December 17, 2008

Not Your Average Jersey Boy

December 17th, 2008

We are thrilled to post Stubbleyou’s re-cap of Joseph Leo Bwarie’s “Not Your Average Joe” amazing December 8 concert that was held at the Falcon Theater in Burbank!

By Stubbleyou

Last Monday morning on the drive to school I gave my twelve-year-old a challenge: How many Jersey Boys songs do you think Joe Leo Bwarie will sing in his cabaret tonight? Which ones? Before he could answer I took dibs on the obvious choice: “‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is a gimme. Maybe “My Eyes Adored You” – that can be a good solo number.” Stubbletwo goes with two improbables: “Let’s Hang On” and “Working My Way Back to You.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him a heavily orchestrated song with lots of background vocals and harmonies didn’t stand a chance. [Answer? Read on. But not until you make your own guess.]

I got to the Falcon Theater in beautiful downtown Burbank, as Johnny Carson used to call it, also known as Toluca Lake adjacent, as Joe Leo Bwarie was about to (a local – and funny – joke), early enough to catch Joe for a quick hello on his way in and then peruse the well-over-a-hundred posters in the lobby announcing previous productions at the Falcon. This was a homecoming of sorts – Joe took the opportunity of a week off between Jersey Boys tour stops to come back to the playhouse where he has spent years in various creative roles, particularly in their children’s theater program, to put on this basically one-man showcase, “Not Your Average Joe.” Reading the lobby cards you see phrases like “written by Joseph Leo Bwarie,” “directed by Joe Leo Bwarie,” “written and directed by Joseph Leo Bwarie,” and “book and lyrics by Joe Leo Bwarie,” everywhere you look. I mean, the kid is ubiquitous. Quite a resume. Not your average Jersey Boy.

The Falcon is a charming, intimate venue with only seven rows of seats, about twenty across. It has a roomy and well-kept lobby which began filling with people and activity as showtime approached. It is also the brainchild and pet project of industry icon Garry Marshall – producer, director, writer, and actor who arguably has had more influence than any other soul on American TV sitcomdom, having written/created/produced/directed everything from the Lucy, Joey Bishop, and Dick Van Dyke Shows through Mork and Mindy, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, and of course the biggie, Happy Days. He also wrote for the Tonight Show, as did another Marshall with a Jersey Boys connection, Marshall Brickman. (We tried to reach Mr. Brickman for comment but he was away at a Star Trek convention).

As the lobby filled it felt more like guests were arriving at a Bar Mitzvah or a wedding than at a theater. Warmth and more warmth filled the room as it became apparent many of Joe’s family and friends were there to see him on his brief visit home. This may have accounted for the quick sell-out of Monday’s show, and the addition of a second performance the next night. Garry Marshall greeted many of the theater-goers (concert-comers?) personally, assuming the role of host as the reception area was getting stocked with fruit platters, cheeses, nuts, chocolates and cases of wine and water for the post-performance reception. But he was gracious enough to take a few minutes to kibitz with me about Jersey Boys (how he loves it and has seen it many times in many venues), how highly he thinks of Joe (he would soon be introducing him to the audience by saying “…and now, the three most exciting words in show business today, Joe Leo Bwarie!”), and about the hits and misses of his television career (I swear, Mr. Marshall, I really do remember “Hey Landlord” with Will Hutchens and Sandy Baron). A real class act.

Okay, on with the show. Ushered in to the theater by Joe’s aunt – no flashing lights or fire alarm bells here – the stage awaited with the instruments of the four-piece combo that was to back Joe. A colorful floral arrangement on a small table, two stools and two mikes complete the scene. After Garry Marshall’s intro, Joe Leo came out looking dapper in a charcoal Hugo Boss suit with a black shirt and tie, not unlike the look of the three Jersey Boys finger-snapping their way upstage at the beginning of “Silhouettes.” He launched into “Fly Me To The Moon” to set the mood for what was to be an evening of American contemporary standards with a nice jazz bent. The following medley of two Sesame Street tunes, “Rainbow Connection” and “Sing,” (after all, Joe was heavily involved in children’s theater) ended nicely on a Frankie Valli-style high note. Joe seemed comfortable, in control, relaxed, and happy. Now maybe it was the lighting, but I swear there was a noticeable sparkle in Joe’s eyes to go with the smile on his face. And his voice, which I had never heard before, was smoo-oo-ooth.

