The Update - Part 2

Week of June 8 - 15: Bittersweet

The second week back from vacation was looking just as busy as the first, so I kicked it off right by working on my day off. Smart, huh? Well, when you love your job, and people want you to perform, it's hard to say no. So, Monday night Michael, Quinn, Grant Tilly (subbing for Jeremy) and I sang our 'Guy's Guy Movie Medley' at a Gala for the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School at the Al Green Theatre in Toronto. I also sang a solo number from my CD 'TAKING THE WHEEL', entitled "What Is It About Her?". It was a fun night for a good cause, but ultimately a bit tiring.

Tuesday morning I did an interview by the Oakville Beaver newspaper. I think it'll hit Oakville's doorsteps in a couple days. Check their website in a couple days to see if they have it up online. Click here.

Wednesday morning brought us a rare opportunity - to do a feature on TV's popular infotainment show, "E-TALK". The idea for this came after all four of us - Jeremy, Michael, Quinn and I - were nominated for a Dora Award. They figured we'd all be going to the Gala together, and would want to look the part, kind of like a modern Rat-Pack. We met at Harry Rosen's flagship store in Yorkville, and their designers helped pick out stylish duds for us to wear. They filmed us the whole time, walking in, shopping around, trying stuff on, goofing off, and generally making asses of ourselves. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait to see the segment, if only to see what they bleeped out. It will be on TV in a couple days time - double check your local listings, but here's what I think will happen - Our segment will air on CTV Thursday, June 25th, 7pm EST; and again Friday, June 26th at 1pm EST; it will also air on STAR a couple more times. Don't miss it!

Thursday and Friday afternoons were again spent rehearsing with Dan. It's exciting to see him get more comfortable in the role. But again, it's really difficult doing the show with two different 'Tommys'. His character drives a great deal of Act 1, and most of what our characters do is in reaction to him. And, making it worse, we were all getting a bit emotional, knowing that we'd be saying good-bye to Jeremy.

Jeremy's last show was Sunday June 14th, and it was a roller-coaster ride. Emotions were running high - first, we were exhausted from a couple brutal weeks of non-stop work, second, we were losing our leader, the guy who set the bar for us all in rehearsal (since he has already done the part for over a year), and third, the show never felt so real, with exact lines of dialogue replicating what we were going through. It was trippy, really. Several times during the show I got choked up, as did the other guys. It turned out to be an incredible show for the audience, because everyone was so raw. Jeremy was given a well-deserved extra bow in the curtain call, and he welled up in front of 1500 cheering people. Oh what a night, indeed.

After the show, we had a party to say goodbye, but also to celebrate completing six full months of shows! There were speeches, free food and drinks and even an enormous cake designed to look like the front of the playbill. But it was bittersweet to be sure (the moment, not the cake). Jeremy will be missed, and we will carry on with Dan, hopefully for a long time to come.


Week of June 16 - 23: Another Astonishing Addition

Tuesday morning started off with an interview with a reporter from the Halifax Chronicle-Herald newspaper. I lived in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia for five years growing up, and had many great memories of living there. In fact, my first job was delivering that very newspaper. And I started playing trumpet and joined my first bands in school there. If you're interested in checking out the article, click HERE.

Tuesday night was Dan's first show! It was great. We knew he'd be great after rehearsing with him so much, and he hardly let us down - he knocked it out of the park! We had a big house that night, and they cheered him loudly throughout. I'm sure most of them didn't know it was his first show, either. We celebrated our new cast member in style with some Italian champagne after the show, but kept it an early night because Wednesday's two shows were looming.

Another rather big piece of news is the addition of Alison Smyth to our company, doing 'Francine' track. Alison is replacing the lovely Lindsay Thomas in the role while Lindsay attends to some personal matters. She will certainly be missed at the theatre.

