More Thoughts from JLY
June 7th, 2006Gay City News’ David Noh states that if John Lloyd Young doesn’t win the Tony for Jersey Boys, it’ll be the biggest robbery since Judy Garland lost the Oscar for “A Star is Born.†This refreshingly modest major talent, who is already legendary as Frankie Valli, spoke to Noh at the New Dramatists’ lunch, which honored Chita Rivera at the Marriott Marquis on May 18.
About maintaining Valli’s killer falsetto, Young said,
“I found that opening in the winter with a score this difficult was the best thing that could have happened. Fighting the elements, you have to become strong to get past the dry air inside and the cold air outside, and warming up for 40 minutes. But once the first week of spring weather came, it was like a Disney movie with little blue ribbons flying out of my mouth. It became so much easier to sing the show and it felt like spring inside me. But it’s really not a killer, because I had four months to prepare and did it with the best rock teacher, Katie Agresta, who coaches Cyndi Lauper, John Bon Jovi, Annie Lenox, all of these voices who do much more abusive things than early rock ever did. She’s why I’m still here eight months later without ever having to be out for vocal rest. The falsetto is actually an easier place to sing; it’s the high belty stuff near the passaggio which is really hard on the voice.â€
What are Young’s thoughts on his future with Jersey Boys?
…â€But I was ushering at a Broadway show a year before I got this, so to be in a position to be in the show as long as I want is very exciting. I think I’m gonna be with it for a nice long time, either on Broadway or the national tour, and a London production is in the works. It would be nice to open a hit show in a foreign country in the theatre capitol of the world.â€
