Jersey Boys SF Sit-Down and Sensational Show!
December 23rd, 2007Birthday weekends don’t get much better! The stars were in alignment last weekend as the Tech Half and I jet-setted off to San Francisco to see Jersey Boys’ Holiday Engagement!
We couldn’t miss the SF Holiday Engagement of Jersey Boys–so, I strategically planned the escape out of Vegas for my birthday weekend! What better way to turn another year older?
Word got out on the JBB Forum that we were coming to SF on the weekend of December 14, with tickets for the evening show on 12/15! Well, Mama Lucy arranged a “sit-down”/festive lunch with fellow Jersey Boys fans at the fabulous Max’s Cafe on Saturday afternoon. Jersey Boys’ fans were…yeah, I’ll say it…UBIQUITOUS at Max’s! Along with Mama Lucy, we had not one but two Lindas, Kathy, Nessa, Krystal and her Mom, and Lauren with her sister, Arlene! Many of us hadn’t met before, but shared so many emails and threads on the JBB Forum, that it was more like a West Coast Jersey Boys’ reunion, rather than a lunch meeting with new friends!
Can’t quite express how excited I was to see this cast! Four months without seeing a Jersey Boys’ performance is far too long of a wait for anyone with JBADD (Jersey Boys Addiction Distraction Disorder) to go without seeing the show! The lights dimmed to a packed house, and the minute “Ces Soirees la’” began–this incredible cast and the audience were both ON FIRE! In particular, you couldn’t help but notice the extraordinarily enthusiastic fans in the front row! (In fact, a few of these ladies were at Max’s earlier in the day! 
)…
Even before the hits came for The Four Seasons, the audience was hooked–bouncing in their seats and laughing out loud after so many great lines! Rick Faugno (Frankie Valli), Jeff Leibow (Nick Massi), Bryan McElroy (Tommy DeVito), and Andrew Rannells (Bob Gaudio), the Jersey Girls, along with the entire cast, were simply sensational! By the time “the whole world EXPLODED” with “Sherry,” even the quiet theatre-goer types were going nuts!
You wouldn’t have believed the mild-mannered guy next to me was the same guy from 30 minutes ago, as he cheered and applauded so loudly after “Walk Like A Man”! The audience went insane during Act Two, with so many people around us saying, “OMG, I never knew The 4 Seasons did that song!” During Rick Faugno’s poignant “Fallen Angel,” I noticed many audience members wiping tears from their eyes. As the show ended with “Who Loves You,” the entire audience was on their feet! That wasn’t all–the cast was extraordinarily welcoming to the fans at the stage door–signing autographs and posing for so many pictures!
The evening “ended much too soon” to quote another Seasons’ hit! Thank you to Mama Lucy for bringing all of the SF Jersey Boys’ fans together for our marvelous lunch, and thank you to everyone for so many birthday greetings and surprises!! Also, thank you to the Jersey Boys Holiday Engagement cast for the incredible welcome at the stage door!
Come on, would you have expected anything less from MamaLucy? So glad you all had a great time. We LOVE the West Coast contingent! Sounds like the Vegas cast is now on par with the others. Did we have any doubt? That Andrew Rannells looks soooo Iowa corn-fed! Viva Las Vegas, Baby!
Comment by Gary — December 23, 2007 @ 10:23 pm
I am so happy everyone likes the fan cards. I will order more – just let me know how many you need! IE
Comment by irene eizen — December 23, 2007 @ 10:54 pm
Andrew’s from Nebraska.
Comment by Jay — December 23, 2007 @ 10:56 pm
Thanks Susie and Dale…we all had SO much fun and can’t wait to do it again! Happy Holidays
Comment by Mama Lucy — December 23, 2007 @ 11:05 pm
Nice summary, Susie, and I can’t wait to meet the rest of this great group in person. I already know Nessa (who was supposed to introduce me to all the big machers at BCEFA but somehow managed a clean getaway), Lauren, Arlene, and the Lindas.
Now, you were rather vague (I think intentionally) about whether the mild-mannered guy next to you was the Tech half or a former stranger who absorbed your enthusiasm. If it was the Tech Half, I hope you insisted on proper choreagraphy during WLAM, with the arms swinging and the feigned “walking”.
And PLEASE PLEASE tell me they didn’t make that corny announcement before the show, “If you plan to enjoy hard candies during the show, now would be the PERFECT time to unwrap them.” PLEASE tell me they didn’t Susie!
Comment by Howard Tucker — December 23, 2007 @ 11:47 pm
Howard, I had a feeling you might be asking whether or not the mild-mannered guy sitting next to me was the Tech Half. No, after seeing the show now over ten times, I can attest that the Tech Half knows the proper choreography! The guy I was referring to was truly a stranger, until I talked his ear off at intermission about JB!!
Sorry to disappoint you, Howard–but the hard candies announcement came at the beginning of the show.
Comment by Susie — December 23, 2007 @ 11:59 pm
It’s the same one recorded everywhere, and it’s Des McAnuff. Except once in SF, when I wonder if something went wrong, because it was obviously live and NOT Des McAnuff.
Comment by Leanna — December 24, 2007 @ 1:51 am
Wow, I’m totally impressed with this blog…great music and looks like great people involved with this. I just started a blog and I posted a little story about taking my mom to Jersey Boys in LA – it’s actually a spiritual and personal story about “Who Loves You.”
Anyway, I’m glad I found this site. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Linda
Comment by Linda — December 24, 2007 @ 2:07 am
There’s always something going on here; needed a break from wrapping presents and it…
L@@ks like another great time was had by all with our great JB Fans in San Francisco!
Than again…is it even possible to not have a great time being surrounded by JB Cast & Fans?
I don’t think so!
Thanks for sharing the photos!
Comment by NewJerseyLasagna — December 24, 2007 @ 1:09 pm