J. Robert Spencer–A Broadway Rock Star
August 8th, 2006BroadwayWorld.com’s Eddie Varley and David Kelly talked to Jersey Boys’ star J. Robert Spencer about his journey from an eager kid with a drum set and aspirations of rock super-stardom to a leading role in one of the biggest Broadway smashes of recent years. Here’s a preview of what Bobby told the reporters about Jersey Boys and why it works:
“It works because it’s honest. It goes back to bravery. Tommy [DeVito] and Frankie [Valli] and Bob [Gaudio], just told our writers, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and our director Des McAnuff the stories. There was a lot of ugliness involved, but the only reason this show works is because it not sugar-coated and the audience knows that, it really is real, and it’s raw and it happened and that’s why it works.â€
With all his Broadway success, the reporters asked Spencer if still longs to fulfill his childhood ambition of being a bone fide rock star:
“I started out thinking I was going to be a rock star, because I love music so much, then the rock star thing didn’t work out so then you cut your hair and cruise back into the acting and then all of a sudden you are in this phenomenon and you’re a rock star! But the rock star happens in a completely different way that you thought it was going to. It happened through being an actor in a show about a rock star and all the dreams I had about being one, the fans screaming, the autographs at the door, the car waiting to ride you home, being on an album that’s cruising up the Billboard charts, it’s crazy, it’s so rock star right?â€
“Yeah,†he said with a smile “I’m a Broadway rock star.â€
Bobby rocks!
Comment by joe banner — August 10, 2006 @ 8:11 am