“Hi. I’m Frankie Valli. I have bronchitis. Nice to meet you. No, I won’t be doing the show tonight. You wouldn’t want to hear ‘Pop Hits Sung By Wild Dogs’, would you? Didn’t think so. I’ll be home “resting”, with my 2-year old Sydney and her ear infection, my 10-month old Emily and her fever of 102F, and my wife Christine who had somehow managed to keep illness at bay – for now.”
This past week has been, well, "such a god-damnned rollercoaster". I came down with a nasty upper-respiratory infection and was out of the show Tuesday through Friday. To those of you who bought tickets hoping to see me - including some of my good friends - I apologize with all my heart. It really tears me up, letting you all down like that.
SOME CONTEXT, PLEASE
OK – here’s some context. This has been one of the coldest, harshest winters I can remember here in Toronto. We started rehearsing like mad November 1st, and really didn’t let up until just a week or two ago, after the “Media Opening”. In that time, we have had lots of bugs rip through the company – mostly colds, but some sinus and bronchial infections too. Lots of people worked through it (bringing the bug in to work to share with everybody), and some called in sick. I mean, everyone I talked to - family, friends, their colleagues at work – everyone has been sick with something.
Well, "Jersey Boys - Toronto" was no exception. Last week, Bryan Hindle, our Joe Pesci ("yeah, that Joe Pesci") was out the whole week with bronchitis. Then, last Saturday night, Jeremy Kushnier (our incredible Tommy Devito) was starting to come down with something. And after the show, I noticed some unusual tightness in my upper chest – the intercostal muscles, the ones between the ribs. I did the show Sunday, and with the exception of a note or two, I was very happy with it. We had a couple drinks after the show, as is our Sunday tradition, and I went home.
Monday afternoon, I was sitting on the floor playing blocks with the kids, and when I stood up I saw stars. Right there, I knew something wasn’t right. I started slamming back the vitamin C and zinc lozenges, along with a double dose of denial. “I’m not sick, I’m Frankie Valli. I can sing really high. I don’t get sick.” Whatever…
TUESDAY
Tuesday I began my regular pre-show warm-up routine (the subject of another blog post, I think) by riding an exercise bike for 15 minutes and vocalizing for 15 minutes. I quickly followed that with 10 minutes of panicking. My voice was not responding. The falsetto was fine, the chest voice was fine, but it was like everything in the middle was out of place.
I called my Stage Manager Cindy to inform her of the situation, and we set up a music rehearsal with our conductor Liz Baird for 6:30pm. Jeremy had already called out, his illness in full force. Grant Tilly, one of our awesome Swings (yes, the guy who filled in as Bob Gaudio for two weeks) would be in as Tommy for his first time ever.
Denial in full force, I got in the car and drove to work early. But, as I continued to warm up there, certain notes just could not be relied upon. Specifically, it was the top notes of my chest voice – F#, G, G#, A - that were uncharacteristically weak. I had good energy, and at the time I felt I could have gone on. Sick or not, I really wanted to do the show. But, Cindy and Liz asked me not to do the show, in hopes that I’d recover over night and be back strong Wednesday. After some discussion, I reluctantly agreed. My awesome alternate, Adrian Marchuk, would go on in my place.
Looking back at it now, I know they were absolutely right. If the role wasn’t so god-damned impossibly freakin’ hard to sing, it wouldn’t be a big deal – you could just get out there and work through it. We’ve all had colds and had to do a show – it’s no big deal, you just proceed carefully, you pace yourself through your scenes and songs and Bob’s your Uncle. Well, that ain’t gonna cut it here.
You see, those four weakened notes are needed throughout the show, but especially during the middle of Act 2. In the span of about 20 minutes, I have to sing all of the following songs, which rely heavily on those four notes: “Beggin’”, “Let’s Hang On”, “Bye Bye Baby”, “MaryAnne”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, “Workin’ My Way Back To You”. And to make matters worse, this is when Frankie begins to narrate the show. With all those monologues and scenes between those songs, there’s no time to rest the voice, no time to even run off-stage for water.
Looking back, had I gone on, the potential for disaster was actually quite high. But, at the time, I was pissed. No, not at Cindy and Liz. Just pissed - at myself maybe, for getting sick in the first place. Stupid, I know. We’re human. We all get sick. But, I love doing this show so much, I … I actually can not describe the joy it brings me. Yet, there I was, packing up and going home at 7pm on a show night, just as my cast-mates were showing up to work. I quickly raced out, knowing that if I had to explain myself, I would blow my cool. I wanted to keep the tears at bay, just below the surface.
WEDNESDAY
So, Wednesday comes. Back in to the show, right? Hardly. I’m way worse. This thing is coming, not going. OK – denial is done. Time to get serious. I get me to a walk-in clinic, and take me some drugs. And I get some great help from a couple of friends whom I rely upon for support… Katie Agresta, my vocal instructor and general Guru (she coaches all the Frankie’s in all the Jersey Boys companies) and Joesph Leo Bwarie, the Frankie from the US Tour. They've both been there before, and were able to offer lots of practical advice to help my voice recover as fast as possible so that I can get back into the show.
On top of the vitamin C, zinc lozenges, Cold FX, and chicken soup, Katie and Joseph gave me a list of Homeopathic tinctures, specific herbs, fruits and vegetables, and homemade teas to get me back to normal. And Katie also gave me a series of vocal exercises to help get the lymphatic system draining. But, most of all, they gave me emotional support. All the Frankie’s have had to deal with this at one point or another. They told me it was not the end of the world to miss some shows.
