May 21, 2010

Bob Gaudio & Peter Saide Reflect on Jersey Boys!

May 21st, 2010

JB Vegas 2nd Anniversary On Stage
Travis Cloer, Deven May, Rick Faugno, Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Peter Saide and Jeff Leibow (Photo Credit: Erik Kabik/ Retna Digital)

Caroline Fontein from the Lights Vegas Action blog has a great interview with original Four Seasons genius Bob Gaudio, and the actor who plays him in JERSEY BOYS Vegas, Peter Saide. Here’s a preview to the interview:

Some people have scrap books or photo albums as a time stamp for their memories, but not Bob Gaudio. He gets to watch part of his life played out in the large-scale musical production Jersey Boys.

“To see the show in Vegas in a fantastic theater is really a big thrill. As the show states we’ve had our ups and downs so this is a big up,” said Gaudio.

People who watch the show may be surprised to find how many hits songs are the result of Gaudio’s ability as a songwriter. Aside from the Four Seasons he also worked with many other famous names in music including Neil Diamond, Michael Jackson and Barry Manilow. In 1995 he was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Yet, with all this under his belt he says that there’s no magic ingredient for creating hit music other than just being yourself and doing what you like.

“When we were making records… We just did what we felt good about, what turned us on. Fortunately 40, 50 years later here it’s still turning people on. I can’t tell you I’m playing [those songs] every night but it’s nice to know someone’s listening,” said Gaudio.

And people are listening – just ask Australian Peter Saide who performs as Gaudio in the Vegas production of “Jersey Boys.” Before this he performed internationally but had yet to make his U.S. debut until now.

“In Australia when I was growing up all of this music was there, and it’s just amazing to me to be playing someone who was integral in the creation of a new style of music at that time. Bob created what we now know as a power ballad or a torch song. He created that with ‘Can’t take my Eyes Off You.’ He did all of these things and for someone who was not enormously well known in the public before this show he achieved, has achieved and continues to achieve so much, and it’s endlessly interesting to me to be learning about this guy,” said Saide.

Visit Vegas.Blog.com to read the full interview.

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