Joe then introduced the players of the “Not Your Average Joe” band, from theater-right to left: Ameenah Kaplan, on percussion, on her wisely-abbreviated-so-as-not-to-overpower drum kit of one snare, one cymbal, and a pair of mesmerizing bongos; Ken Belcher mastering what appeared to be an ES-335 style semi-hollow body jazz electric guitar; and Tim Archer plucking the personality out of his stand-up acoustic bass (awright! So much nicer than electric in a small venue). Each got a chance to shine in some small solos, and each played with spirit and enthusiasm. Last but not least on piano was Rachael Lawrence, who as musical director put the band and the program together. No small feat given the distance between her and Joe, they prepared the program over the internet and rehearsed largely in cyberspace, having very little time to actually rehearse together in person. She and Joe have worked together about seven years and know each other quite well, as was evidenced in their banter throughout but particularly in the next number, “Put on A Happy Face” from Bye Bye Birdie. They played off each other in a sort of typical boy/girl love/hate teasing kind of thing which seemed so authentic I just assumed it was staged – well. In reality it was the real deal, two friends having fun with each other while the audience eavesdropped, and fun it was. Rachael, in fact, gets credit for originally ca-Joe-ling Mr. Bwarie to take a shot at the role of Frankie Valli. And being a vocal coach among other things she helped him prepare for Frankie camp. In “Happy Face” he tickled her ivories, so to speak, and she taunted his tremoloes. But they sang it as a duet and their voices blended on the harmonies really, really well.

After an early Sammy Davis tune (“Hey There”), Joe settled in to talk a little about Jersey Boys. We learned his favorite tunes in the show are “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Working My Way Back To You.” But we also learned, interestingly, that part of the deal of playing Frankie required him to “sign a piece of paper” (was that an intended script reference, Joe?) agreeing to not sing Four Seasons/Jersey Boys songs on his own outside of the show. While he was explaining this, Rachael was goading him into mischief by teasing him with strains of “Big Girls Don’t Cry” on the piano, but he fought her off. Cute. The JB (Jersey Boys, not Joe Bwarie) fans in the audience enjoyed Joe’s occasional lapse into Sergio Trujillo’s Walk-Like-A-Man march-in-place choreography, though he said it just didn’t feel the same without the red jacket. He did however, and was allowed to, take the opportunity to sing a song from the show that was not a Four Seasons tune, and he treated us to a beautiful and extended version of “I’m In The Mood For Love,” in which he displayed remarkable vocal agility. A knife through butter, as it were.

After a couple of smile-inducing Irving Berlin tunes (“It Only Happens When I Dance With You” and ” Steppin’ Out With My Baby”), Joe settled in and took of his jacket, relaxed and played with a little scat. Next came a song he chose for his Jersey Boys audition, and for good reason – a stirring interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed,” accented beautifully by Ms. Kaplan’s bongos. One of the highlights of the evening.

In the next portion of the program Joe brought out his (until recently) costar of Jersey Boys, Jamie Karen, who played Mary Delgado, Frankie Valli’s wife, opposite Joe in the JB touring company. Looking stunning in a long, black, form-fitting dress, she joined Joe for two duets. In the heartfelt “A House Is Not A Home,” the first thing I noticed (okay, second, after the dress) was that she showed much more style, precision, and skill in her singing than Jersey Boys allowed. As wonderful as Jersey Boys is, what it is not is a star vehicle for a female singer. The most vocal prominence Jamie got to show in Jersey Boys was sitting on the staircase stage left singing harmony in “My Eyes Adored You.” But tonight she got to spread her wings and it was a delight to hear her show her stuff. Next they played with the playful “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Very nice two part harmonies, and nice chemistry between them. “Well I simply must go..,” she sang, and, well, she did. Too bad she couldn’t stay just a little bit longer. But very nice to see and hear her. Another highlight of the night.