Alison had the unenviable position to learn the entire track in about a week. You've gotta understand, her track is probably the most technical of them all - for example she has 13 costume changes in Act 1 alone, often rushing on with some piece of furniture and as a new character. She sings the lead in "My Boyfriend's Back", and to top it all off, she has to play my mother, my girlfriend, and my daughter. Now if that doesn't break you up when you go to bed tonight, nothing will.

So, there we were, back at rehearsal Thursday and Friday. And, Alison did so great, they decided to put her into the show right away Friday night! Of course, she did amazing. You'd never have known that 10 prior she was signing her contract. And of course, to celebrate Alison joining our company, more Italian champagne was poured.

Something else cool happened this week - we had three sold-out shows! And, Friday night we sold the most tickets to any performance of JERSEY BOYS ever in Toronto, including the Touring production. Ticket sales have really picked up lately. No one really knows why - the great word of mouth, the 7 DORA nominations, the onset of Summer, all the Publicity, Father's Day - but it's a sign, Tommy. Here's hoping we rock through the summer selling out every night, and run this fantastic show for a long, long time.

Oh, and before I go, I thought I'd mention that we're performing at the CHIN picnic on Canada Day. Details will be figured out later, but if you're around and you're interested, check it out. And, the DORA awards will be handed out next Monday night, June 29th. Cross you fingers, everybody.

The Update - Part 1

Uh, yeah, sorry. I haven't written in a while. You see, I've been a little busy with work. After reading on, you'll understand why. This blog post is Part-1 in an attempt to get you caught up with my ridiculously busy schedule for the past four weeks.

My Vacation Week, May 25 - 31: SICK HAPPENS

Life is funny. You plan months in advance, you think you are in control. Uh, not so much. Although my wife and I had our trip to Cuba all planned out, our bags packed and waiting at the door, we apparently forgot to tell 15-month-old Emily not to get a fever. Sick happens, I guess.

With only 12 hours to go before we were to leave for the airport, her fever and symptoms were bad enough to make us very uneasy about getting on a long plane ride to a communist country with temperatures nearing 100F. I couldn't believe our luck. I had been looking forward to this week of fun and pampering for such a long time. Needless to say, we cancelled the trip. Honestly, I was crushed. On the plus side, we learned that Cancellation Insurance was made for families with young children. We'll get all our dough back, he says crossing his fingers.

So, after a few days at home managing the colds things settled down a bit - yes, that's colds, plural, because of course, Sydney got the bug two days later. I salvaged some vacation time by hopping on a plane with my Dad Phil bound for Las Vegas. We found a great last minute deal to stay at the Palazzo Hotel right on the strip, which just happens to be where JERSEY BOYS is playing. So of course, we went to see the show! How could I not? Here's a pic of me and the "Vegas Four Seasons" backstage after the show.

I did feel a bit out of place sitting in the audience though. I think I prefer to be up onstage! The show was great - if a bit shorter. They cut out lines of dialogue throughout the show and shortened the intermission to eight minutes, so the audience could get back onto the Casino floor faster, I guess. But it didn't seem to matter - the crowd reacted almost identically to our crowds here in Toronto, which is the goal, I think. A hit is a hit, wherever you go!

The rest of our time was spent trying to stay out of the casinos. We hung out around the beautiful pools relaxing, we played a nice round of golf, and saw the Cirque du Soleil show 'O' from the second row - which was absolutely mind-blowing. All in all, it was a nice - if short - vacation.



Week of June 1 - 7: DORAS AND TONYS AND FRANKIES, OH MY!

My first week back from vacation was a doozie. (There's a word for you - God, how old am I?) Talk about being jolted back into the swing of things. First thing Tuesday morning, a did an interview with the Etobicoke Guardian newspaper. Check it out HERE.

Then later in the week I did a live radio interview on The Fan 590 AM. Check that out HERE. My interview should appear at the top of the list - June 7. If that doesn't work click on Audio Archives on the left, and look for my name.

And, no, I didn't forget how to do the show Tuesday night after the week off - in case you were wondering, it went great!