PROVOCATIVE BLANKET STATEMENT
The role of Frankie Valli may be the single hardest role in musical theatre to sing. (This would make a great debate, actually – yet another blog post?). Katie says to me, ‘Name me another role where someone has to sing 25 songs? 25 Pop-Rock songs? In that crazy range. Fahgittabowdit.’ (OK – I don't think she said 'fahgittabowdit' – I just wanted you all to get that she's from New York.)
Now, I’m not saying this to toot my own horn – believe me. I think it’s just a fact of nature. Either you have the type of voice and the technical skill to constantly manouver from a low C to a soprano F – sometimes in the space of two bars of music – or you don’t. In order for me to sing this role, I know I need to be virtually 100%, plain and simple.
THURSDAY
Thursday comes. I’m still not better. Getting the rest I need at home is proving almost impossible. To make matter’s worse, a trip to the doctor reveals that Sydney’s bad cold has become an ear infection. Oh, and Emily has now started running a fever. Hoo-ray! Our entire condo is a cesspool of microorganisms. It never ends! This is me, folks, resting. Right...
FRIDAY
Friday morning. I’m actually starting to feel almost normal. I think, “OK – I’m Back!” I’m all excited for my voice lesson with Katie, and within 30 seconds she says, “Oh well, not today”. WTF? After a few more minutes of vocalizing, I stop rationalizing and start to hear what it is she's hearing. She’s right. I’m basically back to where I was Tuesday night – sounding good except for those three or four shaky money notes. At least it’s progress. Maybe tomorrow.
SATURDAY
Tomorrow comes and there’s more improvement. Katie and I have another session "and then, she lays it on me". She says, ‘I’d prefer it if you'd wait another day, but if you had to, I think you could do the show tonight.’ Then, she adds ‘But, if you do, you may not be able to sing the show tomorrow.’ This lands with a thud. I call my stage manager.
Cindy strongly encourages me to do the show Saturday night. You see, now Matthew Brown (our Barry Belson) is sick and out of the show, meaning one of our other Swings Aaron MacKenzie (who went on as Frankie Wednesday night and is the only other Frankie understudy ready right now) has to go on for him. Since Mr. Marchuk is doing today's matinee and the company is extremely reluctant to have any Frankie do two shows in one day, it makes it a no brainer. I’m going back in.
SHOWTIME
By showtime, I feel about 90%. But I was nervous. Really nervous. Like, first run-through nervous. You see, I was in uncharted territory. I had no idea how my voice would hold up for 2.5 hours. I’d already sung about 45 minutes to test it out, and I knew I would tire easier than normal. The question was, when? And when it happens, what do I do?
As the opening number is playing, backstage I have a moment of clarity. Just breathe. That’s all. (No, not the Faith Hill song). Breathe, and be present. Give what I had to give. Nothing more.
And sure enough, holding back slightly here and there, I was able to get through the tough spots in Act 1 without noticeably screwing up. (Phew.) But in the scary Act 2? Same approach, same philosophy, same result… except for the sandpaper start to “Can’t Take” (I actually sounded like Tom Waits on the first three notes), and a couple really pitchy notes in “Working My Way…” (I heard someone ask ‘was that Bette Midler?’) I managed to get through it.
In the wings after the blackout, I was incredibly relieved! In fact, I was so relieved, I nearly forgot to come out for the curtain call. Then, in the Bows (the reprise of “Oh What A Night”) I started losing focus and screwed up my choreo as bad as I’ve ever done it. Oh well! “I’m Frankie Valli – I can sing really high! Who cares how I dance???” Whatever…
The Sunday matinee was even better, which was awfully nice. That Sunday post-show drink tasted very good. I love my job so much. I think I might go crazy if I couldn’t do it anymore. But at the end of the week, it sure is nice to hang out with the wife and kids all day… even though Christine is now sick as a dog, Emily’s got the ear infection, and Sydney’s… aw, you get the picture.
YOUR TURN
So, now it's your turn:
Anyone got stories of preforming while sick?
Anyone want to read how I get ready/warm-up before a show?
Anyone want to add their two cents to my assertion that Frankie may be the hardest role to sing in the musical theatre cannon?
Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Go on, click the COMMENT link just below, type away in the blue box on the right, sign your name if you like, click the circle next to ANONYMOUS, click the PUBLISH button and you're done.
About Me
- Jeff Madden
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- A long-time Toronto-area Actor and Singer, Jeff Madden is now focusing on Teaching acting and singing in the GTA. Jeff starred as "Frankie Valli" in both the Toronto and Australian productions of JERSEY BOYS, winning the DORA award for outstanding performance in a musical by a male actor. Jeff is busy back at school, getting his MEd at U of T's OISE.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
It's Been A While
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
So much has happened lately that I haven’t written a word since our official “Media Opening”. At first, I was kind of avoiding acknowledging the whole thing. I will say this: It was a great night, in that the audience was very involved in the show, the cast was on top of our game, and we had a good party after. That's what every opening night should feel like.
As many of you know, I generally don’t read the reviews of shows I’m in. While I’m interested to learn the critical response in a general way, I find that the devil is in the details. I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve had the experience before when the tiniest little words or phrases from some review get stuck in my brain while I’m performing, making the scenes excruciating and ultimately less honest. Acting is hard enough with your own thoughts judging yourself as you go along, it's virtually impossible if you add other people's opinions on top.
