January 19, 2009

Jeff Madden Is Taking the Wheel as a Jersey Boy!

January 19th, 2009

Jeff Madden

Many JERSEY BOYS cast members all over the map have been doing a great job keeping everyone posted on their blogs! Jersey Boys Toronto’s “Frankie” Jeff Madden’s “Taking the Wheel” blog is giving everyone an inside look into the Toronto JB experience! Some of my favorite posts include How I Got to Jersey, You want an update? Here, a Jersey Update, and My NEW YEARS EVE Thoughts.

We had a great opportunity last week to chat with Jeff about his “Taking the Wheel” blog and also asked him what has been his biggest surprise thus far in playing the Valli role.

JBB: Your “Taking the Wheel” blog gives readers an amazing inside look into your experiences so far with Jersey Boys and your life before starring in the show. Why did you decide to start the blog, and what has been the reaction from friends, family, and fans?

Jeff Madden: I decided to start the blog in the Summer of 2007 as a companion piece to finishing my debut CD, “Taking The Wheel.” Since I was a kid, I had always wanted to record a CD. When I heard the John Bucchino song of the same name, it spoke to me so clearly. I was at a place in my life where I wanted to take more control of my creative instincts and career as an artist, and essentially the song ‘Taking The Wheel’ became my call to action. “I’ve been in the backseat long enough, tagging along for the ride…” The motivation for the blog was the same for recording the CD, another way to expand my creative side. “This is how I feel, this is what I think…”.

Initially only my extended family was reading the blog, and after a while some friends would check it out. Most of them are not artists and so had no idea what really happened behind the scenes. I didn’t have a plan to write a post every week, just whenever an event came up that I thought others might be interested in. But, lately, there’s been a lot more interest in the blog, which surprisingly ;) seems to have coincided with my being cast as Frankie Valli in the Toronto production of Jersey Boys. Only now, I’m so busy that I have a real hard time finding the time to write new posts. Right now, I’m aiming for one post a week – on the day off!

JBB: So far, what’s been the biggest surprise about starring as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys?

JM: The first surprise was that I could actually learn all the lines, lyrics, songs and choreography in only 6 weeks. I honestly didn’t think it was possible – there is just so much to do! But now that we’ve been running for almost a month, I guess the biggest surprise is how amazing the audience response has been. Audiences leap to their feet like I’ve never seen before, they stay standing through the finale and the bows, and they leave the theatre on a high. This show moves people. And they tell their friends, and when they come, they leave moved. I’ve never been involved in anything like it. It is a real pleasure to play this part in Jersey Boys, and I thank my lucky stars every day because of it.

Thank you so much to Jeff Madden for taking the time to share his thoughts about his blog and on playing Frankie Valli! Check out his Taking the Wheel blog and his website! All the best to Jeff as he continues to rock Toronto!

6 Comments »

  1. Great to read about Jeff’s blog and his experience playing Frankie Valli. Looking forward to finding out more about the Canadian cast.

    Comment by Rich — January 19, 2009 @ 2:06 pm

  2. The Toronto Jersey Boys sounded great on Youtube on the New Year’s Eve show! I hope to get to Toronto soon to see them!!

    Comment by Heidi — January 19, 2009 @ 9:33 pm

  3. What a great blog with so much detail. Looking forward to seeing another fantastic cast.

    Comment by Charly O'Clarit — January 20, 2009 @ 12:53 am

  4. I laughed and cried and sang along, in my head lol. I’m not even of that generation but the songs are timeless…
    I’ve been to countless musicals; this was the BEST so far kuddos!!!!.
    My bf bought the cd but we both really wanted our own “boy’s” version …any chance of The original Toronto cast performance being recorded?

    Take a bow; you all deserve it!
    mwah!
    Anne

    Comment by Anne Coleman — January 22, 2009 @ 1:04 pm

  5. The Toronto cast was just.. Phenomenal.. Jeff Madden is the only one who could capture Frankie Valli’s unique tone. AMAZING. Any chance for a CD of the Toronto Jersey Boys cast?

    Comment by Constantine — March 10, 2009 @ 12:09 am

  6. I went to see JB Toronto on March 31 for the first time, and wow, I loved it.

    After the show, there was a Q&A with the cast, it was great fun.

    One person asked about the Toronto cast recording, well, no play for that cause it’s expensive to make one. But then, fans can always write to them to request for a Toronto cast recording :)

    Jeffy Madden was amazing as Frankie Valli. Check out his blog and under News, the Canada AM and City TV clips are better quality.

    I will go see the show again, for sure!!!

    Comment by Jett — April 5, 2009 @ 11:52 am

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