First thing Wednesday morning, Jeremy, Michael, Quinn and I were invited to announce the 2008-09 DORA Nominations at a press conference at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in downtown Toronto. (Get the tie-in there? The 'Four Seasons' at the Four Seasons. Sorry to be so obvious for pointing that out!) Anyway, much to our pleasure, JERSEY BOYS was nominated for seven DORA awards, and surprise surprise, all four of us were nominated in the same catagory - for Best Performance in a Musical!

It feels really amazing being nominated for this DORA award. But, I have to say, I'm over the moon about having all four guys nominated. And, the absolute capper is having the show be nominated for Best Musical. Man, I hope we win that one. And actually, there is one big award that you can all help us win. There is an Audience Choice Award for Best Show, but there's only a day or two left to vote. Please help us win by going to this site and vote for JERSEY BOYS. CLICK HERE TO VOTE.

Thursday and Friday afternoon we had rehearsals with our new 'Tommy Devito', Daniel Robert Sullivan. Dan had been rehearsing the show with the National Tour for the past couple weeks, and now he has joined us. Dan has replaced Jeremy Kushnier, who has left the show to move back to New York with his very pregnant wife Jenny Lee Stern who played 'Mary Delgado' here in Toronto for four-plus months. They want to settle in to their new house before baby makes her appearance later this summer. So, it's been a bit weird - rehearsing with one 'Tommy' in the afternoon, then doing the show with the other 'Tommy' at night. But, that's show biz.

After Sunday's matinee, Michael, Quinn and I took Jeremy out for a 'Big Man In Town' Night, Jersey-style, in honour of his leaving and to say thanks for being such an incredible cast member. We rented a limo for the night, and started the night off in style, having dinner overlooking the beautiful skyline atop the CN Tower. Then it was a seemingly endless series of drinks at various nightspots around the town, the names of which I seem to escape me for some odd reason. What I do remember though, is that it was an epic night of great meaning to me and the guys. I wish we all could hang on to that feeling forever.

Jeremy's 'BMIT' Night also happened to coincide with a little event called the Tony Awards in New York City. Some of you may have heard a bit of juicy gossip about my potential involvement in a live performance onstage at said Tonys. And some more of you may have watched the Tonys, heard them say something like "... the Frankie from Toronto, ..." only to see five other guys sing.

Let me set the record straight. It's all very simple. The Tony Awards broadcast decided to give JERSEY BOYS a 2-minute performance slot for having such great success beyond Broadway. The producers of JB decided after much deliberation to do a medley of "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" and "Oh, What A Night", and feature the five 'Frankies' from the five North American companies of Jersey Boys currently playing. Which meant that I was to be a part of the live televised event. Only, being a Canadian citizen, I can only work in the United States if I have a working VISA and join the American Actors Union(s). Unfortunately, there was not sufficient time to get me the legal paperwork before the Tonys. End of story.

I was actually spared a lot of heartache, because I was only informed of all this after the final (negative) decision was made by the American Government agency. Which was a blessing. Since I didn't know it might have happened, I couldn't get all excited about the prospect. But, of course, I was disappointed to miss out on this potentially amazing opportunity. I mean, who wouldn't want to go sing a great song on live TV in front of millions of people at the Tonys - not to mention meeting celebrities, party-hopping, and hanging with Liza?

The way I look at it is this: The producers really wanted me to be a part of this event. They chose to go ahead with this event with me in mind as one of the 'Frankies'. That makes me feel really good. And, after my involvement fell through, the news was respectfully broken to me in the most professional and gentle manner by several key members of the JERSEY BOYS family, which made all the difference to me. Look, I believe that all things happen for a reason, even if the reason isn't obvious at first. It'll reveal itself to me at another time. I still have a fantastic job, and get to perform in front of tons of screaming fans every night. Talk about "Too Good To Be True". I'm living that dream. It's all good.

Preparing to Sit Down

Things have been going great with life and with work. Crowds are coming to Jersey Boys in growing numbers over the last few weeks, no doubt due to the nicer weather and the great word of mouth. I met a couple the other day who flew in from Ottawa just to see the show because they heard such great things about it. That’s awesome. Live far away? Think about coming to Toronto for a night or two, and check out Jersey Boys while you can.

