JB Top 5's: Daily Must-Dos

Incredibly, after a nearly four-year run, Jersey Boys Australia will take its final bow in about two weeks. One of the world's most successful musicals in decades has certainly been a hit Down Under, as it has around the world. And for me, this will mark the third time I will be saying "Bye Bye, Baby" to the show. Will it be for good this time? Who knows.

      Facing another closing night has inspired me to look back and examine my time with this show. And because I think you might find it interesting, I've decided to share some of these thoughts with you. Specifically, my goal is to put into words exactly what it's like to be an actor playing this iconic person in this famous band in this amazing show, six nights a week. 

      Part 3 of an on-going series of Top 5’s that illuminate what it’s like to play Frankie Valli in the long-running show, Jersey Boys.  Parts 1 and 2 are linked below, or you can also find them to the right, by clicking on 2013, then clicking on May.

      http://jeffmadden.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/jb-top-5s-5-moments-that-make-my-heart.html

      http://jeffmadden.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/jersey-boys-top-5s-5-moments-that-make.html

   From L-R: Declan Egan (Bob Gaudio), Me, Anthony Harkin (Tommy DeVito), Glaston Toft (Nick Massi)

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 Today's Subject: The Top 5 Daily Must-Dos

“It must be so glamorous getting to play Frankie Valli! You must be having so much fun up there - You make it look so easy onstage! It must be nice, only having to work at night!” These are a few of the typical comments I hear from audience members after the show at the stage door. I also get, “How do you do that – is that your normal singing voice?” And then, “Oh, you have an accent - What part of the States are you from?”

My answers are usually – “Glamorous - not really. Fun – absolutely! Easy – not on your life!” Basically, most of the time, an actor’s life is not what you might think. It’s a tonne of hard work, we’re just trained to make it look easy. Now, trying to answer the question about my ‘normal’ voice and how I sing like Frankie… well, that’s hard work, too. It’s actually a fascinating question, one that I will address throughout this Top 5 post. (Oh, and I answer the ‘Where in the States’ question with “The Canadian part.”)

It’s pretty obvious that playing ‘Frankie Valli’ in Jersey Boys is kinda difficult. There’s the singing technique, power and endurance required, in addition to closely approximating Frankie’s iconic sound. Then there’s the acting skill required to play this world-famous Italian-American from a dirt-poor teenager to a Rock and Roll legend. There’s more than a few dance skills required, not to mention the fitness to sing and dance through 25 songs and all those scenes with only a few very short breaks.

But on top of all that, in order to succeed in this role, you’ve got to be reliable. You’ve got to have the endurance to deliver the goods night after night, six days a week. And in my opinion, maintaining this endurance is the hardest part of doing this role. It’s also probably the trickiest to predict in an individual, from a casting point of view.

For me, being reliable has been a point of pride throughout my whole life. Whether at school, or the baseball field, as a band member – heck, just as a person – I've always tried to make it a part of my character. 

But, how does an actor do ‘reliable’? I think it starts with really knowing yourself. Throughout my 16 years being a professional actor and singer, I’ve been undergoing a never-ending exercise in self-awareness. I constantly “check in with myself”, during rehearsals, during warm-ups, during performances (if the occasion permits), and after the show. It’s a process that every actor needs to develop in order to get better in their craft. 

For example, I’m constantly checking in with my muscles – vocal and otherwise - to see how they felt after doing a particular section of the show. I’ll ask myself, “How did that section go – great or less than great? And how did it feel? Did I do something differently there? And if the answer is yes, was the outcome the same, better, or worse? If it was better, is it worth making the change permanent?” On my breaks, I’ll write down the information gathered from doing this type of analysis into a notebook which I keep in my dressing room. I’ll refer to the notes on a constant basis until the information becomes a part of my muscle memory. Sometimes, if I’ve gotten into some bad habits, I’ll look back through my notebooks and invariably come across the solution.

When doing a challenging show six days a week, I’ve found that the most important factor for being reliable is being properly warmed-up. Obviously, how you warm up depends on the role you’re playing. For some shows I’ve been in, warming up is a 20-minute thing. You stretch for a minute or two, you vocalize for maybe 10 minutes, maybe have a cuppa joe, and throw on your costume. Other roles have been much harder. For example, playing Homer in Floyd Collins at the Shaw Festival back in 2004 was so vocally and physically challenging for me that I was having problems consistently being my best. I discovered that by spreading out my warm-up into shorter intervals throughout the day - thus gently nudging my voice and body in the direction that they needed to go - I would have a better show than if I just warmed up during the hour before curtain. That experience helped prepare me for this one. 

