Jersey Boys Blog

As you all know, the SF/Chicago Company Jersey Boys cast and crew participated in the AIDS Walk last Sunday, raising an outstanding $28,286 for the cause! We’re excited to present Jersey Boys Special Correspondent Lauren Avila’s coverage of the incredible event!

Sharon Meadow in the Golden Gate Park of San Francisco hosted the AIDS Walk 2007. Twenty-five thousand people assembled together to walk in honor of this cause. The SF/Chicago company of Jersey Boys came to “Walk Like A Man.” Almost the entire cast including Drew Gehling, Steve Gouveia, Jeremy Kushnier, Jarrod Spector and Steve Gouveia were joined by members of their outstanding crew for the event.

The Opening Ceremony started at 9:45 a.m. with appearances by the city’s mayor, Gavin Newsom and a number of celebrity speakers and performers. Among them were Andrea Bowen, Jai Rodriguez, Kelly Carlson, Andrea Marcovicci, Brent Barrett, Jennifer Lewis, and our very own Jersey Boys! The guys were great during their part. Personally, I’d love to see the pictures they took of the crowd from the stage. They thanked the sponsors of the walk, promoted the show, and assured the people that they not only talk the talk, they “walk the walk.” The rest of the team got their chance to show their support, too!

The cast got a chance to pose for pictures before embarking on their journey. Then, they headed over to the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Everyone had a lot of energy and high spirits when we began our 10k march. The Boys, Mike Erickson, and our team leader, Larry Baker (the Production Stage Manager) started their walk joyously. So who was there? The Jersey Boys Team members were: Lyndsey Cole, John Michael Coppola, John Michael Dias, Mike Erickson, Drew Gehling, Steven M. Goldsmith, Steve Gouveia, John Hickman, Jeremy Kushnier, Craig Laurie, Lauren Marshall, Wade McCollum, Rashad Naylor, Jenny Lee Ramos, Jake Speck, Jarrod Spector, Kara Tremel, and Ryan Quinn West. Additionally, the conductor of the show, Jonathan Smith, and his two children were part of the team. Assistant stage manager, Brendan Fay and other crew members also participated. Of course, there were a few fans, too.

I had the chance to talk to members of the Jersey Boys family and asked them about the show and the event. While they had a variety of answers, they shared very similar emotions. I knew I had to narrow it down to be “article” worthy, but they all had such great things to say and big enough hearts to fill the whole Curran Theatre that I think I should quote them all. The phrase is: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, not even the photos of the event can express how wonderful it was from a fan’s perspective to see the whole company so dedicated!

Everybody was very helpful and incredibly friendly! Some people fear that the stars they long to meet will turn out to be different than one might imagine. Not only is this group of people warm and welcoming, but they also exceed every expectation! With the exception of Jarrod Spector, most of the group had to leave the walk to race to their matinee performance.

A Walk With The Jersey Boys

Lauren Avila: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Jarrod Spector: It’s pretty incredible. You hear the number 25,000. There’s 25,000 people here but until you’re standing on the podium up there and you look out and there’s this sea of people. When you’re up on a hill, you can see a mile ahead, and there’s endless people from here to there. It’s just amazing the support that this city has for this epidemic. It’s really incredible! And it’s just an honor to be a part of it, honest to God. As far as the show is- they’re great. The audience has been fantastic and the city has been incredibly supportive everywhere we go. Even when they announced our names out there that we were speaking, they applauded and screamed. It’s incredible. It’s a bizarre, but really memorable day.

LA: How do you feel about having to do two shows and the walk today?

JS: Well, the joy of being Frankie is that we only have to do six out of the eight shows a week. And in this case, I only have to do six out of the nine shows this week. So I only have to do the night show. So, actually it’s not so bad because I get a nap but I feel bad for the rest of the boys here and the ladies; they’re going to have quite a long day. Mr. Gouveia is leaving us tonight, it’s his last show, so we have to say goodbye to him. We’re going to be up late again tonight and we got a new cast mate. We got Michael Ingersoll coming back on Tuesday so it’s pretty crazy. It’s a pretty crazy week.

LA: How do you feel about him coming back?