Things sure have been busy, though. (Surprise surprise.) Aside from the rigors of doing the show every night, our Publicity stuff has really taken off. All the preparations have really paid off. We're starting to get more National press, and even some cred on Broadway websites and blogs, which is really great.

And my family and I have been preparing busily for our big trip to CUBA! We leave this Monday morning. I’m so looking forward to having a week off, and getting completely away from the routine, hitting the beach, and letting someone else take care of me for a week. The show is in great hands with me gone, so I have nothing to worry about but relaxing! I'll be back in the show Tuesday June 2nd.

Here’s a run-down of some of the recent goings on in Jersey Boys Toronto land.

Expose Entertainment Magazine
Expose Entertainment Magazine did a photo-shoot and interview of our ‘Four Seasons’, Jeremy, Michael, Quinn and I. It was in a fun, hip, urban studio downtown, and they dressed us up in cool contemporary clothes, a nice change from our show duds. I’ll let you know when it hits the presses. Should be really cool.

Cosmo TV
Cosmo TV, a new digital TV channel offshoot from that old supermarket standby Cosmopolitan Magazine, also did an interview with the four of us. It was for their show Oh So Cosmo, Cosmo TV’s new half-hour magazine-style TV show (‘We offer fun, fearless females entertaining stories and segments celebrating the lifestyle of hip, urban women. Hosted by Josie Dye, our sexy, irreverent Cosmo girl, Oh So Cosmo explores style, men, sex and relationships with a healthy dose of fun and style’, says their website.) If anyone sees this, let me know. I'll try to find out when it will hit the air.

OMNI TV
OMNI TV is now running an interview/commercial with the Four of us. Lucy Zilio is the host, associate producer and writer of the informative and entertaining "Tuned In" segments seen weeknights during various shows on OMNI Television and City TV. She is described as “one of the most upbeat, energetic and entertaining personalities on the TV scene”. That’s an understatement. If you’ve seen it, let me know what you think – I haven’t yet.

www.broadwayworld.com
Writer Kelly Cameron interviewed ‘Toronto’s Four Seasons’ recently after a show for BroadwayWorld.com. The interview is quite extensive, and gives background info on each of our unique audition process before being selected to the show. It's a fun read. Check out the link. Exclusive Interview

Sports Night
Kelly also covered some other events we did, including our ‘Sports Night’. Dancap organized a series of events with a sports theme, and invited several members of the media and Toronto’s sports teams to the show one night. It was a hit, and you can see several photos of the event.

The absolute highlight for me was going to a Blue Jays game with my Dad on his birthday, being down on the field during batting practice, and meeting Baltimore Oriole starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie and Blue Jay Kevin Millar. We chatted before the game, and Guthrie gave me a signed baseball, while Millar gave me his batting practice bat! Later that night, they came to see us perform in Jersey Boys, and then they hung out with our cast for almost an hour chatting about music and sports. It was a day I’ll not soon forget. The article and interviews are at this link. Sports Night Interview and Pics

The Sports night pics are also featuring on the popular Jersey Boys Blog, too. Check them out there if you like. Jersey Boys Blog


Globe and Mail Car Interview
My Globe and Mail Car interview finally appeared in the newspaper this past Thursday. It turned out really good, I think. The picture is cool, the article is easy to read and fun. Check it out. Me and My Car Interview


Canadian Living Magazine
Our Canadian Living Magazine spread has finally hit the newsstands, too. It’s in the June, 2009 issue with a big juicy BBQ back-rib on the cover. Yummm. We’re on pages 52-54, looking all buffed and shiny and new. There’s also a brief editorial on page 8 that talks about Jersey Boys. Pick the magazine up next time you’re out and about. It’s worth it for the great recipes alone!