Doing Frankie consistently well requires the most intensive warm-up I’ve ever had to do. I’ve developed it from listening to my creative team - who’ve learned from other Frankie’s experiences - and from doing this type of self-awareness analysis from Day 1. If I waver from it, injuries inevitably start to creep in. They’re usually minor at first, but they can quickly escalate to major issues. And trust me, you don’t want to be doing this role in pain – talk about a nightmare. (My experiences there might soon be the topic of another Top 5 list…) 

So, without further ado, here are the Top 5 things that I must do every day to be my best onstage as Frankie Valli every night. (I don’t know what the other Frankie’s past and present do to get ready to play this part every day. It may be very similar, it may be completely different. This post is only meant to describe what it’s like for me personally.)

·        1. Get eight hours of sleep, eat healthily, take vitamins, and drink tons of water.

Sleep is a no-brainer. Your body repairs itself while you sleep, leaves you with enough energy, and keeps your mind sharp. ‘Nuff said.

Like anyone who wants to perform at their highest level, musical theatre performers must eat a healthy diet and supplement with vitamins as required. I’ve always had a high metabolism, so I’m usually quite hungry in the morning. I never skip breakfast. Ever. I’ll try to have a large healthy lunch, but sometimes the lunch is small and the dinner is large. But whatever I do – and I’ve learned this the hard way – I never perform Jersey Boys with food in my system. Ideally, the last meal I eat will be between two and three hours before showtime. There’s way too much running around while vigorously using my diaphragm singing and screaming in this show to have food in my system. Ugh… I’m getting sick just thinking about it.

And water. I never stop drinking water during the day. It keeps the voice happy, heals up everything quickly, and keeps things running smoothly. I probably drink 2-3L of water during the day, then another 2L at the theatre between warm-up and warm-down. Maybe more. (And yes, I have planned my drinking and bathroom breaks very carefully during the show… haha).

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     2. Minimum 20-minutes of a tongue-pulling vocal warm-up.

What? Tongue-pulling? Yup. Singing rock music for a couple hours puts a huge strain on the tongue muscle, not to mention many other muscles in the face, neck, chest and back. Everyone knows that it’s extremely beneficial before and after exercise to stretch your muscles to avoid muscle pain, cramping and inflammation. The tongue is no different, and gently pulling it forward while doing a series of vocal exercises has proven time and time again to keep the vocal apparatus healthy enough to rock it out six days a week.

This lesson was first drilled into me in a recording studio in Nashville, TN where I met the one and only Bob Gaudio and the woman who would become my new best friend, vocal teacher Katie Agresta. Katie teaches her methods to all the Frankie’s around the world, whether in-person or by Skype, and I know that utilizing Katie’s knowledge has greatly helped my reliability. If you’re reading this, “Thanks for everything, Katie!” (Incidentally, she has taught, among others, Jon Bon Jovi, Lenny Kravitz, and recent Tony-award winner Cindy Lauper… so, Katie’s kind of a big deal…) Also, “Thank you, Dodger Theatricals, for contracting Katie to teach all your Frankie’s – smart move!” It’s sure made a difference in my career.

I do tongue-pulling vocal exercises for at least 20-minutes before the show, and for about 15-minutes after the show as part of a warm-down. Every single show, without fail. It works.

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     3. Minimum 20-minutes of a “legit” Bel Canto vocal warm-up.

Bel Canto is Italian for “beautiful singing”, but I’m referring here to the Bel Canto teaching style for singers. It is widely used to train singers in a ‘classical’ or ‘legitimate’ style of sound production that dates back to the late 1700s. I was taught this technique for about seven years while working at the Shaw Festival by the inimitable Carol Forte (and if that isn’t a great singing teacher’s last name, I don’t know what is).

Singing with this technique is considered the ‘healthiest’ style of singing, and when done correctly, it produces a beautiful tone while putting the least strain on the voice. My friend Wikipedia tells me that when using this technique properly, singers will have an impeccable legato production throughout a seamless range and the use of a lighter tone in the higher registers, giving the singer an agile, flexible voice capable of dispatching ornate embellishments (um, licks?), the ability to execute fast, accurate divisions (um, runs?), the avoidance of aspirates (wuh?), a pleasing timbre (“look out below!”) and a graceful phrasing rooted in a complete mastery of breath control.

