May 28, 2006

John Lloyd Young–Jersey Boy & Shining Star

May 28th, 2006

New York Times reporter Mark Rotella’s interview with Tony Award nominee John Lloyd Young sheds light about Young playing legendary Frankie Valli in the megahit musical Jersey Boys; his childhood; his early days as an actor; his life in Jersey City; and so much more.

John Lloyd Young, the man who plays Frankie Valli, has received not only the Tony nomination for lead actor in a musical, but also similar award nominations from the Drama League, Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle (in the last two cases, he has already won).

Appropriately, Young, who is 30, lives in New Jersey. Did he move to Jersey for inspiration? Young said he moved to Jersey City “for love.” Not for the love of New Jersey, but the love of his girlfriend, Alison Franck, who has lived in Jersey City for about four years and has been his girlfriend the last two.

Turns out Young auditioned for the role of Tommy DeVito, the Four Seasons’ founder for the La Jolla Playhouse Jersey Boys production; however, upon hearing Young sing, Director Des McAnuff, asked him to audition for the role of Frankie Valli. The La Jolla role, however, went to another actor.

When he read in a theater trade newspaper that Jersey Boys was going to Broadway and that the Valli role had yet to be filled, he called his agent to ask for another audition. Thinking back, Young said,

“It’s a specific role. You have to look like him — be slight of build, be Italian looking, be able to sing. And you should probably be a good actor.”

While in rehearsal, Mr. Young finally met Mr. Valli himself, from whom he continues to learn. Regarding Valli, Young noted,

“Every time I meet him, I steal something from him — a gesture, a way he says something. “

On June 11, Young will find out whether he will win a Tony for his first Broadway role. Naturally, Young would love to win the award, but he keeps in mind what his singing instructor, Kim Agresta, tells him. Tens of thousands of actors come to New York to work; thousands actually find work; hundreds are cast in Broadway shows; dozens gets lead parts. But only five are nominated.

Over the last several months, Young has participated in quite a few Broadway fundraisers. Young told Rotella about a recent fundraising lunch event:

“I had one lunch with a guy — a member of New York’s auxiliary police squad. He had seen the show with his wife five times, and he told me that now when he thinks of Frankie Valli, he sees me. That’s a high.”

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