So, suffice to say that I have not read them. I do however know that Jersey Boys was received very well, as this AD will attest. I’m very pleased, and I hope it makes lots of curious people out there buy tickets to come see us.
********************
LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE
In the time since, I’ve had the pleasure of watching my younger daughter Emily start walking. This must be one of the absolute highlights of parenthood – watching your little baby take their first steps. And I was home to see it!
The first day, she took two steps to me before realizing she was on her own, and didn’t like it. She sat down immediately, then spent the rest of the day crawling. The next day, she took two more steps, almost to see whether she still felt the same way about it. Turns out she did feel the same. Spend the rest of the day crawling.
Then, something clicked. Within a few days, she was walking about 15 steps across the room, unassisted. Amazing. Even Sydney got caught up in our joy, cheering her on. It was a special moment. And the other day, Sydney actually starting mimicking Emily’s awkward walking style, pretending to be just walking for the first time herself. Could this be yet another sign that Sydney is a budding performer?
*********************
PROUD MARY'S
Well, there’s another cast change coming your way for Jersey Boys Toronto. For the rest of this week and most of next, our female swing Victoria Lamond will be playing Mary Delgado, Frankie Valli’s first wife. Jenny Lee Stern, who had been playing this role – brilliantly, I might add – is leaving the company. Her eventual replacement Jennifer Copping is rehearsing with us right now and will go on the first time Feb 13th. Should be exciting.
********************
AIR PLAY
This is pretty cool - Two different radio stations recently featured songs from my CD, “Taking The Wheel”. I’m always honoured when someone takes the time to play something from my CD. A few of you emailed saying you heard it live. Thanks for listening!
Last Saturday on AM 740, Michael Engelbert featured my recording of “What Is It About Her” from Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party, and David Yazbek’s “Man” from The Full Monty.
And the week before that on 103.9 Proud FM, Mark Andrew Lawrence featured the haunting “One Face” from Tristan, written by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey. Congrats, boys, on writing such an incredible song.
So much has happened lately that I haven’t written a word since our official “Media Opening”. At first, I was kind of avoiding acknowledging the whole thing. I will say this: It was a great night, in that the audience was very involved in the show, the cast was on top of our game, and we had a good party after. That's what every opening night should feel like.
As many of you know, I generally don’t read the reviews of shows I’m in. While I’m interested to learn the critical response in a general way, I find that the devil is in the details. I’ve learned the hard way. I’ve had the experience before when the tiniest little words or phrases from some review get stuck in my brain while I’m performing, making the scenes excruciating and ultimately less honest. Acting is hard enough with your own thoughts judging yourself as you go along, it's virtually impossible if you add other people's opinions on top.
So, suffice to say that I have not read them. I do however know that Jersey Boys was received very well, as this AD will attest. I’m very pleased, and I hope it makes lots of curious people out there buy tickets to come see us.
********************
LIFE IN THE SLOW LANE
In the time since, I’ve had the pleasure of watching my younger daughter Emily start walking. This must be one of the absolute highlights of parenthood – watching your little baby take their first steps. And I was home to see it!
The first day, she took two steps to me before realizing she was on her own, and didn’t like it. She sat down immediately, then spent the rest of the day crawling. The next day, she took two more steps, almost to see whether she still felt the same way about it. Turns out she did feel the same. Spend the rest of the day crawling.
Then, something clicked. Within a few days, she was walking about 15 steps across the room, unassisted. Amazing. Even Sydney got caught up in our joy, cheering her on. It was a special moment. And the other day, Sydney actually starting mimicking Emily’s awkward walking style, pretending to be just walking for the first time herself. Could this be yet another sign that Sydney is a budding performer?
*********************
PROUD MARY'S
Well, there’s another cast change coming your way for Jersey Boys Toronto. For the rest of this week and most of next, our female swing Victoria Lamond will be playing Mary Delgado, Frankie Valli’s first wife. Jenny Lee Stern, who had been playing this role – brilliantly, I might add – is leaving the company. Her eventual replacement Jennifer Copping is rehearsing with us right now and will go on the first time Feb 13th. Should be exciting.
********************
AIR PLAY
This is pretty cool - Two different radio stations recently featured songs from my CD, “Taking The Wheel”. I’m always honoured when someone takes the time to play something from my CD. A few of you emailed saying you heard it live. Thanks for listening!
Last Saturday on AM 740, Michael Engelbert featured my recording of “What Is It About Her” from Andrew Lippa’s Wild Party, and David Yazbek’s “Man” from The Full Monty.
And the week before that on 103.9 Proud FM, Mark Andrew Lawrence featured the haunting “One Face” from Tristan, written by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey. Congrats, boys, on writing such an incredible song.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Media Media Media
TELEVISION:
This past week the Toronto cast of Jersey Boys got up bright and early to perform on CTV’s nationally televised morning show, CANADA AM. Even though the cast was tired after doing two shows on Wednesday, we somehow managed to find our way to the TV studio for 7am, and give a great performance. Everyone did a heck of a job.
Many of you have emailed, asking how I managed to hit those high notes so early in the morning. Well, on last week’s post I wondered whether I should stay up all night before the gig or get a bit of sleep – and not one of you made a suggestion. Well, thanks for nothing, friends. Actually, I decided to call my JB singing teacher and all-round ‘Frankie Guru’ Katie Agresta for some advice. She told me to get some sleep, and gave me a great routine to help with the early morning screeching.