Then Joe moved into the final segment of the show, a set of holiday tunes appropriate for the season. An upbeat “It’s A Marshmallow World” preceded two sentimental numbers, “What Are You Doing New Years Eve?” and “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” Joe proved his comfort and skill in many moods and styles that evening. A quick reprise of “Marshmallow World” rounded out the seventy minute show, and though there was no encore, I could have sworn the spirit of Frankie Valli swept by for just a few seconds to let its presence be felt. Wink, wink. Then the audience had it’s opportunity to “give back” to Joe with its emphatic appreciation for and enjoyment of Joe’s skills, style, and presence. Yes, we can feel the love tonight, and it was well-deserved.

I lingled for about an hour at the reception that followed (okay, I just made up that word. ‘Lingle’ equals ‘linger’ plus ‘mingle.’ You get the idea). The party spirit continued and the warmth and love in the room were palpable. I ran into occasional JB Blog/Forum poster CarolB, and Joe was kind enough to pose for pix and to chat with us for a bit despite being surrounded by friends and family. It sounds like a cliché, but what a nice guy he is. Unassuming and friendly, and not at all jaded by the success of Jersey Boys. He seemed happy to be home, and to have given such a great performance. And he still had that twinkle in his eye.

The lingling also provided the opportunity to meet Jamie Karen and her husband, actor Mark Deklin. Jamie was my first Mary, so to speak; my first three as a matter of fact, and I am a big fan of hers in that role, so this was a real plus for me. Having recently left Jersey Boys, Jamie is pursuing local (Los Angeles area) opportunities and Mark has an active and growing TV resume, having recently played hunks du jour on ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Sex and the City,’ among many other appearances. This is one handsome, magnetic couple, folks. Trust me.

And though I didn’t hit the trifecta like Tommy DeVito does in Jersey Boys, I did hit the daily double when it comes to Jersey girls – another added bonus of the evening was meeting the beautiful and delightful Melissa Strom, who was with the first national touring company of JB for quite awhile, playing the role of Francine, Frankie’s daughter, among several other parts. Since leaving the show she has been involved in both stage and screen. Melissa has worked with Joe before and earlier this year was in a Falcon production that Joe co-wrote and directed, “Cindy and the Disco Ball.” Her episode of HBO’s critically acclaimed “Monk,” starring Tony Salhoub, aired late last month. I also had the pleasure of meeting Melissa’s charming friend, actress (gosh I hope that word is not politically incorrect; if so please forgive me) Darrin Revitz. Darrin and Melissa have worked together and Darrin is quite active in the Los Angeles small theater scene. Coincidentally, Darrin and Melissa both take vocal coaching from Rachael Lawrence. Small world, isn’t it?

As I left, I thanked Garry Marshall. I realized I was viewing him more like the father of the bride or of the Bar Mitzvah boy than as the director of the theater. That’s the kind of feel the event had. And I recalled how a few hours earlier when I caught Joe on his way in and told him that though I was a big Jersey Boys fan I have yet to see him in the show, he said, “You’ve gotta come see it” (with him as Frankie). He’s right – I do. And if you haven’t already, so do you.

Thank you to Stubbleyou for this marvelous re-cap of Joseph Leo Bwarie’s magnificent concert!

14 Comments »

  1. Fantastic Review Stubbleyou!! I have yet to see JLB in his role of Frankie either, so that means I have to now!!!

    Comment by Joey Flores — December 17, 2008 @ 10:29 pm

  2. Hey Stubbs,

    What a great review!! Sorry I missed this. Great photos and glad you & Carol had a good time. I saw JLB in Seattle in January. He was fabulous. Hope to see him in Orlando.

    Comment by Linda/Tiggerbelle — December 18, 2008 @ 10:28 am

  3. Well done, Stubbs! Great review. Your talents never cease to amaze me. Makes me wish I would have tried harder to get a seat. I would have loved to hear him sing “Rainbow Connection” and “Marshmallow World.” Maybe he’ll do another one sometime in the near future…this time at the Hollywood Bowl or the Greek Theater! Do we have another star in the making on our hands? I think so!