Movie Medley a Hit
We were lucky enough to take part in a great fundraiser concert for Barrie’s Theatre By The Bay a few weeks back. Quinn, Michael, myself and Grant Tilly subbing for Jeremy performed (for the first time) a ‘Guy’s Guy’ medley of Movie Theme songs, arranged in the Jersey Boys style. We brought the house down. The number ended the first act with a bang – literally, as Quinn cracked his mic stand hard by mistake on the final move of the song. The crowd didn’t mind one bit, and they leapt to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation.

We look forward to doing the number again at another GALA coming up in June. It is a fundraising gala for the Paul Penna Downtown Jewish Day School. The Gala raises funds which go entirely to funding subsidies so that no child is turned away from getting a Jewish education. The school happens to have lots of parents who work in the arts in some capacity (directors, producers, music executives, sound engineers, actors) and because of this, they are able to put together an annual variety show of the highest caliber. Past performers include Tony Award Winner Bob Martin (Drowsy Chaperone), Colm Wilkinson, Sean Cullen, Molly Johnson, Amy Sky and Jackie Richardson. This year we have secured Kristin Thompson, Ted Dykstra, Melanie Doane, Richard Greenblatt, Natalie Reznik and Miles Faber (finalists from SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA) and Toronto’s Jersey Boys. The Gala is held at the intimate Al Green Theatre (Bloor/Spadina) on Monday June 8, 2009 for an audience of about 350 people.

VACATION!!!!
And now, I leave you for a week. I’ll be back, refreshed and tanned, rearing and ready to go for another long run of Jersey Boys. I'll fill you in on the pool-side fun, share a few pics, and tell you about some cool Jersey Boys stuff happening on the TONY Awards TV Broadcast Sunday June 7. Until then, keep on Taking the Wheel, everybody.

MY NATIONAL POST DIARIES

Most of you already know that I wrote five diaries for the National Post newspaper. They ran last week in the Arts and Minds section in a somewhat edited fashion. I've decided to run them here, too. This is what I wrote, word for word. I'd love to hear your comments.

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1) MONDAY'S POST - MY INTRODUCTION

How does a Human Biology Major wind up playing ‘Frankie Valli’ in JERSEY BOYS?

Naturally.

I’ve loved music ever since I was a kid. I started piano lessons at age seven and trumpet lessons at 10. I can't remember when I started singing, but I sang in lots of choirs (boy soprano, at that!). I come from a musical family – siblings, parents, aunts, and grandparents - so it always felt normal to play music. Most were amateur and did it for fun. I admire that.

I also loved science and math, and did really well in school. So, I figured I'd follow the family fold and get a 'real' job while playing music on the side for fun.

I dabbled in theatre and continued to play in bands while getting migraines finishing my degree at U of T. By third year, I still couldn't figure out what I wanted to be. So, I quit the arts entirely to focus on my studies and find my career path.

The migraines got worse. Something wasn't right. I wasn't happy anymore. It wasn't just the responsibilities of ‘growing up’; it was Nature trying to tell me something. I wasn't being true to what was in my heart.

2.5 credits away from my degree, and I decide to take acting classes, dance classes, and singing lessons. Something clicked. I ‘found’ my career path. I finished my degree, but I've been following my dreams ever since, and it's been a pretty darn good ride.

And you know what, being an artist IS a 'real' job. It takes dedication, years of hard work, training, and honing your craft. And, it has real value - yes, to the economy - but more importantly, to the soul. What we do moves people, makes them feel, think, question life and their place in it. I admire that, too.

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2) TUESDAY'S POST - CHILDREN

The biggest challenge I face right now is balancing the demands of being a father with the demands of playing ‘Frankie Valli’ in JERSEY BOYS.

This past week was a rough one for me. My eldest daughter Sydney caught the flu, and being 2.5 yrs old, meant that she needed around the clock care. Which makes it difficult for my wife and I, because her one-year-old sister Emily also needs around the clock care.

As any parents of young children will tell you, even with healthy kids it's a struggle just to function. When they're sick, it can be a nightmare. Schedules go out the window, and you get by on ‘survival mode’.

