the blog
recommendations, news & notes from the trenches
 

Tony Award winner John Lloyd Young to appear at the
Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, August 8, 9 & 10
click here for details

Tony Award Winner (Best Performance by a Lead Actor)
Drama Desk Award Winner (Outstanding Lead Actor)
Outer Critics Circle Award Winner (Outstanding Lead Actor)
Theatre World Award Winner (Outstanding Broadway Debut)
Drama League Award Nominee (Performer of the Year)

...for "Frankie Valli" in the Original Broadway Cast of JERSEY BOYS

JLY FANS:

John Lloyd Young welcomes your written correspondence!

Send a letter to John Lloyd at this address:

John Lloyd Young
P.O. Box 1718
Radio City Station
New York, NY  10101-1718

click here for blog archives:

November 14, 2005 - June 11, 2006
July 28, 2004 - November 6, 2005

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Thank you to DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES creator, Marc Cherry, for arranging a tour of the set for me and my friends, producer Penny Jewkes and actor Eric Millegan (of TV's BONES).  Penny took this photo of me on "Wisteria Lane."  We also visited a shoot for the show, on location off the Universal lot, where we watched and met the very gracious Eva Longoria and Marcia Cross. Looking forward to the beginning of rehearsals for the Hollywood Bowl on Monday.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Thank you to everyone for acknowledging my birthday on the 4th with their cards and gifts! 

I enjoyed visits at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center, too, from those who came to see the workshops of MYTH, a new show that was being developed there.  The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford, CT, has been the birthplace of many new plays and musicals since its founding in the late 70s.  Recent Best Musical Tony winner, IN THE HEIGHTS was being developed there at the same time I started rehearsals for JERSEY BOYS.  MYTH, by John Mercurio, is off to a great start, and I loved my role in it; Orin, a disaffected rock star who is ready to step out of the fast lane to find love.  His storyline is based on the Orpheus myth.  Directed by Jeremy Dobrish with music direction by Tom Kitt, the show was being developed with actors Pamela Myers, William Parry, Brandon Espinoza, Dylan Collins, Dane DeHaan, Marva Hicks, Deborah Lew, Kelly McCormick, Maureen Silliman, Paul Oakley Stovall and Wes Taylor.  Those who saw it experienced the first-ever public readings of this new show.  We had rewrites every day, so each performance was different, and each audience effectively saw a different show.
 

Monday, June 23, 2008

Saw A CATERED AFFAIR on Broadway a few nights ago.  Congratulations to friend Leslie Kritzer on her excellent, understated performance.  The show also stars Harvey Fierstein, Faith Prince, Tom Wopat and Matt Cavenaugh.  Hurry to see this one: the show closes at the end of July.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Here's a very accurate peek into what I was up to on my last trip to LA.  Click here.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Only in New York!  Today two separate people scaled the New York Times building in New York, a pretty scary stunt.  I happened to witness the second guy from when he was about halfway up the building.  Here's an article about this odd piece of news.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Congratulations to friend Iris Bahr on her Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show for DAI (ENOUGH).  Click here for an article.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Thank you to everybody for their enthusiasm about the upcoming LES MIS concert at the Hollywood Bowl.  Also appearing, among others, will be Rosie O'Donnell (as Madame Thernardier) and Brian "Stokes" Mitchell (as Javert).  Very excited to appear with Lea Michele, who you might know plays "Wendla" in my very favorite recent Broadway show, SPRING AWAKENING.  She'll play "Eponine" in this concert.  And, last but not least, my dear friend and former JERSEY BOYS stagemate, Jennifer Naimo, will also appear in this concert!

Last night I appeared at the George Street Playhouse annual gala, celebrating friend David Saint's 10th year as Artistic Director.  Enjoyed visiting with friends, the Diegnan's, the Herbert's and the Benincasa's as well as Arthur Laurents, Tyne Daly, Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, Jim Walton, Barbara Walsh and Broadway lighting designer, Howell Binkley.  And very surprised and happy to visit with Audrey and Spencer Rockman who live only five minutes from the New Brunswick, NJ, Hyatt, where the gala was held!