    Comment by Gary — December 18, 2008 @ 11:45 am

  4. Stubbleyou, that was great! It sounds like a wonderful evening. I really need to find a tour stop and see JLB!

    Comment by Krystal — December 18, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

  5. Stubbs, you write so good (or is that well? – I am a graduate of Hoboken High School) you and your buddy, Howard, (everyone one’s buddy actually) should co-author a book. Loved reading the review. Great job.

    Comment by David Cace — December 18, 2008 @ 1:27 pm

  6. Thanks for the kind words, David. Stubbleyou, do we have a Jersey Contract here? Well, at least we have a name: HOST. And we can make money from both ends Stubbs…you write and produce, and I’ll become the next governor of Illinois!

    I enjoyed the summary and the pictures here too, Stubbleyou, although you do remind me a bit of attorney Gloria Allred–wherever there’s a camera, so are you and she!! And I never cease to be surprised by our own Caroline Kennedy….Carol B….once a very private person whose picture is now on every website with every Broadway legend she can cajole into a photo!

    Actually, on New Year’s Eve 2006-2007, I went to a dueling pianos concert given by Donnie Kehr, and he also explained he couldn’t do any Four Seasons songs while under contract to the show.

    Move over Michael Riedel. Here comes Stubbleyou:

    We met him at a concert tour…
    Get the picture…
    That’s when we fell for
    The Leader of the Blog!!!

    Comment by Howard Tucker — December 18, 2008 @ 5:15 pm

  7. Loved the review Stubbs…felt like I was there with all the wonderful details.

    Comment by Charly O'Clarit — December 18, 2008 @ 6:21 pm

  8. Fabulous review, Stubbs, and sounds like an incredible evening all around. Really made me feel as if I were there. Joe sounds like a major talent and all around nice guy. Loved his song list too, and great that he did so many duets. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Comment by Pamela — December 18, 2008 @ 6:21 pm

  9. What a great write up!! I was at the show Monday night and you really pulled it all together. There really was quite a twinkle in his eyes, it must have been that he was so happy to be back at the Falcon in front of all his family and friends. I have also not seen him in JB yet…listening to the soundtrack really makes me want to see him sing those songs! I’ll have to make plans to do that real soon!

    Comment by June — December 18, 2008 @ 8:32 pm

  10. Wow, Stubbleyou- you write an article that’s impossible to resist. Such style and detail, right down to Jaime’s form fitting, long black dress.

    Definitely enjoyable reading and packed with information. I was particularly intrigued by some of JLB’s past projects, as evidenced by the numerous lobby cards you mentioned.

    I had the pleasure of meeting Joe, thanks to Courtney, back in April and look forward to getting up to Connecticut to see him onstage in a couple months.

    Comment by Audrey — December 19, 2008 @ 12:30 am

  11. Governor Tucker of Illinois? No. Senator Tucker from New York!

    Comment by David Cace — December 19, 2008 @ 10:01 am

  12. What a great review! I have seen Joe as Frankie Valli three times in Toronto and he is absolutely amazing. It is so funny to read that he loves Big Girls Don’t Cry and Working my way back to you..because he sings them marvelously in the play. If you have not seen him yet..GO!..He is definitely worth it..and if he ever comes to Toronto again..I want to tell him in person how amazingly talented he is! I wish I could have gone to this show!

    Comment by Michelle — December 20, 2008 @ 1:59 am

  13. A politician that understands accounting and even simple math? Not a chance, David!

    Comment by Ted Hammond — December 20, 2008 @ 8:03 am

  14. Stubbs:
    What a marvelous write-up. It’s always a pleasure reading your articles or reviews…”Such talent”…and the pictures…wow ! Are you now considered a celebrity Stubbs ? I think you are. You may end up being a full-time celebrity correspondent. Should we start forming your own fan club ? Well..I must admit..I have always been a fan of yours ever since you co-authored the “Irene…Irene Baby..Irene”
    Happy Holidays to you and your son Stubbs and see you around.

    Comment by Miladay — December 22, 2008 @ 5:22 pm

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