Basically, it helps me sing good! If I don’t warm-up with Bel Canto exercises for a few days, my tone suffers and I lose the ease of connection through the bridge (between my chest voice and falsetto) which, in this show, is deadly. That’s why I do them. I remind my voice what’s healthy before I go out and shred it. (“Thank you, Carol! You Rock – but in a legitimately healthy way!”)

 

·        4. Minimum 20-minutes of a “mixed” head-voice dominant vocal warm-up.

I usually do these exercises during the last 45-minutes just before the show every day, and helps me to solidify that iconic “Frankie” sound. Here, I combine specific exercises from my work with Katie with specific exercises from my work with Carol, and add in what I learned from Bob Gaudio in that Nashville studio. I throw all of that into a blender, add in some tobacco sauce and some roasted garlic, say a couple prayers, and Viola- I’m ready to go.

It’s really quite difficult to describe, but there are a few particular exercises that help me merge my chest voice with my falsetto in a silky smooth manner. When done properly, this allows me to sound a lot like Frankie while still singing in a healthy, Jeffy-like way (Or, is that J-e-f-f-i?). Regardless, this step is also essential for helping me make believers out of the audience.

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     5. Minimum 30-minutes of a physical warm-up.

So, again, this kinda goes without saying, but if you want to do a physical activity well, you’ve got to warm-up your muscles. And playing ‘Frankie Valli’ certainly qualifies as physical activity. I’ve never been a good runner – for me, running creates more problems than it helps – so I like to ride a bike for a light cardio warm-up. Failing that, I do lots of squats, lunges and step-ups. Singers need to warm their legs, their glutes, their back and their core, because despite what you might think, all of those muscles are essential to proper singing and voice production. 

I have found that Yoga is also extremely helpful for me, and I do about three 30-minute sessions a week now (I used to do 30-minutes every day in my early days playing Frankie back in Toronto in 2008). I had never done Yoga before starting Jersey Boys, but my good friend and assistant choreographer Danny Austin told me to start doing it during our first conversation after I got the job. “Thanks, Danny! You’ve helped me more than you could possibly know!” (Oh, and those Side-Splits would have never happened without it!)

I also lift weights in a circuit, once or twice a week, hitting all the muscle groups. I try not to get into the same pattern of exercises, because I find the body adapts very quickly to them, lessening their effect. I don’t lift heavy weights at all, because doing so definitely affects my performance – trust me, dragging lead-like lactic acid-filled muscles around the stage at a high pace for two hours is a nightmare. And of course, before show-time, I like to make sure I get a nice stretch through my hips, my rib-cage, my chest, shoulders and neck. I gently repeat these stretches after the show as part of my 15-minute warm-down before heading out of the theatre. 

It’s all part of the daily routine of being a Frankie. A ‘good ol’ reliable’ one, as the famous song from Guys and Dolls goes. (By the way, I can’t wait to see that show down at the Shaw Festival in Niagara this summer – I hear it’s a wonderful production. Go see it.) Till next time.

JB Top 5's: 5 Moments That Make My Heart Ache

All we want is to be ‘believable’.

People come to the theatre for a lot of reasons. Some come to chat and talk on their cellphones. (See my LINK: http://www.jeffmadden.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/the-audience.html). But let’s assume most of them pay their hard-earned money to watch an entertaining story unfold, to understand the motivations of the characters, and possibly to be moved to feel something. The more ‘believable’ the actors are, the likelier the audience will go home happy with the transaction.

So, how do we do ‘Believable’? An actor’s job is simply to communicate a character to the audience. By manipulating their voices, bodies and minds, the actors work together within the structure of the script and the director’s vision to bring the story to life. Each actor’s goal is to allow the audience to understand what his or her particular character is feeling at all times.

This brings up one particular aspect of acting that has fascinated me for years. While communicating a character to an audience, the actor’s goal is not to make himself feel what the character is feeling; rather, the goal is to enable the audience members to understand it; should they then be moved to feel something themselves, all the better. It’s an important distinction to make.

Of course, there are many different techniques that actors can use to achieve this goal. All these techniques get honed through practice into what we call our ‘process’. For me, it is easiest to achieve the goal when I’ve personally gone through a situation similar to the character’s, and can tap into my own actual sense memories to portray it. When this is not the case, the actor must rely on other techniques to plausibly portray the moments in question. I know quite a few actors – many of whom are exceptional – who give almost entirely technical performances and still move the audience.

I’ve always been a deeply sensitive individual. Maybe a bit too sensitive for my own good in this modern world. But I see this sensitivity as a gift. It has made me the man I am today - a husband and father of two beautiful little girls, and an artist. As hard as it is being an artist these days, it always brings me joy to sing great songs, to act in great plays, and to appreciate the work of other artists. That I am able to use my sensitivity to move or inspire others is the icing on the cake.