A hearty congratulations to friend, Leslie Kritzer, on her SECOND Drama Desk Nomination, this time for Broadway's A CATERED AFFAIR.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Excited to be playing "Marius" in an all-star concert of LES MISERABLES this summer at the Hollywood Bowl.  Click here for a link to an article that ran today on Broadwayworld.com.  When I first got to New York, I was doing a play with Target Margin Theatre Company when I got an audition for "Marius" in the Broadway tour, and I made it all the way to final callbacks.  So in the auditions for this production, I reached back inside, pulled out and dusted off my natural high-baritenor for the creative team, who weren't so sure what to expect a few years and a very-surprising-falsetto-turn later.  Very glad I'll finally get a shot at this role I've hoped to play since 1987!

(P.S.  Another recent JERSEY BOYS alum is also in this cast!)

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Enjoyed visiting with my very talented photographer friend Brad Calcaterra Friday.  He did the photo on the main page of my website.  Here's a link to his website.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Happy birthday to friend, Michael Cassara!

Photographer B.C. Kagan has posted some shots from our most recent photo shoot together.  Click here.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Still out there seeking the next project and making headway.  As you know, I will not announce anything until it is safe to.  Many of you have sent me letters begging for something new!  I assure you, I'm as impatient as you.  Hang in there!

Saw some fun stuff this past week.  Tonight it was IN THE HEIGHTS on Broadway, for which I had a special affinity, since I LIVED in Washington Heights, at 181st Street and Riverside, when I first moved to New York City.  It was fun to see Anna Louizos's excellent set which recreated the exact view I remember from my apartment's window.  An attractive, energetic and fun cast led by the show's conceiver and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda made the evening especially enjoyable.  I also saw PASSING STRANGE a few days ago, on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre.  A transfer from the Public Theatre, this is a riveting show with a heavy rock score and an emotionally devastating second act.  Enjoyed saying hello to the cast members backstage afterward and chatting with one of the show's producers, Chase Mishkin, who was in the audience.  Congrats to Chase and her fellow producers for bringing such a brave new work to Broadway.  And last night I saw former Brown University classmate Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's offbeat play, BOOM, at Ars Nova Theatre, directed by Alex Timbers, who was one of our assistant directors a few years ago when we began rehearsals for JERSEY BOYS on Broadway.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Monday, April 7, 2008

Yesterday was Jennifer Naimo's final performance in JERSEY BOYS.  She invited me to celebrate after the matinee with her and her husband Tim and friends from the cast and crew of the show.  We assembled at Cafe Iguana on West 55th Street.  Congrats to Tim, too, who'll have his wife back with him in California (she's been away from home in NYC all this time she's been doing the show).  Enjoyed visiting with JERSEY BOYS enthusiasts Kathy, Laura, John and Norene, and catching up with the cast and crew I used to see daily.

Enjoyed SOUTH PACIFIC, yesterday at Lincoln Center Theatre.  Congrats to cast members and friends Becca Ayers and Victor Hawks, and thanks, Becca for the backstage tour.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

In the weeks leading up to my Tony Award win for JERSEY BOYS in 2006, I spent an afternoon with a kind older Asian photojournalist in the park near my home in Jersey City.  As we worked on a portrait for an article for the New York Times, he talked to me about his photography technique.  Mopping his forehead periodically that hot day with a rag he kept in his pocket, he energetically paced around the park and surrounding cafes where we shot, finding different locations to shoot a photo and setting up angles and taking lighting readings, speaking a mile a minute.  I followed this little man around, trying to keep up with his energy.  I remember thinking, who IS this guy?  He was absolutely captivating.

It wasn't until we shook hands at the end of our shoot and he introduced himself to me that I knew who he was:  Dith Pran, the photojournalist whose work in war-ravaged Cambodia inspired the 1984 film, KILLING FIELDS.  I was a little embarrassed at the obvious contrast between the danger and terror of his early career and our relatively frivolous photo shoot of a Broadway actor in a public park, and I said so.  He said this kind of peaceful work was his hard-earned retirement.

I just read today that Mr. Pran passed away last week, March 30, at age 65, after a battle with pancreatic cancer.  Here is the photo that came out of our shoot.

photo: Dith Pran/The New York Times

Thursday, April 3, 2008

My first play in New York was Rinne Groff's THE FIVE HYSTERICAL GIRLS THEOREM for the Obie-winning Target Margin Theatre.  Last night I had the honor of performing a homecoming of sorts by returning to sing a few songs at their annual gala honoring author Agapi Stassinopoulos.  Thanks to Artistic Director, David Herskovits, for the invitation.  Target Margin's always-offbeat and imaginative productions continue next with a musical adaptation of Aristophanes' THE FROGS in a joint production with Classic Stage Company.

