Jeremy Kushnier’s Thoughts on Playing Tommy DeVito
April 2nd, 2008Today’s Las Vegas Sun has a fascinating interview with actor Jeremy Kushnier has been playing the role of Tommy DeVito in the musical Jersey Boys. He portrayed the Four Seasons founder in the San Francisco company and in Chicago before joining the Las Vegas cast.
“This show can be very Vegas-specific,†Kushnier says. “So I thought it would be kind of exciting to play here, especially my character.â€
He talked to the Sun about Jersey Boys and about playing DeVito, who has lived in Las Vegas since 1970. Here’s a preview to Jeremy’s Q&A:
Q: Have you ever met or talked with Tommy DeVito?
A: No. I think I may be the only Tommy that has yet to meet or talk to him.
What I have to do is put a call in to him. To be honest, I’d love to go play 18 holes with him and pick his brains about what he feels about the show and what he feels how he’s represented. He’s a real guy, not just someone somebody made up. I’m representing myself and I’m representing the show, but I’m also representing this guy. I feel like I do him justice. I feel like I’m not trying to do a caricature of a Jersey guy who’s maybe got ties to the wrong people. I’m playing a guy that’s sympathetic, a guy that — whether or not he made all the right choices — had all the right motivation behind it.
Q: After playing the role of Tommy for a year, what are your feelings about him?
A: Starting the group, he was single-minded in what he wanted to accomplish. He wanted to be successful. He wanted to be a rock star, and not a lot of things were going to get in his way. From my character’s point of view I guess he feels a little bit “dissed†by the fact that Gaudio came in and Frankie and him became really good friends and they had a real connection. Just from the character’s standpoint I think he feels he doesn’t get a lot of credit for the fact that he was the first guy to say, “Hey Frankie, come on up, get up onstage and sing with us,†and that he really did keep this group together through everything, and they went through a lot of stuff.
We wish you all the best in Vegas! You’re an AWESOME Tommy! Chicago MISSES you!
Comment by Leslie — April 10, 2008 @ 10:49 am
Jeremy,
I saw your show for the first time yesterday. I am actually a second cousin of Tommy Devito with our uncle Joe Galasso from Montckair, NJ. I noticed you play golf. I live at Spanish Trail and am a member of the club. Maybe we can get together with Tommy for a round of golf. I was invited to meet him in 1965 when the band was appearing in Long Island.
Happy New Year and again GREAT performance.
Sincerely,
Bob Dorsa
Comment by Bob Dorsa — December 31, 2008 @ 6:23 pm