Let’s face it – I got very lucky to win this role. I may not have grown up Italian, American, or dirt poor, but in other powerful ways, I relate very closely to Frankie’s journey. In some instances during the show I use a purely technical approach. But, as I illustrate in the examples below, when I tap into my own emotional sense memory onstage every night, I feel as though I can access the very essence of these emotions. And if I'm doing my job well, they are communicated to you in a believable way. That may very well be the defining characteristic of my “Frankie” – his heart. Bursting with joy one moment, breaking apart the next.

In my last post (LINK: http://www.jeffmadden.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/jersey-boys-top-5s-5-moments-that-make.html) I talked about the Top 5 things that make my heart soar when doing Jersey Boys, but here I want to turn the tables. I want to talk about the Top 5 things that make my heart ache, and shine some light onto my ‘process’ along the way. And in so doing, I’ll throw some love to some of the great actors I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years in Jersey Boys.

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Today's subject: The Top 5 Moments That Make My Heart Ache.

   1.      Singing “My Eyes Adored You”.

Prior to this song, you watch Frankie meet the Jersey girl of his dreams in Mary Delgado. They fall in love, get married and have a kid before you can say, “Call your mother, you’re gonna be home late.” You watch as Frankie and the band overcome their early struggles to score three Number One hits in a row. Then, the guys struggle with their new-found success and the constant touring, and you witness the toll it takes on Frankie and Mary. And finally, after returning from a successful tour, you watch as Frankie engages in a shouting match with Mary that ends their marriage.

I’ve worked with many different Mary’s in my Jersey Boys days. They say, you always remember your first – and how could I forget ‘Jenny from the Block’, the amazing Jenny Lee Stern. She was scary good. I also had the pleasure of working with two other Marys in Toronto – the lovely and talented Jennifer Copping and Cleopatra Williams, and the fantastic Elise Brennan in Sydney. On Tour here, Mary is played by Lisa Adam, the best actor in the current company by miles. And I don’t think anyone would dispute it, either. She is the only Jersey Girl in all the productions worldwide to be nominated for a best supporting actress award for Jersey Boys. And it was well-deserved. She can be funny as hell one moment, rip your head off the next, and then break your heart. What a gift it is to work with her.

Frankie and Mary had two girls together, and Mary had a daughter from a previous relationship. Frankie was on the road a lot, doing his best to provide a decent living for them all. Frankie’s future certainly looked like it would continue to be full of traveling. They were growing apart. How long would it go on?

It doesn’t take much effort or creativity for me to relate to this moment, being married with two little girls of my own at home, seemingly millions of miles away. I know too well the complexity of feelings involved in choosing to live a life on the road, doing the thing that I’m really good at and passionate about, and providing for a family that I dearly love but rarely see. My heart aches just thinking about it.

It’s interesting. When I sing this song away from the show – in a concert or cabaret setting; even in rehearsal – I usually sing it, in a word, better. More technically pure, prettier even. But in the show, it comes out more raw, rougher around the edges. A bit ‘haunted’, perhaps. At first it used to bother me that I wasn’t singing it as nicely as I could. But then, I realized – don’t fight it. Embrace it. When I sing it in the show, my heart is aching. It’s more believable.

Declan Egan (Bob Gaudio), Jeff Madden (Frankie Valli), Ant Harkin (Tommy Devito), Glaston Toft (Nick Massi)

   2.      Saying Goodbye to Tommy after the Sitdown.

Tommy Devito is Frankie’s big brother. Tommy takes teenaged Frankie under his wing, teaches him about life, about women, and about how to get off the mean streets of Bellville, NJ. For this, Frankie idolizes him. One could argue that Frankie's love for Tommy was only matched by his love for music. As Jersey Boys progresses, you witness their relationship shift– Tommy betrays Frankie a couple times, and Frankie stands up to Tommy, demanding his respect. But the love was always there. It’s a complex relationship that many people in long-term friendships can relate to. Even when Tommy puts the group’s future in jeopardy by his inability to control himself, Frankie still backs Tommy. Frankie wants the entire group to work together to pay off Tommy’s debt rather than sending him to the curb, or worse, into the arms of Norm Waxman's 'people'. Frankie’s loyality and love for Tommy blind him from the true reality of the situation. “You come up together, that’s a promise. And it’s like iron.” Frankie puts up with Tommy’s shenanigans because they are brothers. Blood. Family. And, to Frankie, “Family is everything”.

