Jersey Boys Blog

By Jim Schreier, JBB Special Correspondent

On Saturday morning, January 23, I had the opportunity to talk with Chicago Jersey Boys alum, John Michael Coppola, for almost three hours. We covered a wide range of topics, from his role as a Swing and Dance Captain in Jersey Boys to the current success of his two musical ventures, his solo performances in “A Jersey Voice, Sinatra to Springsteen…and Everyone in Between” and his group, “The Four C Notes.”

When John was interviewed by Howard Tucker, he responded to a question about why “Valli” wasn’t in the title of the show. John responded that there were two primary reasons. First he was a solo act and second, he did not want people thinking he was doing a Frankie Valli or Four Seasons show.

I attended and reviewed John’s premier solo concert in Arlington Heights (2/25/11) and since then have attended additional performances with both John’s solo show and “The Four C Notes.”

It wasn’t my first question but I thought Jersey Boys fans would be particularly interested in why John created “The Four C Notes.” He first explained the reasons for the name but I’ll challenge readers to see if they can identify the four different connections he gave me.

John Michael’s passion for music was so obvious that for almost three hours, his energy never waned – and that provided the first insight into the formation of “The Four C Notes.” It was driven by passion and opportunity. In 2013, John experienced what clearly happens when talent meets serendipity. In less than two weeks, John was contacted by four different people, asking about a “Four Seasons” tribute show for private events, including a wedding and an anniversary. Thanks to this spark and the added benefits of social media, “The Four C Notes” were born.

“The Four C Notes” are unique among the several groups generated from former members of “Jersey Boys.” They are truly a “tribute group,” performing only songs from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and deliberately performing only the well-known, major hits from that catalog. And in a discussion I found particularly interesting, they perform this set with artistic integrity to the original arrangements.
The reason is simple, when someone books this group for a wedding or a special anniversary, according to John “that’s what they want!”

John works with a cadre of Chicago area singers and musicians to put together the specific group when he books a performance. Booking shows and scheduling the right talent for a show, and wanting to expand availability, requires John to be a scheduling, preparation, and training master, handling all the tasks of being the producer and director for his shows. In “Jersey Boys,” John Michael was a “Swing,” prepared to play any one of 4 different roles with a moment’s notice – plus as the Dance Captain, he had to know all 15 roles including the female roles. He’s very familiar with – and talented at — playing multiple roles. Now, as his own promoter, he’s also working, sometimes for years, to book shows in specific events or festivals. And the work is paying off.

In response to rave reviews from private events and festivals, John Michael is expanding his solo and group’s performances beyond Illinois to Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin for 2016.

For updates, check out: http://www.johnmichaelcoppola.com/Concert.html and
http://thefourcnotes.com/