then, I’ll be happy to enjoy the ride as long as it lasts!

JBB: What’s your favorite Jersey Boys scene & why?

AK: There were actually two “Wow!” moments for me when I saw the show for the first time. They’re still the moments that mean the most to me today. The first is when Tommy delivers his monologue at the beginning of the show. The first time I heard Deven recite those lines, I suddenly felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. It was an out-of-control, yet exhilarating feeling and somehow I knew that a great adventure was just ahead. And when Tommy joined the two Nicks under the streetlamp to take “Silhouettes” into overdrive, I knew my heart was lost to these guys forever! The second moment was at the beginning of “Sherry” when the drumbeat gives way to the song’s opening notes and Frankie’s image explodes onto that big screen above the stage. Just thinking about it is enough to give me chills!

Of course, there are so many wonderful scenes in Jersey Boys that it’s nearly impossible to pick favorites! From “Shopping, Jersey Style” to Frankie’s pizza date with Mary to the group’s disintegration in Gyp’s basement, Jersey Boys is filled with one gripping scene after another. How can anybody choose between them?

JBB: How about your favorite musical number in Jersey Boys & why?

AK: Another impossible decision! But if I were to pick one, it would have to be “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” No big surprise there, right? Not only is it one of the most beautiful songs ever written, but when someone like Chris Jones is singing it, I can’t help but feel like falling in love with somebody!…anybody! Now that I’ve gone out on a limb and picked one, I can’t just stop there without mentioning a few of my other favorites. I’d never heard “Cry for Me” before Jersey Boys and hearing it performed live for the first time was a revelation, especially the way Erich Bergen sings it. And I love the symbolism of the group coming together during that number. Then there’s “Dawn.” The sheer spectacle of that performance and the wonderful way the audience gets to experience it from the performers’ perspective is something that stays with you long after leaving the theatre. Less spectacular but SO enjoyable for me is the sight of Charlie, Frankie, and Joe marching in unison toward the front row during “Working My Way Back to You”. And who doesn’t feel a tightening in their throat when Frankie sings “Fallen Angel”? Finally, I’d guess that the “Who Loves You” finale is responsible for more repeat ticket sales than any other single element of the show!

JBB: Do you have a favorite line from the show?

AK: As indecisive as I’ve been on your other questions, this one is surprisingly easy for me and it’s unique to one actor. That moment occurs when Michael Ingersoll stands at the lip of the stage, bathed in a spotlight with cigarette in hand and says “…if that’s what you think, you’re not from Jersey.” Michael delivers the line with a combination of foreboding and extreme cool that’s unique to his performance. Never before have I witnessed so much drama packed into so few words. It’s a testament to Michael’s extraordinary skill as an actor.

JBB: Prior to seeing Jersey Boys, were you familiar with the Four Seasons’ music? If so, do you have a favorite 4 Seasons’ song?

AK: It was hard not to be familiar with The Four Seasons when I was growing up. But by the time music became an important part of my life, most of their big hits were already behind them, and Frankie Valli was the only original member still performing. Jersey Boys breathed new life into their music, though, and I was reacquainted with it through the show. Since then, “Dawn” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” have emerged as favorites. There’s a lot of great music here, of course, but those two are the ones that are hardest to get out of my head!

JBB: Anything else you’d like to share about Jersey Boys?

AK: Just this. We, as fans, should always remember that the company of Jersey Boys is much more than four actors playing The Four Seasons. The three female cast members endure an unbelievable number of rapid wig and costume changes to give us the illusion of dozens of characters. The swing performers and understudies suffer endless rehearsals for multiple roles so that the audience can enjoy the same level of excellence when another cast member is unable to perform. Much of the music we hear throughout the show is performed by professional musicians who remain unseen for most of the show’s two and a half hours. And, of course, there are people dressing the actors, preparing props, and coordinating all of the backstage activities so that what we see on stage appears perfectly seamless. We should acknowledge whenever possible, and preferably in their presence, the many other performers, musicians, and technicians who make this amazing production work. So if you find yourself at the stage door one night and you happen to recognize a face that ISN’T Frankie’s, Tommy’s, Bob’s, or Nick’s, take a moment to thank that person. It’ll make you, and that person, feel GREAT…I promise!

Thank you so much to Andrea Kim for this incredibly in-depth interview about her joy, love, and excitement for Jersey Boys! If you would like to be featured in a JBB Fantastic Fan Interview, feel free to contact us! Please click on the Contact Page and send us your contact information.