In my years of doing Jersey Boys, I’ve been blessed to work with so many amazing Tommy’s. Jeremy Kushnier and Dan Sullivan led the way in Toronto, and Glenn Quinn held the reins when I did the show in Sydney. Anthony Harkin has taken control here on Tour, and it’s incredibly fun working off of his Tommy.

I have two older brothers myself, and I love them very deeply. In fact, my life has been shaped as much by them as it has by my loving and supportive parents. I watched them grow up ahead of me, I analyzed their successes and failures, and I witnessed how their separate near-death experiences scarred my family. One brother nearly died in my arms as a result of his peanut allergy, and the other somehow came out of a 12-day-long coma after having been run over by a car while attempting to cross the street. At the time of each instance, I didn’t know if they would make it, or if I would ever have the chance to say ‘Goodbye’ and tell them how much I loved them. Those feeling still stick with me today.

Thankfully, both brothers survived and have recovered to be absolutely awesome human beings. But like in most families, our relationships have faced many bumps in the road through the years. At times, I remember being overwhelmed by my conflicting feelings, wanting the best for them, but being at odds with their decisions at the time. When it’s your blood, it hurts deep down inside.

Blood nearly spills when Frankie and Tommy fight during the Sitdown scene, when all of Frankie’s frustration, anger and hurt that was pushed down for years finally come bursting out. When someone you love lets you down in such a profound way, it hurts so much. And having to say goodbye to them - your family – well, that hurts like nothing else.

   3.      When Francine Runs Away.

Having to say Goodbye is a recurring theme for Frankie in Jersey Boys. One by one, all the people that he loves leave him, and he must soldier on alone. Mary is the first to do so. The audience catches up with her again in the middle of Act 2. You discover that the divorce has not made things better for Mary. With Frankie on the road and not around, she is left to deal with raising her children alone. When Francine has run away from home and not returned for two days, Mary calls Frankie to come over to the house to talk about what to do. But before long, Frankie and Mary find themselves in another yelling match – Mary, drink in hand, accuses him of being a horribly absent father; Frankie implores her to clean herself up. And then the phone rings. It’s Francine. It’s her cry for help. It’s a crucial moment for her, for everybody. Only, Francine wasn’t expecting the voice on the phone to be her dad’s.

The first time my younger sister ran away from home, it was for two days. She was 16 years old. It was devastating to my parents. An absolute nightmare. I was living at home and going to University at the time, too wrapped up in my own life to see the warning signs. Turns out we got lucky – she came back home, only to vanish again a few weeks later.

Thankfully, my sister is just fine now – she lives with her fiancé and their bouncing baby boy a few kilometers from my parent’s house. But for 15 years, it looked like it was going to be a disaster. She lived on and off the streets, she got addicted to drugs, she hung out with the wrong crowd, and amazingly, she came out alive. Somehow we were blessed with good fortune. There is still a gulf chock full of hurt feelings there, but one that my family has managed to build a bridge over, and move on.

As a parent for almost seven years now, I’ve come to understand that there’s a spark, a beauty, a light inside each and every person, and that it can either be supported and allowed to shine, or squished down only to fade away.

In that moment onstage when Francine hangs up the phone on me, I am left standing there, as my own parents once did, facing the reality that she is gone, maybe forever. Frankie knows he may never see his daughter again, and that he’s partly to blame for this colossal failure. I remember the pain on my parent’s faces all those years ago. I remind myself of the crushing feeling of saying goodbye to my own children. I feel the heavy guilt of my own decisions weighing on my heart.

And when I turn to Stage Left to sing the first lines of “Bye Bye, Baby” and find myself staring into Francine’s eyes, it’s almost too much. Kat Hoyos’ big, beautiful brown eyes, filled with hurt and anger and tears, bear down on me. Then she runs off, and my heart is about to burst. It’s an extremely powerful moment. All Frankie can do is soldier on, and continue to bear the weight of his choices across his slender shoulders.

Lisa Adam (Mary and others), Kat Hoyos (Francine and others), Michelle Smitheram (Lorraine and others)

   4.      When Lorraine leaves Frankie.

He leads the female reporter to a spot at a bar. The man has been wounded, but his wounds have now healed over. He’s a bit gun-shy of her beauty. After all, he’s responsible for an ex-wife and three kids, he’s always on the road, but damn, he’s lonely. It’s complicated. He finds himself talking, really talking. He’s unusually forthcoming. For the first time in a long time, he’s at ease. As he’s talking about his childhood and his mother – his mother - a warmth comes over him, and he realizes… ‘Who is this woman? Why am I opening up so much? She’s beautiful, classy even. Different. Is she bringing this out of me? Am I imagining this? Could I be falling for her?’ It’s a sweet scene.