With tonight's rave New York Times review for the Lincoln Center Theatre revival of Rogers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC and the rave reviews days ago for the new revival of GYPSY, starring Patti LuPone and Laura Benanti, it sure looks like the classic American musical is alive and well this season on Broadway.  I saw this production of GYPSY in previews and thought is was superb, and I'll be seeing SOUTH PACIFIC (and my friend Becca Ayers, who's in it), this weekend.

Saw these guys tonight at the NYC's Producer's Club.  Here's the kicker, this is an all a cappella sound: no instruments whatsoever.  The guy who does the percussion is amazing.  www.ballinthehouse.com  

Monday, March 31, 2008

I want to acknowledge the abundant stream of kind letters from all of you.  Though I can't keep up with answering every single one, I am still very happy to receive them and will continue to reply when I can!  At the very least, I'll try to acknowledge questions here on my blog, including this frequently-asked one:  I've been asked a lot whether my Lincoln Center concert will be released on CD.  Unfortunately, it won't be.  It was just a live, one-time event.  But there may be recording in my future, so please continue to watch the blog for news.

Monday, March 24, 2008

It's pretty widely known that soon after I got cast in JERSEY BOYS, I went to Las Vegas to spy on Frankie Valli and take notes, when he was performing at The Flamingo.  What's not so widely known is that I was petrified of what was ahead of me, singing two-dozen songs in high falsetto, 8 shows a week.  I didn't know how I was going to physically do it.  Sometimes encouragement comes in unexpected ways.  During that same trip, after having seen Frankie live, and still white-knuckled with fear about how I was going to survive the seemingly-impossible physical challenge of singing the JERSEY BOYS score, I went to see one of the several Cirque du Soliel companies.  The physical abilities of those acrobats were so astounding, and their bravery so stunning (especially the trapeze artists who performed without a net) that suddenly a deep calm came over me and I realized, "If they can find a way to do this, then I can find a way to sing two dozen songs."

This YouTube video brought that Vegas epiphany back to the forefront for me.  Enjoy this astounding clip of the "Great Chinese State Circus" (and thanks to Wendy for bringing it to my attention).

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Just a quick plug for the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Beth Henley's CRIMES OF THE HEART, especially for the excellent and touching performance of Jennifer Dundas, as "Lenny."  The show is directed by Kathleen Turner in her stage directing debut.  Saw it last week with friend, director Joe Calarco, who's off to San Diego's Old Globe Theatre to direct one of my favorite Tennessee Williams plays, THE GLASS MENAGERIE, with Michelle Federer as "Laura." 

The New York Post today says there is a possible revival of Burt Bacharach's PROMISES, PROMISES coming down the pike!  Does anyone remember Jack Lemmon in THE APARTMENT, on which this musical is based?  His young, up-and-comer bachelor "C. C. Baxter" is one of Lemmon's funniest performances and certainly one of my favorites of his roles. 

Monday, March 10, 2008

Attended the opening night performance of Paper Mill's STEEL MAGNOLIAS last night.  Congrats to friend, actress Kate Wetherhead and her husband, Jeff Croiter, who's the lighting designer.  The great cast includes Kelly Bishop as "Clairee," Charlotte Booker as "Truvy," Beth Fowler as "Ouiser," Monique Fowler as "M'Lynn," Kelly Sullivan as "Shelby" and Kate Wetherhead as "Annelle."  The show plays the Paper Mill Playhouse through April 6th.

Friday, March 7, 2008

I wanted to share an interesting recommendation with women out there who read this blog.  It's called "The Mouth," a new open mic and "talkfest" for women that's just getting its first legs.  It's billed as "The View" meets Performance art, as host Liz Taylor weaves together open mic performances with thematically related insights and anecdotes from the audience.  All types of performance -- storytelling, theatre, poetry, music -- welcome.  Listeners valued!"  It's the first and third Sunday of every month, 3-5 pm at the Times Square Arts Center, 300 W. 43rd St. at 8th Avenue, 5th Floor.  Roy Arias Studios & Theatre.  Studio phone number: (212) 957-8358.  You can contact Liz for more information at: eappleby@comcast.net

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

An interesting review of Saturday's concerts from: Backstage.com.

