January 7, 2010

Looking Back with the Chicago Four Seasons

January 7th, 2010

By the time the final curtain comes down Sunday on JERSEY BOYS, the show will have played for 951 performances since the first performance on Oct. 5, 2007. The Chicago Sun-Times asked the current cast to look back on the show and reflect on their respective tenures as one of Chicago’s Four Seasons:

JOHN MICHAEL DIAS (“Frankie Valli” matinees since show’s opening):
“I’m gonna miss the people of Chicago, and my castmates. It’s been an extraordinary group of people to work with. As for the music, it’s been amazing to borrow their star for a little while and feel what it’s like to be a rock star.”

MICHAEL CUNIO (“Tommy DeVito” since April 2009):
“The biggest thing I will take with me from this show is the relationships that all of us have formed as friends. As for the music, this was a very different genre for me because I’m all about heavy metal. Because the melodies are so catchy it’s easy to overlook how great the lyrics are. But just listen to them and the kinds of stories the lyrics tell. It’s easy to relate to the story of the Seasons: songs about working-class people and working-class situations.”

MICHAEL INGERSOLL (“Nick Massi” since show’s opening):
“There are just a few big, blockbuster musicals that come along, and this is one of them. Having been through this experience . . . [laughing] I don’t know what I can do next in traditional musical theater that will trump this. The music? It’s now the soundtrack to one of the most incredibly exciting and loving times of my life. The music is indelibly in my mind because of the incredible people I’ve met on this project.”

DOMINIC SCAGLIONE JR. (“Frankie Valli” since April 2009):
“The biggest thing I will take away from the show is playing this iconic figure and the unpredictability of the role every night. I’m from Jersey, so I know what it’s like to have those friends, to count on your buddies. As for the music, I still feel excited about every song. Most people don’t realize the depth of the Seasons’ catalog. To be able to sing them is something I will treasure always.”

SHONN WILEY (“Bob Gaudio” since January 2009):
“Very rarely do you get an opportunity like this as an actor. The one big thing I learned from working on this show is definitely how to make it fresh every night and keep it consistent. And I have made incredible friends, especially all the guys who are the Seasons. The music? Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe didn’t just write catchy tunes, they were tunes that would stick in people’s heads for all the right reasons.”

2 Comments »

  1. Any word on whether Dominic or John Michael will play Frankie in the finale on Sunday?

    Comment by Big Fols — January 8, 2010 @ 11:26 am

  2. Dominic.

    Comment by Leanna — January 8, 2010 @ 11:27 pm

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