Lorraine is Frankie’s savior. She listens. She smiles openly. She picks him up after his fall, helps him to stand up and walk again. It's all going well at first. But the strain of Tommy’s behavior on the group is driving Frankie to the brink. Frankie’s temper rages after Tommy hits on Lorraine, and she is awoken. She witnesses this vulgarity, this animal leap out from inside Frankie, and realizes the truth. ‘Maybe we’re too different. Maybe the timing is wrong. Maybe we both want different things. Is it worth it?’

Lorraine confronts Frankie with the truth. She’s right - the relationship’s going nowhere, they barely see each other, and she’s taking a back seat to everything band-related. There's no future in it. She wants out. Frankie is stuck, trapped even. What can he do? He’s made his commitment to the band, to digging them out of their hole, the tour-dates are set, there’s no turning back now. Nothing he can say – not even a half-hearted offer of marriage – is going to change the reality of the situation. He has to let her go. It’s a bitter-sweet breakup – they really care for each other, but it’s all bad timing and crazy circumstances - but it aches nonetheless. We’ve all been there at some point in our lives.

So Frankie says Goodbye again. Watching her turn her back and walk up those stairs crushes me every single night. With each high-heeled step, all the shining possibilities of a new life, a better life, a healthier life, fade into another chorus of "Bye Bye, Baby". I’ve been blessed to work with some fantastic Lorraines over the years. Good friend Elodie Gillet was Lorraine in Toronto, Cinzia Lee in Sydney, and Michelle Smitheram here on the Aussie Tour. They all absolutely nailed it, and it was a pleasure trying to be ‘believable’ with each of them.

   5.      Francine’s Death.

You’ve just witnessed Frankie triumphantly sing the hits “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” and “Workin’ My Way Back To You”. To quote a famous Broadway Mama, ‘Everything’s coming up roses’. Frankie’s done it. Bob’s two new songs were hits, and they sold like wildfire. The years of touring and hard work have paid off – literally. The debt is gone. And to top it off, Frankie is feeling good. He’s even getting a weekly phone call from his runaway daughter, and it seems like things are heading in the right direction with their relationship.

And then, it’s over. In the span of a few seconds, Frankie’s world once again begins to crumble as he learns of Francine’s death. At first, there’s shock and disbelief; then anger as Frankie lashes out against the system that allows for these things to happen – the politicians, the cops, the drug dealers. It’s everyone else’s fault. And then it sinks in. Frankie’s world really crashes down when he realizes that he himself is largely to blame for her death.

It’s almost unimaginable – how any parent deals with the untimely death of a child is beyond me. I’ve experienced the death of my grandparents, some extended family members and friends, but thankfully none of my immediate family. My two older brothers survived their near-death experiences; my sister made it through the grinder of street life alive. My own two children have lived happy, healthy lives. I’ve been lucky. But as Frankie, I have to deal with it in front of everyone’s eyes, right downstage on that bench, alone. And then, sing "Fallen Angel" to the her memory, because it's all Frankie knows how to do. The anger, the sadness, the guilt and pain all have to be believable while singing the words that Frankie dearly wishes he could have said to her face. It’s major heart-ache time.

In a way, I absolutely can relate. As unbelievable as it sounds, during the run of Jersey Boys in Toronto, our original Francine, Lindsay Thomas, died of lung cancer. She was 30. I’ve written lots about Lindsay and the amazing person she was - beauty personified, inside and out. She’s been flying around heaven cheering everyone up for over three years now, and I still think about her each and every time I do this show. How can I not? I mean, my daughter in the show and the actor actually playing her both died unexpectedly. (LINK: http://www.jeffmadden.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/lindsay-thomas-revised-edition.html)

After Lindsay died, I struggled mightily with getting through the phone call, the monologue, the scene with the minister and especially "Fallen Angel". The emotions I was dealing with were so raw, so real, so confusing that it became a bit of a problem for me. Then, one day, I remembered what happened to me when singing at Lindsay's memorial service. I became overcome with emotion at one particular point, and as I turned my gaze down to collect myself, my eyes became fixed on a picture of Lindsay’s smiling face. I felt calmness come over me in that moment, almost as if Lindsay is saying – ‘it’s OK, I’ll help you through this.’ I decided to bring this memory into every show of Jersey Boys, and since then I’ve never struggled with the song again. Thanks, Linds.