After Wednesday evening’s show, I warmed-down vocally, took a long hot shower and hit the sack. About four hours later, the alarm goes off. It's 4:45am. Following Katie's advice, I force myself to eat a bit, have some coffee (duh), take a cool shower, and began warming up my speaking voice. At 5:20am I hit the treadmill - not literally, although that did cross my mind more than once - breaking a sweat, getting my body ready for the day. That accomplished, on to the real job of the day: finding my falsetto, and once located, introducing it to the rest of my voice, which at 6:00am is in my boots, where everyone's voice should be at that time of the day!
Into the car, and off I go, fighting the early morning commuters on the 401. I arrive at the studio just before 7am, and to my surprise I'm one of the last to arrive! We quickly get in to hair, makeup, and costumes and luckily we're able to run the medley three or four times before it counts. I was pretty happy with how my voice was feeling, all things considered (Thank you, Katie!). At about 8:50am, the cameras started rolling, and we did our thing. And it was over before we knew it.
By 9:15am, I was back in rush-hour traffic heading home to watch the tape. Aside from the bags under my eyes, I thought it looked pretty good. It's funny - the first TV close-up of me on the outdoor New Year's Eve gig showed my incredibly red nose, and here it's the bags under my eyes.
Well, what do you all think? If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Here’s a link to the segment.
NEWSPAPERS:
What else is going on? Well, tomorrow night (Tuesday) is our official “Press Opening”. Many media outlets are coming back to review the show with the new Canadian cast. So, that’s kind of cool. It gives us another excuse to have a party, which is always nice. And, it’ll give the show a lot more publicity, which is great for Dancap and the Dodgers, the producers of Jersey Boys.
However, having the media come back to re-review the show makes the creative types a bit nervous. So, during this past week, we had visits from our director, Des McAnuff and his assistant West Hyler. Suffice it to say, I haven’t gotten this many notes since our first dress rehearsal. And, I’m not alone - everybody was under the microscope. But, obviously, they do it for a good reason. Their keen eyes and thoughtful suggestions have really helped focus everyone again, and because of it all, I think we’re finally firing on all cylinders.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the media say about our show. What matters is our nightly relationship with the audience. They are the ones buying the tickets, they are the ones on their feet cheering at the end of the show, they are the ones making their friends run to buy tickets to the show. You can’t buy that kind of publicity. The show is a hit because the people love it. Plain and simple.
INTERNET:
As a testament to this fact, there is an incredible Fan-site called JerseyBoysBlog that keeps giving the fans more behind the scenes info. This is THE Fan-site for Jersey Boys news, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, do so. And just today, this blogsite happened to print an article about little ol’ me. It’s actually a bit of a promo for this very blog site, “Taking The Wheel”, my CD of the same name, and my website www.jeffmadden.ca.
In all honesty, I’m deeply flattered by the attention. And what's more, I'm honoured to be in this position. Honoured to be a working actor, to be working with such a multi-talented cast and crew, to be a part of this fantastic Tony-Award winning show. Playing “Frankie Valli”, well, that's the icing on the cake.
This past week the Toronto cast of Jersey Boys got up bright and early to perform on CTV’s nationally televised morning show, CANADA AM. Even though the cast was tired after doing two shows on Wednesday, we somehow managed to find our way to the TV studio for 7am, and give a great performance. Everyone did a heck of a job.
Many of you have emailed, asking how I managed to hit those high notes so early in the morning. Well, on last week’s post I wondered whether I should stay up all night before the gig or get a bit of sleep – and not one of you made a suggestion. Well, thanks for nothing, friends. Actually, I decided to call my JB singing teacher and all-round ‘Frankie Guru’ Katie Agresta for some advice. She told me to get some sleep, and gave me a great routine to help with the early morning screeching.
After Wednesday evening’s show, I warmed-down vocally, took a long hot shower and hit the sack. About four hours later, the alarm goes off. It's 4:45am. Following Katie's advice, I force myself to eat a bit, have some coffee (duh), take a cool shower, and began warming up my speaking voice. At 5:20am I hit the treadmill - not literally, although that did cross my mind more than once - breaking a sweat, getting my body ready for the day. That accomplished, on to the real job of the day: finding my falsetto, and once located, introducing it to the rest of my voice, which at 6:00am is in my boots, where everyone's voice should be at that time of the day!
Into the car, and off I go, fighting the early morning commuters on the 401. I arrive at the studio just before 7am, and to my surprise I'm one of the last to arrive! We quickly get in to hair, makeup, and costumes and luckily we're able to run the medley three or four times before it counts. I was pretty happy with how my voice was feeling, all things considered (Thank you, Katie!). At about 8:50am, the cameras started rolling, and we did our thing. And it was over before we knew it.
By 9:15am, I was back in rush-hour traffic heading home to watch the tape. Aside from the bags under my eyes, I thought it looked pretty good. It's funny - the first TV close-up of me on the outdoor New Year's Eve gig showed my incredibly red nose, and here it's the bags under my eyes.
Well, what do you all think? If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Here’s a link to the segment.
NEWSPAPERS:
What else is going on? Well, tomorrow night (Tuesday) is our official “Press Opening”. Many media outlets are coming back to review the show with the new Canadian cast. So, that’s kind of cool. It gives us another excuse to have a party, which is always nice. And, it’ll give the show a lot more publicity, which is great for Dancap and the Dodgers, the producers of Jersey Boys.