JS: I had the opportunity to be with Michael the first few months of my Jersey Boys life because I was in the first company with him. I’ve done the show with him, I don’t know, forty-some odd times so I’m excited. I love Michael personally. I think he’s wonderful on stage. But of course, I’m going to miss the hell out of Steve. As a man, he’s fantastic and as a performer he’s just terrific. It’s a pleasure to work with him. I’m going to miss him dearly.

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Steve Gouveia: Wow, that’s a deep question. [laughter] It’s kind of sad for me right now because this is my last day with everybody. So, I’ve got other things on my mind, but this is also an emotional thing too. All you have to do is walk past the AIDS Quilt to see that. It’s just a big emotional day for me. I don’t know what to do. I need ice cream or something. [laughter]

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Drew Gehling: I think this is an amazing thing we get to do as a cast. Larry really spear-headed this whole effort and we’re all really proud to be here in support of him. Two shows today doesn’t really matter because we’re all here together as a cast.

LA: How do you feel about having to do two shows and the walk today?

DG: Come that second show, ask me again [laughter] but I’m thrilled to be doing this show. I love doing the show. So any chance to get to perform that kind of material is amazing but after this kind of walk… I’m just looking at this as a big, long warm-up.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

DG: It’s going to be tough. It’s like breaking up a band. It’s going to be wonderful to get to work with Ingersoll. I’ve heard great things about him and I love him as a guy. He’s a really wonderful guy but it’s going to be really hard to see Steve go.

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Jeremy Kushnier: I’m really excited to be out here. I think it’s really special. I think the entire cast is out here supporting this really important event and we’re having a really good time in San Francisco.

LA: How do you feel about having to do two shows and the walk today?

JK: I think it’s a great warm-up. How’s that? [laughter]

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

JK: Sad, but we’re excited about Michael coming in and in Jersey Boys it’s never really a “good-bye”; it’s just a “see ya till later.” And so, we’re sad to see him go, but I’m sure we’ll see him again.

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LA: How do you feel about the Jersey Boys coming out here today?

Larry Baker: I’m thrilled and honored that the entire cast is here. Our wardrobe supervisor is here. All three of our stage mangers, our conductor, and his children. And I think it’s important that we all come out to celebrate life. Whether it’s celebrating people that we’ve lost to the disease or celebrating those of us that are here to celebrate them. As well as the work we can do to help other people.

LA: Is there any Jersey Boys’ events that fans can look out for?

LB: There’s a benefit August 5th for the Richmond/Ermet Foundation here in San Francisco that the Four Season guys are going to perform at. And our entire cast is going to perform at it as well.
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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Craig Laurie: I love it. I think that we have such a great company. We’ve formed such a strong bond as a company and so for us to do something like this together, I think really validates that.

LA: How do you feel about having to do two shows and the walk today?

CL: Oh it’s fine because this is such an adrenaline rush being here.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

CL: We’re very sad. He’s a great guy, a great performer, a great friend.

LA: What do you think makes the show so successful?

CL: I think that it is great direction. A great script, great music, of course. And great performers. We have a lot of fun. It’s a really fun story to tell.

LA: How do you feel about the move to Chicago?

CL: I love Chicago, it’s such a great city. We’re really excited. It’ll be a huge opening for us and for the show. We’re definitely pumped to do that. We’ll miss San Francisco but we’re definitely excited for Chicago.

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Jenny Lee Ramos: Well, we’re all really proud to be here and support everyone who’s living with this terrible disease. It’s really great to have our entire cast out here, which I think is the first time ever in history. To raise so much money and to just be a part of it, this is super awesome.

LA: Is it rare to have all of you guys at an event?

JLR: Yeah. Most of the events that are done are mostly the four boys obviously because the show is mostly focused on them. So an opportunity to get our whole cast out just keeps us together as a cohesive unit because the four boys are out in front. But you know they really can’t do it without the girls. [laughter]

LA: How does it feel to be a Jersey Girl?