The best part is, this all works dramatically for the scene, too. When the spirit of Francine sits next to Frankie and places her hand on his, she comforts her grieving father as if to say, ‘It’s Ok, I’ll help you through this.’ Whether it was Lindsay or her replacement Alyson Smyth in Toronto, Teagan Wouters in Sydney or Kat Hoyos here on tour, I can feel the good vibes passing from their hands to mine. Along with a special closeness to Lindsay that, selfishly, I am going to miss once Jersey Boys closes in about five weeks.

Lindsay Thomas

JB Top 5's: 5 Moments That Make My Heart Soar

Incredibly, after a nearly four-year run, Jersey Boys Australia will take its final bow in about six weeks. One of the world's most successful musicals in decades has certainly been a hit Down Under, as it has around the world. And for me, this will mark the third time I will be saying "Bye Bye, Baby" to the show. Will this time be for good? Who knows.

      Facing another closing night has inspired me to look back and examine my time with this show. And because I think you might find it interesting, I've decided to share some of these thoughts with you. Specifically, my goal is to put into words exactly what it's like to be an actor playing this iconic person in this famous band in this amazing show, six nights a week. 

      This will be the first post in what I hope will be a series of retrospective musings on playing Frankie Valli in the hit show Jersey Boys.

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     Today's subject: The Top 5 Moments That Make My Heart Soar.

      Although I'm coming up on my 700th performance as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, there are still moments in every single show that give me a thrill - you know, when you get that little shiver down your spine, or maybe that little tingle behind your ears when you smile really big? Me, my arms come alive with goosebumps.

      Every so often, a new moment will surprise me, but here are the five events that do it to me, every single show. Guaranteed.

     1. Singing "Walk Like A Man".

      As a piece of theatre, Jersey Boys is constructed extremely well. The shows opens with a bang, and then it zips along at breakneck speed, drawing you into the world of 1950s New Jersey. You meet all these interesting characters, and are captivated by the story... but you've yet to hear any of their big hits! Just when the anticipation in the crowd can't possibly get any higher - BAM! - you get hit with "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like A Man", the Big Three, back to back to back. 

      Singing "Walk Like A Man" is like skiing down a Black Diamond run. It's like bungee jumping off a suspension bridge. It's like mountain-biking down a rugged hillside. You grab on tight, say a prayer, and give 'er. It's full-out fun, and it's over before you know it.

     The Big Three requires me to sing the highest notes in my show as loudly and for as long as I possibly can. And, it's frickin' hard, people! The range is pretty ridiculous, and screaming out and holding soprano F's for eight counts is not easy. Repeatedly transitioning between my chest voice and falsetto is also extremely difficult. And then there's the choreography on top of the singing... my heart pounds, the lungs ache for air, but I still need to hold that last note - a high D - for a full 12 counts. The volume increases, the notes rise, "Like A Man...!" the bass thumps "Ba-da-da-Dum!" and the audience goes crazy.

      Sure, it feels great to hear the crowd roar and applaud. But beyond that, it's an awesome feeling because when I get to the end, I know I've survived the challenge. At that point, with the crowd cheering, when the physical exertion combines with the excellence of execution, and I'm left with the after-glow of a good adrenaline rush. ... BOOM! Goosebumps.

     2. Singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You".

      Again, you have to give major credit to director Des McAnuff and writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice for constructing such an incredible show. The buildup in Act 2 to this song is exquisitely written. We see Tommy and Nick leave the group. Bob and Frankie try to figure out how to keep the band going while still making enough money to pay off the Mobsters. The we see Bob leave the group. We watch Frankie strain under the pressure of this burden. His relationships with his ex-wife, daughter, and girlfriend all fray like the end of a rope. When Frankie hits rock bottom, we then see the glimmer of hope for Frankie in Bob's dedication and friendship. Bob pushes hard to get a song that nobody believes in played on the radio. Frankie gets one last chance, to sing this song with everything on the line. And then, in a tight spotlight, a single mic rises out of the pit. Thrillingly, it all comes down to this one moment.