However, having the media come back to re-review the show makes the creative types a bit nervous. So, during this past week, we had visits from our director, Des McAnuff and his assistant West Hyler. Suffice it to say, I haven’t gotten this many notes since our first dress rehearsal. And, I’m not alone - everybody was under the microscope. But, obviously, they do it for a good reason. Their keen eyes and thoughtful suggestions have really helped focus everyone again, and because of it all, I think we’re finally firing on all cylinders.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the media say about our show. What matters is our nightly relationship with the audience. They are the ones buying the tickets, they are the ones on their feet cheering at the end of the show, they are the ones making their friends run to buy tickets to the show. You can’t buy that kind of publicity. The show is a hit because the people love it. Plain and simple.
INTERNET:
As a testament to this fact, there is an incredible Fan-site called JerseyBoysBlog that keeps giving the fans more behind the scenes info. This is THE Fan-site for Jersey Boys news, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, do so. And just today, this blogsite happened to print an article about little ol’ me. It’s actually a bit of a promo for this very blog site, “Taking The Wheel”, my CD of the same name, and my website www.jeffmadden.ca.
In all honesty, I’m deeply flattered by the attention. And what's more, I'm honoured to be in this position. Honoured to be a working actor, to be working with such a multi-talented cast and crew, to be a part of this fantastic Tony-Award winning show. Playing “Frankie Valli”, well, that's the icing on the cake.
Monday, January 12, 2009
A News-Worthy Week
It was quite an eventful week in the lives of the Toronto Jersey Boys company.
NEW CAST MEMBER:
The Big News of the week was supposed to be the arrival of our new 'Bob Gaudio', Quinn VanAntwerp. Quinn arrived in Toronto Tuesday, got settled in, and met the cast. He watched our show Wednesday, rehearsed with us Thursday and Friday afternoon, and did his first show Friday night. Quinn was fantastic. There was absolutely no worry on my part about working so closely with a new scene partner, and he fit in seamlessly into the harmonies and choreography, right from the start.
Coincidentally, I had 12 old friends from High School - some of which I hadn't seen in 15 years - come to the show that Friday night. They were blown away. The audience that night was electric, one of our best yet. It could not have gone better for Quinn's first show.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON:
That was Friday. Well, everything changed Saturday. No, no, Quinn was still great... Unfortunately the lift/trap door/elevator down-stage-centre in the floor was not. It became clear right away in the matinee that it was malfunctioning, so the crew shut it down. But the show went on without stopping. Oh, and we also had two swings on for that show, too (the talented Victoria Lamond and Aaron MacKenzie). And since I had the afternoon off, I had the pleasure of watching it all unfold.
The amazing thing was how calmly everything came together. The stage management team was brilliant. They quickly paged the other two swings (Grant Tilly and Matt Cassidy, kudos to you both), and informed them that they'd be going on too, only in newly created roles - as Set Movers! Our crack wardrobe unit quickly dressed them in costumes, and they basically became 'roadies' for the Four Seasons. There they were, bringing out and taking away microphones, tables, chairs, basically whatever was needed to play the scenes that otherwise would have appeared/disappeared on the lift.
And, the audience was fantastic. Some may have known something was up, as we started late and had an extended intermission, but I'll bet most had no clue. They cheered loudly the entire show long.
MONOLOGUS INTERRUPTUS:
That night, for my show, the lift was working again. Relieved, I carried on as usual. Until about 15 minutes from the end of the show, right in the middle of one of my monologues (and incidentally the quietest part of the play) I hear, (insert imaginary sound FX here) "grindity grind grrrind... crrrunchy crunch, squeek, snap..." coming from the floor.
Hmm. I think, 'Gee, that's unusual.' During a brief turn upstage, I glance towards the Stage Left wing - and see my ASM staring out at me, whispering into his headset.
Hmm. I think, 'Gee, why is he doing that?' I cross over to the Trap, where I'm supposed to sit on a bench. After that noise, I didn't expect to see it, but there it was.
Hmm. I wonder, 'Should I sit?' As I am finishing the last paragragh of my monologue, I put my left foot gingerly over the line, half on the floor, half on the trap, testing to see what would happen. Nothing. I slide my entire foot on the trap, and gently put some weight on it. Again, nothing. I figure, 'OK, I'm cool'. I play the scene, and sing "Fallen Angel". At the end of the song, the bench and I are supposed to disappear below the stage in a cleverly designed transition. But, I ain't going nowhere.
So, I casually stand up and walk off stage right. When I get into the wing, everybody is waiting there for me, like nothing new is going on. My dresser, the other Four Seasons, our mic stands, everything. In 15 seconds, we enter like nothing different has happened, sing "Ragdoll", and end the show. I tell you, it was seamless. You've got to love live theatre.
GOOD MORNING:
Sunday morning, we were back in the rehearsal hall. You see, we have another big publicity event this week. We're appearing on TV again, this time on CTV's 'CANADA AM' Thursday morning, January 15th. (I think we're on sometime between 8am - 9am, but don't hold me to that). So we had to squeeze in one rehearsal to learn the new medley for the 3+ minute spot. It features the songs "My Eyes Adored You", "Dawn" and "December '63 (Oh What a Night)". After the rehearsal and quick lunch at Timmies, we're back on stage again, doing the show without the lift. The crowd goes crazy again. I love my job.