I've discovered (the hard way) that I need at least six hours of sleep and a light physical and vocal warm-up mid-day to perform optimally. If not, doing the show is like running up a mountain for 2.5 hours.

My wife Christine is incredibly understanding and supportive of my needs, and I try to be as helpful as I can. She is an incredible woman, and an amazing mother. I'm a really lucky guy. I've got a great family and a great job. What else could I ask for?


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3) WEDNESDAY'S POST - THE DAY OFF

This past day off was great. By 9:30am my girls and I are downstairs 'rolling some balls' in our condo’s Billiard Room, checking the mail, and watching Kids’ shows on the Party Room TV.

By 11am I'm feeding Emily lunch when Sydney, naked from the waist down, proudly walks into the room carrying wet socks. "Daddy, have to put in washing machine," she exclaims. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

Between 11-1pm I get each kid some lunch and Emily down for her nap. This gives me a chance to check my email, confirm two interviews, and download two songs I’m learning for an upcoming concert.

1:30pm Christine comes home and I’m off to do groceries. 3:30pm brings more phone calls to set-up rehearsals, interviews and photo-shoots. 5pm is dinnertime for the kids, and packing for our big trip... to a Hotel!

6pm Take the kids for a swim. 7pm Bath time for the kids while we wait for Room Service to arrive. 7:30pm Scarf down our eats while keeping the kids from destroying the room. 8pm Take the kids home, get them to sleep. 9pm Babysitter arrives, and we're free! It’s been five weeks since our last real date.

Back at the Hotel, we open some mini-bar wine and unashamedly enjoy finishing off our cold room service dinners. And try not to fall asleep!

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4) THURSDAY'S POST - WHO AM I?

I've gotten lots of great comments from people who've seen JERSEY BOYS. Things like, "That role is perfect for you", or "You were born to play that part". I take these comments as they were intended, as a compliment.

But, what about the other roles I’ve played. Does this discount my work in those shows? Was my creative vision less fulfilled?

And further, actors rarely get the chance to create something original. The parts we play came out of somebody else's mind first. It seems to me, if you write - novels, music, plays, and screenplays - you are truly creating.

Last year I released a CD called "Taking the Wheel". Although I wrote none of the songs, I still felt as though I was creating something unique. I chose the songs, arrangers, musicians, style etc. But, is someone who merely interprets the work of others still creating?

Who, then, is Jeff Madden, as an artist? Am I a combination of all the parts I play, the songs I sing? I wonder if I’ll ever know.

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5) FRIDAY'S POST - WHY I LOVE MY JOB

Last night was a great show. Everybody was connected, the pacing was crisp, and the crowd was awesome. JERSEY BOYS plays great to a subdued and quiet crowd, but when a energetic, near-capacity crowd is digging it, laughing loudly, cheering wildly and going with us on the ride, it's an unbelievable feeling.

It's funny, though, sometimes ‘you never can tell’ (props to Mr. Shaw). Before the show, I wasn't feeling confident about how it might go for me personally. I hadn't had much sleep, and rushed my preparations before the curtain. Playing ‘Frankie Valli’ is an incredibly demanding role vocally, both singing and speaking. And then there’s the splits.

But, I nailed it last night. One of my best shows ever. The crazy falsetto stuff flew out of my mouth like I was ordering dinner. The chesty rocking stuff was strong and clear. I was emotionally connected every moment.

I tell you, there's nothing like it, when you know you're doing your best work.

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COMMENT below, and let's keep the conversation going.

MY PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Hi Folks,

Don't know if this deserves a blog post all to itself or not, but what the heck...

I just wanted you all to know, in case you're considering buying tickets in advance to come see JERSEY BOYS: My Week Off is fast approaching.

I AM GOING ON VACATION THE LAST WEEK OF MAY!

(Not sure where yet, but I'll fill you in later.)

Therefore, I will not be performing the week of May 25-31st.

Cheers,

Jeff