      I get to step into the light and sing this hauntingly beautiful song. No, not just sing. My vocal chords may form the words and pitches, but I squeeze out my heart and soul, I wring out all my hopes and dreams onto the sound. I sing it to my wife, I sing it to my kids, to the life-force; I sing it to my muse, my inspiration, my joy of music, of singing, of creating and expressing; I sing it for my two grandfathers and my parents whose musical genes have thankfully been passed down into my every cell. And when I hold the last note of the penultimate phrase, "And let me love you baby, let me love you..." and sit in that silence for just a second, it's like ecstasy... It feels like 2000 people are just holding their breath... and finally, with all my remaining strength, I offer up my best "You're just too good to be true...!" holding that last note as long and strong as I can ... when the band, my voice and finally the crowd all swell at the same time ... BOOM! Goosebumps. 

      Every single night the applause at this moment feels unbelievably amazing, and that smile that I break into is absolutely genuine. I touch my heart out of deep appreciation for having been given this gift by the audience (and the casting directors!) and wave thank you to them for sharing it with me. I'm a lucky guy. Seriously lucky.

     3. Singing "Working My Way Back To You".

      With new wind in my sails from singing "Can't Take..." and a feeling that I can conquer anything, we launch right into this song. From Day 1 of rehearsing this number all the way back in November, 2008 (!) the choreography has always felt incredible. Now, if you know me at all, you'll realize that this last statement is a complete shocker. That I should feel incredible the first time rehearsing any choreography is a huge surprise. But seriously, Sergio Trujillo, take a bow for your outstanding work. And Danny Austin, take one too, for teaching it to me. Standing there as I do, on a 45-degree angle with my legs strong and wide, heels popping and twisting, snapping along to the sick groove in the band, I feel like the Heavyweight champion of the world. (OK, more like the Lightweight champion... but you get the idea.)

     The whole song is a thrill for me. After grooving upstage, I get to come down and sing a couple lines directly to a lovely lady in the first couple rows. I get to strut my way across to downstage centre. I get to wail some crazy high notes. And then I get to prowl downstage like a freaking tiger, flanked on both sides by two talented band-mates. We're Rock Stars, man!

      The movements perfectly match how I feel, how I imagine Frankie would feel in that moment. They match the way the song sounds, they suit the lyrics, and importantly, they let me wail out the notes over top. And singing this song is not easy, either, especially after having sung 20 other songs already. Most of this song's long, high phrases need to be belted in full chest voice. On one particular two-bar phrase, I need to rise out of my chest-voice, slip into falsetto, and slam back into chest again. Then, to top it all off, I have to hit the highest belted note in my show - a B-flat. Switching between the registers and still sounding great is a huge challenge. But, I love that challenge, and rising to it here in this moment is a thrill. When I finish the song with "I Let it get away....!" and I hold that last note, right arm rising to the rafters ... BOOM! Goosebumps.

     4. Singing "Who Loves You".

      This is the final song in the show, and as such, it marks the end of an incredibly emotional journey, both for the audience and for me. It's also the end of two and a half hours of hard work. So, when you combine the two together, I'm spent. As exhausted as I may be, it's absolutely thrilling to sing this song. It's high and hard to sing, sure, but seeing each of the guys come down to join me at the mic fills me with energy. The Four Seasons family is back together for one last hit song. It's magic.

      I get more energized when the rest of the cast run onstage, take their places, and join in with their incredible voices. I remember feeling pure elation the first time I saw this moment as an audience member. And while singing this song, I can see the elation in the eyes of the people sitting in the first couple rows. The song builds to its climax, we grab our mics and come right down on the lip of the stage. The four of us share a meaningful final look and acknowledge all we've been through. We're survivors. And, like that famous song goes, we did it our way. 

      Then, finally, we sing one last crazy highnote-filled chord, we hit our final pose, the band nails their thrilling button. The lights snap to black... the crowd goes absolutely nuts... and in that moment... BOOM! Goosebumps.

     5. Running onstage for the Bows, and singing the reprise of "December '63".

      Again, the crowd goes nuts seeing the four of us run out of the wings and downstage for our bow. Even though it seems impossible, the audience is louder at this point than they've been all show. Technically at this point, the show is over, so we can loosen up a little bit. In a small way, I start to shed a tiny bit of Frankie's skin and fully enjoy the experience. The choreography is so fun to do, the song is great fun to sing, and watching the crowd sing, dance and clap along is a real treat.

      And that's when it hits me. To be involved in a show this successful is such a thrill. It is also extremely rare. Seriously. In fifteen years in the business, in 25 years of going to the theatre, I have almost never seen this type of reaction from the crowd at the end of the show. And to know that in some small way, my own hard work, dedication and talent have helped to create the magic that is the catalyst for this reaction... well, I almost can't describe how awesome that feels. And that feeling, well... you guessed it. Goosebumps.