December 30, 2009

Broadway.com Catches Up With Jarrod Spector!

December 30th, 2009

Jarrod Spector
(Photo Credit: Joan Marcus)

Now in his fourth year as Frankie Valli—a year in San Francisco, a year in Chicago, 15 months and counting at the August Wilson Theatre—Jarrod Spector is an audience favorite who’s been center-stage since he was six years old. Broadway.com caught up with him in the midst of a hectic holiday performance schedule.

Here’s a sneak peek of Jarrod’s fabulous interview:

Q: We’ve heard you have to maintain a monk-like existence to play Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys.

Jarrod: I have all these rules that I live by in order to do my job effectively. I can’t drink except on my day off; I can’t have caffeine because it dries me out. I have to eat after the show and stay up for a few hours so I don’t have acid reflux. But you get to the point where you don’t really think about it. I used to drink with the best of them, but once you stop, you don’t miss it if that’s what the show requires.

Q: Is it true that you pull your tongue before every performance?

Jarrod: Yeah, part of the warm-up vocal exercises that all the Frankies are required to do include pulling on your tongue. At this point, I don’t care [where I do it]. During that big snowstorm [before Christmas], the car service couldn’t pick me up, so I took the subway, and I was standing in the corner of the subway car pulling on my tongue. That’s just how it’s gotta be!

Q: How long will you stay in Jersey Boys?

Jarrod: My contract runs through April [2010], and then October if I so choose. At the end of this contract, it will have been four years, which is a long time. Physically, I feel fine, and I always want to put my best work out there. I’ll stay as long as I feel inspired every night.

Visit Broadway.com to read the entire interview with Jarrod and to check out great video coverage of him rehearsing for the Muscular Dystrophy telethon back in 1988.

1 Comment »

  1. I hope he stays until October, he is my favorite Frankie Valli, and I’ve been promised to see Jersey Boys this summer and I would love to see him again! I saw him in Chicago and he was absolutley amazing!

    Comment by TLM — February 4, 2010 @ 10:12 pm

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