So, remember everyone, set your PVRs to record CANADA AM this Thursday around 8am. Somehow, I'm going to be singing high E's at 8 in the morning. The question is, is it better to sleep a few hours, or stay up all night???
Hmm. I wonder.
NEW CAST MEMBER:
The Big News of the week was supposed to be the arrival of our new 'Bob Gaudio', Quinn VanAntwerp. Quinn arrived in Toronto Tuesday, got settled in, and met the cast. He watched our show Wednesday, rehearsed with us Thursday and Friday afternoon, and did his first show Friday night. Quinn was fantastic. There was absolutely no worry on my part about working so closely with a new scene partner, and he fit in seamlessly into the harmonies and choreography, right from the start.
Coincidentally, I had 12 old friends from High School - some of which I hadn't seen in 15 years - come to the show that Friday night. They were blown away. The audience that night was electric, one of our best yet. It could not have gone better for Quinn's first show.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON:
That was Friday. Well, everything changed Saturday. No, no, Quinn was still great... Unfortunately the lift/trap door/elevator down-stage-centre in the floor was not. It became clear right away in the matinee that it was malfunctioning, so the crew shut it down. But the show went on without stopping. Oh, and we also had two swings on for that show, too (the talented Victoria Lamond and Aaron MacKenzie). And since I had the afternoon off, I had the pleasure of watching it all unfold.
The amazing thing was how calmly everything came together. The stage management team was brilliant. They quickly paged the other two swings (Grant Tilly and Matt Cassidy, kudos to you both), and informed them that they'd be going on too, only in newly created roles - as Set Movers! Our crack wardrobe unit quickly dressed them in costumes, and they basically became 'roadies' for the Four Seasons. There they were, bringing out and taking away microphones, tables, chairs, basically whatever was needed to play the scenes that otherwise would have appeared/disappeared on the lift.
And, the audience was fantastic. Some may have known something was up, as we started late and had an extended intermission, but I'll bet most had no clue. They cheered loudly the entire show long.
MONOLOGUS INTERRUPTUS:
That night, for my show, the lift was working again. Relieved, I carried on as usual. Until about 15 minutes from the end of the show, right in the middle of one of my monologues (and incidentally the quietest part of the play) I hear, (insert imaginary sound FX here) "grindity grind grrrind... crrrunchy crunch, squeek, snap..." coming from the floor.
Hmm. I think, 'Gee, that's unusual.' During a brief turn upstage, I glance towards the Stage Left wing - and see my ASM staring out at me, whispering into his headset.
Hmm. I think, 'Gee, why is he doing that?' I cross over to the Trap, where I'm supposed to sit on a bench. After that noise, I didn't expect to see it, but there it was.
Hmm. I wonder, 'Should I sit?' As I am finishing the last paragragh of my monologue, I put my left foot gingerly over the line, half on the floor, half on the trap, testing to see what would happen. Nothing. I slide my entire foot on the trap, and gently put some weight on it. Again, nothing. I figure, 'OK, I'm cool'. I play the scene, and sing "Fallen Angel". At the end of the song, the bench and I are supposed to disappear below the stage in a cleverly designed transition. But, I ain't going nowhere.
So, I casually stand up and walk off stage right. When I get into the wing, everybody is waiting there for me, like nothing new is going on. My dresser, the other Four Seasons, our mic stands, everything. In 15 seconds, we enter like nothing different has happened, sing "Ragdoll", and end the show. I tell you, it was seamless. You've got to love live theatre.
GOOD MORNING:
Sunday morning, we were back in the rehearsal hall. You see, we have another big publicity event this week. We're appearing on TV again, this time on CTV's 'CANADA AM' Thursday morning, January 15th. (I think we're on sometime between 8am - 9am, but don't hold me to that). So we had to squeeze in one rehearsal to learn the new medley for the 3+ minute spot. It features the songs "My Eyes Adored You", "Dawn" and "December '63 (Oh What a Night)". After the rehearsal and quick lunch at Timmies, we're back on stage again, doing the show without the lift. The crowd goes crazy again. I love my job.
So, remember everyone, set your PVRs to record CANADA AM this Thursday around 8am. Somehow, I'm going to be singing high E's at 8 in the morning. The question is, is it better to sleep a few hours, or stay up all night???
Hmm. I wonder.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
My NEW YEARS EVE Thoughts
Hi Everyone,
What an incredible week. It's Monday night, the kids are asleep, and I finally have some time to reflect on the events of our New Year's Eve gig on CITY TV.
Here's how it all went down New Years Eve...
10:35pm : We finish the evening show - the second of the day for everybody else. After the curtain call, we run to our dressing rooms. We quickly get out of costume, get into our LONG UNDERWEAR (Thank you, Dancap), stick on our HOT PACKS - one for the feet, one for the belly, one for the back (THANK YOU, Dancap!) - and back into our "gig" costumes. For me, it's the sparkly blue "Dawn" Suit. I'm lucky. For the ladies, it's the skimpy white finale dresses and high heel shoes. We must be crazy.
11:00pm: The cast, the band, the stage management team, the dressers, the handlers and media reps take off from the Toronto Centre of the Arts in a bus. Believe it or not, we have a Police Escort leading us down Yonge street. We get half a block before we realize how smart this was. The street is jammed. The cop car flashes its lights and sirens, and people move over and let us through. Boy, did we feel cool.
