Philly Was a ‘Wow’ Opening Night for Bob Gaudio!
December 27th, 2011Mike Morsch has a great interview with original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio, who reflects on the JERSEY BOYS second national tour in Philadelphia, “Frankie Camp,” the handshake deal with Frankie Valli, and more. Below is a sneak peek:
Gaudio couldn’t be happier with how “Jersey Boys†is being received in Philly its second time around. The cast is led by Philadelphia native Brandon Andrus (as Nick Massi), Colby Foytik (as Tommy DeVito), Jason Kappus (as Bob Gaudio) and Brad Weinstock (as Frankie Valli).
“I was there on opening night [at the Forrest] and I was there for three or four days of previews beforehand,†said Gaudio in a recent telephone interview from his home in Nashville, Tenn. “The cast is magnificent. I was stunned with opening night, quite frankly. It was a ‘Wow!†opening night for me personally.â€
The continued success of the production has made casting the four lead roles — where performers have to be a “triple threat†(actor-singer-musician) according to Gaudio — has gotten a little bit easier over the years because there is now something he calls a “Frankie Camp†for Jersey boy hopefuls.
“We have a training school. It’s like going to Triple A baseball. You go to the farm team, you get through it and if you’re really good you come out of it and go the Major Leagues,†said Gaudio. “We get young kids — and getting younger it seems — coming out of college as music majors or theater majors and they’re raring to go and they have a lot of potential. So they go to school for six weeks. We then test them out, and if it works, they usually are with us for a long time.â€
Speaking of long times, one of the more memorable aspects of the Four Seasons’ story — and of the stage production — is the partnership between Valli and Gaudio that dates back more than 40 years and has survived to this day — based solely on a handshake.
It’s the stuff of Hollywood legends.
“It’s actually been used in a number of law schools as an example of what could be if only we could make things simpler,†said Gaudio. “It works. I’ve often said that if we put it on paper, it won’t work anymore. What can I say?
Visit MontomergyNews.com to read the entire interview.
Wow,simply the best show I’ve seen in Phila or New York…Still getting chills from the songs, the back story, the seamless and inspiring stage production, the actors/dancers/singers..now listening to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons on Spotify….
Comment by Kathleen — January 1, 2012 @ 1:08 pm