JLR: Best ever! Jersey Girl through and through. I could not be prouder to be a part of this company. It’s the most gratifying, and humbling at the same time, experience. To stand behind those boys every night when the crowd is screaming for them at the end, you can just feel it coming off of their backs and I just could not be a prouder Jersey Girl.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

JLR: It’s truly the saddest day. Our cast is just so amazing and so talented. Steve is just, of course, brilliant on stage and consistent, sparkly. And off stage he’s even better. Anything you see of him on stage- I’m going to get emotional… We’re really going to miss him. We’re really going to miss him a lot. But we wish him luck and our prayers are with him for the road. We’ll welcome Michael back with open arms.

LA: As a Fun Fact, what’s your favorite scene to play?

JLR: Well, Mangio’s of course, because that gets the ball rolling. But as a non-Mary Delgado scene…Maybe the waitress scene with Lyndsey. It’s pretty fun. We had a rough road, Lyndsey and I, with that scene. Now that we finally got it together I think it’s all paid off. And hello? Back of the car with Drew Gehling. Ladies, am I right? Who wouldn’t want Bob Gaudio unzipping your dress? Right? [laughter] But they’re all great and the opportunity to work with all these guys is super humbly and a blessed experience.

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

Lauren Marshall: I think as a company we’re just really happy to be here. We all know a lot people who has been affected by the virus or have had loved ones affected by the virus. I’m just really happy to be out and supportive. Money going to research, taking care of people, and just (loving) on each other.

LA: How do you feel about having to do two shows and the walk today?

LM: It’s a joy.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

LM: It’s going to be really hard. He’s an amazing, amazing performer. And an amazing guy. He added a lot to our company and we will really, really miss him. I wish him well and he’ll do awesome on tour. I’m really excited for him.

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LA: Do you have any thoughts about the show or today’s event that you could share with the Blog?

John Michael Dias: I think it’s so great that we got as many people as we did from the cast. I think almost everybody is here. So I think it’s cool to see the support. And Larry got us all together. I’m just really proud of the group. I’ve never part of a group of people who were willing to do something like this before two shows. I only have one today, I’m lucky. But I think it’s great that everybody came together to do it. It’s a great cause. It’s really exciting to see everyone pull together.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

JMD: It’s really sad. We’re excited to have Mike come join us. It’s just that we’ve gotten so close. Why couldn’t they just put him in the L.A. company so we wouldn’t get attached? [laughter] It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be great though.

LA: How do you feel about the move to Chicago?

JMD: I’m actually really excited. We just found a place that we’re looking at to live so I’m excited about the shift. San Francisco has been fun but I’ve never been to Chicago. I’ve heard so much about it. I can’t wait to move. It should be exciting.

LA: As a Fun Fact, do you have a favorite part of the show?

JMD: I think my favorite moment is after “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” into “Working My Way Back To You.” It’s one of the moments in the show when you feel like a rock star for a minute. I’ve only had 20 performances so far, so it’s just starting to feel comfortable. It’s cool to grow into it.

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LA: How do you feel about the Jersey Boys coming out here today?

Jonathan Smith: It’s excellent. And I’m so glad I was able to bring my kids too. They get to see what a big issue it is. Hopefully, their generation will learn to make this problem go away.

LA: How do you feel about the move to Chicago?

JS: I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been there. My family’s in New York so it’ll be nice to be a little closer to the east coast. But I’ll miss San Francisco because I’ve just had such a great time and the weather has just been so nice here compared to New York.

LA: How do you feel about Steve leaving today?

JS: Oh, we’re going to miss Steve. He’s a well spring of knowledge about the original production and he’s such a great spirit to have around. So we’re definitely going to miss him.

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I feel honored to have served as a representative for Jersey Boys Blog! My whole day in San Francisco on July 15th was “too good to be true.” Thank you very much to Jersey Boys Blog for giving me the opportunity. I would be privileged to write for this fantastic website again. Immense thanks to the cast and crew of Jersey Boys for a truly wonderful experience! A special thank you to Larry Baker allowing me to cover this event and for being an amazing team leader!

Congratulations to our whole team and its donors! The Jersey Boys Team goal was $25,000…. they raised $28,286!!! You can still contribute to the Jersey Boys Team on the team’s AIDS Walk website through August 10, 2007!