11:30pm: We pull underground into some special parking lot under City Hall and gather in the huge lobby. As we wait, through the glass doors we hear the muffled sound of a band performing as lights stream from the stage. I start to get nervous. Gee, I wonder why? To focus, the other three Seasons, Jeremy, Michael, and Grant and I run through our show in the corner while six strangers watch. That was weird.
Two big changes had to happen for the TV gig - we had to condense the chosen songs and scenes to fit a tight 10-minute package, and we had to play everything straight out front to the cameras. This meant altering some choreo slightly, adding new transitions, and re-arranging some dialogue. Lots of pesky little things to remember.
11:55pm: We step outside to get ready for our entrance at midnight. It is -13C, with a windchill of -20C. But, as it turns out, long underwear, hot packs and being scared shitless makes a body warm. Who knew?
Outside, we literally feel the roar of the crowd as the final performers finish. The Announcer's banter before the countdown. It starts to feel ridiculous. Nothing I've ever done has prepared me to perform in front of 40,000 people. Are they really gonna like it?
11:58pm: I spot my wife Christine and her brother Markus. They had found their way into the waiting area/VIP section off stage left. I run over and get a quick pre-New Year's kiss from Christine before I'm ushered back in line and up the stairs to the stage.
11:59pm: We soak in the atmosphere from the side of the stage. The big screen is counting down the seconds. People are stretched over every square foot of the Square, as far as the eye can see. Hundreds of people are skating on the ice rink. The lights are aglow on the 40-foot tall Christmas tree. The countdown begins! The noise is deafening.
12:00am: The crowd goes batty, and fireworks go off behind us. Jubilation. In the midst of all this, our stage manager yells "GO - FOUR SEASONS!" We take a quick moment to clock one another, and take off.
Uh oh. The stage is covered in wet slush and rock salt from the shoes of evertone onstage before us. That means having to be very careful in our choreo. It never fails. No matter how prepared you are, things always come up that you never planned for.
12:00:30am: We hit our mark - and have a few seconds to acknowledge the crowd before beginning "Auld Lang Syne". It's unbelievable. They are literally squished in like sardines. They do not look comfortable at all. Yet they seem happy, perhaps relieved that they made it till midnight, and the crush will soon end. Or maybe they're just keeping warm.
12:01am: The music begins. We sing it. A peaceful feeling comes over me. It feels great.
12:02am: We finish, run back off stage left, take off the overcoats as the intro into "Sherry" begins. We carefully get out there just in the nick of time. The band's playing, and we begin.
It now all starts to be a blurrrrrrrr. During "Sherry" I spend most of my time thinking about the new changes. I start to relax and take in the enormity of the occasion, only to find my mind drifting away from the details! Argh! Where am I? What's coming up next?
Minor heart attack aside, I make it into "Big Girls Don't Cry". It goes great! We transition into "Walk Like A Man" - again, its a blurrrrrrr.
My monologue now. I hear my voice echoing strangely off the walls of the downtown buildings. It sounds thick and heavy - am I shouting? I haven't a clue what's coming out of my mouth as I scan the thousands of people. THIS IS SURREAL.
The intro into "Who Loves You" begins, and on come the rest of the cast. I am relieved to see them. It's almost over. Everyone seems to be nailing it. We finish, we bow, the crowd goes nuts, and we transition into "Oh, What A Night!". Indeed. Finally, I let loose and have some fun, glancing at the others next to me as we move through the steps. We finish, bow once more, the Announcers come out, thank everyone, and sign off to the TV audience.
That's it!!! We turn the stage into a huge hug-zone. Everyone wishes each other Happy New Year's and congratulations in what was a truly magical moment.
We move off stage and back into City Hall, where we can get out of costume, grab some bubbly, and more importantly, warm up!!!
Watching the broadcast the next day on my PVR, I was really impressed. The crew at CITY TV did an amazing job with the sound. The multi-camera shots with cut-aways and close-ups were incredibly well done. The lights looked amazing. The confetti gently floating down from above during Auld Lang Syne was a beautiful touch. The breath coming out of our mouths was striking on TV. It was very vivid.
It was a New Year's Eve I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon. I want to thank you all for the many emails and comments I've received so far. It means so much to know that you'd all take time out of your lives to include me into your New Year's Party plans. Please continue adding your two-cents worth.
I am grateful, Truly blessed. Have a great 2009 everyone.
*****
For those of you who missed it, or want to catch it again, here are some links to the YouTube uploads. The quality is not very good, but it's all I know of at the moment.
The first clip starts with the Countdown, then we sing Auld Lang Syne.
"Auld Lang Syne" 1st clip
The second clip begins with Sherry, and continues with Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like A Man, and Who Loves You.
"The Big Three (+One)" 2nd clip
The last clip is the finale, December '63 (Oh What A Night).
"Oh What A Night!" 3rd clip
Enjoy!
What an incredible week. It's Monday night, the kids are asleep, and I finally have some time to reflect on the events of our New Year's Eve gig on CITY TV.
Here's how it all went down New Years Eve...
10:35pm : We finish the evening show - the second of the day for everybody else. After the curtain call, we run to our dressing rooms. We quickly get out of costume, get into our LONG UNDERWEAR (Thank you, Dancap), stick on our HOT PACKS - one for the feet, one for the belly, one for the back (THANK YOU, Dancap!) - and back into our "gig" costumes. For me, it's the sparkly blue "Dawn" Suit. I'm lucky. For the ladies, it's the skimpy white finale dresses and high heel shoes. We must be crazy.
11:00pm: The cast, the band, the stage management team, the dressers, the handlers and media reps take off from the Toronto Centre of the Arts in a bus. Believe it or not, we have a Police Escort leading us down Yonge street. We get half a block before we realize how smart this was. The street is jammed. The cop car flashes its lights and sirens, and people move over and let us through. Boy, did we feel cool.
11:30pm: We pull underground into some special parking lot under City Hall and gather in the huge lobby. As we wait, through the glass doors we hear the muffled sound of a band performing as lights stream from the stage. I start to get nervous. Gee, I wonder why? To focus, the other three Seasons, Jeremy, Michael, and Grant and I run through our show in the corner while six strangers watch. That was weird.
Two big changes had to happen for the TV gig - we had to condense the chosen songs and scenes to fit a tight 10-minute package, and we had to play everything straight out front to the cameras. This meant altering some choreo slightly, adding new transitions, and re-arranging some dialogue. Lots of pesky little things to remember.
11:55pm: We step outside to get ready for our entrance at midnight. It is -13C, with a windchill of -20C. But, as it turns out, long underwear, hot packs and being scared shitless makes a body warm. Who knew?
Outside, we literally feel the roar of the crowd as the final performers finish. The Announcer's banter before the countdown. It starts to feel ridiculous. Nothing I've ever done has prepared me to perform in front of 40,000 people. Are they really gonna like it?
11:58pm: I spot my wife Christine and her brother Markus. They had found their way into the waiting area/VIP section off stage left. I run over and get a quick pre-New Year's kiss from Christine before I'm ushered back in line and up the stairs to the stage.
11:59pm: We soak in the atmosphere from the side of the stage. The big screen is counting down the seconds. People are stretched over every square foot of the Square, as far as the eye can see. Hundreds of people are skating on the ice rink. The lights are aglow on the 40-foot tall Christmas tree. The countdown begins! The noise is deafening.
12:00am: The crowd goes batty, and fireworks go off behind us. Jubilation. In the midst of all this, our stage manager yells "GO - FOUR SEASONS!" We take a quick moment to clock one another, and take off.
Uh oh. The stage is covered in wet slush and rock salt from the shoes of evertone onstage before us. That means having to be very careful in our choreo. It never fails. No matter how prepared you are, things always come up that you never planned for.
12:00:30am: We hit our mark - and have a few seconds to acknowledge the crowd before beginning "Auld Lang Syne". It's unbelievable. They are literally squished in like sardines. They do not look comfortable at all. Yet they seem happy, perhaps relieved that they made it till midnight, and the crush will soon end. Or maybe they're just keeping warm.
12:01am: The music begins. We sing it. A peaceful feeling comes over me. It feels great.
12:02am: We finish, run back off stage left, take off the overcoats as the intro into "Sherry" begins. We carefully get out there just in the nick of time. The band's playing, and we begin.
It now all starts to be a blurrrrrrrr. During "Sherry" I spend most of my time thinking about the new changes. I start to relax and take in the enormity of the occasion, only to find my mind drifting away from the details! Argh! Where am I? What's coming up next?
Minor heart attack aside, I make it into "Big Girls Don't Cry". It goes great! We transition into "Walk Like A Man" - again, its a blurrrrrrr.
My monologue now. I hear my voice echoing strangely off the walls of the downtown buildings. It sounds thick and heavy - am I shouting? I haven't a clue what's coming out of my mouth as I scan the thousands of people. THIS IS SURREAL.
The intro into "Who Loves You" begins, and on come the rest of the cast. I am relieved to see them. It's almost over. Everyone seems to be nailing it. We finish, we bow, the crowd goes nuts, and we transition into "Oh, What A Night!". Indeed. Finally, I let loose and have some fun, glancing at the others next to me as we move through the steps. We finish, bow once more, the Announcers come out, thank everyone, and sign off to the TV audience.
That's it!!! We turn the stage into a huge hug-zone. Everyone wishes each other Happy New Year's and congratulations in what was a truly magical moment.
We move off stage and back into City Hall, where we can get out of costume, grab some bubbly, and more importantly, warm up!!!
Watching the broadcast the next day on my PVR, I was really impressed. The crew at CITY TV did an amazing job with the sound. The multi-camera shots with cut-aways and close-ups were incredibly well done. The lights looked amazing. The confetti gently floating down from above during Auld Lang Syne was a beautiful touch. The breath coming out of our mouths was striking on TV. It was very vivid.
It was a New Year's Eve I don't think I'll be forgetting anytime soon. I want to thank you all for the many emails and comments I've received so far. It means so much to know that you'd all take time out of your lives to include me into your New Year's Party plans. Please continue adding your two-cents worth.
I am grateful, Truly blessed. Have a great 2009 everyone.
*****
For those of you who missed it, or want to catch it again, here are some links to the YouTube uploads. The quality is not very good, but it's all I know of at the moment.
The first clip starts with the Countdown, then we sing Auld Lang Syne.
"Auld Lang Syne" 1st clip
The second clip begins with Sherry, and continues with Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like A Man, and Who Loves You.
"The Big Three (+One)" 2nd clip
The last clip is the finale, December '63 (Oh What A Night).
"Oh What A Night!" 3rd clip
Enjoy!
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