Wow: what a mountain of letters!  Thank you for all the Valentines, letters wishing good luck for the concert and letters of congratulations.  It's going to take hours to go through all of them, and it's always so much fun to read your thoughts.  The person who guessed the most songs in my concert was Melissa Aldrich!  Congratulations.  Thanks for sending in your lists, there were a lot of good ideas there for me to consider for the future.  My favorite suggestion, made by many, is "My Cherie Amour."  What a great song -- maybe I'll put that into my repertoire.

Heard about the fun get together after my concert.  My family was in for three days only, and I ignored them completely the first two, because I was preparing so feverishly for the concert.  So after the concert I only had a few hours to visit with them before they went home the next morning.  The strangest thing about what I do is that my family often comes to see me precisely when I'm intensely working and it's almost impossible to see them!  Glad I got a few hours with them this time.

Monday, February 25, 2008

"No wasted notes. No pointless gestures. No throwaway song selections. In his concert debut,
Saturday night at the Allen Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center, John Lloyd Young approached his
material with the precision of an actor, and a falsetto that few performers of any kind can match."

NJ Star-Ledger reviews John Lloyd Young's solo concert debut at Lincoln Center
click here

Thank you to 60s music expert, Charles Alexander, who writes liner notes for Four Seasons' records, for this glowing letter!

What a thrill to see Javier Bardem and Marion Cotillard win their Oscars last night.  Theirs were my two favorite performances among those nominated this year.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Thank you to everyone who came to my concert debut, yesterday.  What a warm welcome you all gave me.  It was a new experience, a fantastic experience and, ultimately, a fun experience to try on a different hat for a day.  If it's in the fates for another concert down the line, it will be a lot of fun to do it again!

Friday, February 22, 2008

"There is one song that will probably follow me around the rest of my life, and it's the same song that's followed
Frankie around during his life. We've got a really great problem in common."

John Lloyd Young discusses his solo concert debut
at Lincoln Center with The Newark Star-Ledger's Jay Lustig

click here for the article

Thursday, February 21, 2008

The concert is only a few days away!  I know there's some bad weather predicted for the East Coast.  I hope that everyone who plans to come in from out of town can make it.  But for those of you who live in town, bad weather might mean last-minute seats become available.  So be sure to visit the Lincoln Center website for information about the standby lines before each performance.  See you all in a few days!!

Just a reminder: please be prepared that unlike the August Wilson Theatre, at Lincoln Center there will not be a "stage door" area and the chance to greet people after either concert.  But I will be looking for you in the audience!!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Had a great rehearsal yesterday for my Lincoln Center concert, which is only days away.  After rehearsal, we were driving one of the backup vocalists home and I told her all about what a great audience we're going to have.  I said that I'd been accustomed to seeing a few familiar faces every night in the audience, but at Lincoln Center tons of the familiar faces are going to be there in the audience all at the same time!  I can't tell you how great that's going to be to look out there and feel like I'm performing amongst friends.  You helped sell out this concert the day it went on sale: thank you.  I appreciate you all so much. 

I went to see another concert in the Allen Room a few weeks ago, and it is really a magical experience to sit in that space with the floor-to-ceiling view of Columbus Circle behind the stage.  I'm looking forward to getting up on that stage with my great musicians and performing again for all of you.  Imagine yourself there now; in the blink of an eye you will be!  For those of you who can't be there, if this concert is successful, there will be more...

The next day, I look forward to kicking back after three months of preparation for this concert and enjoying the Oscars. 

To prepare for this concert, I still had to sing two to three hours a day, so singing-wise, it was as if I never left JERSEY BOYS.  Except this time, I did the singing at home, in my kitchen.  I've re-discovered the joy of Fresh Direct, and I've done a lot of cooking while practicing: the freezer is full.  Anyone want lasagna??

P.S.  Happy belated birthday to Howard Tucker.  (I hear his entourage has grown a few score since last I saw him -- maybe I should be thanking Howard for selling out my concert!  Or is it Gary's entourage?  I hear conflicting rumors...  Maybe entourages overlap?)

See you soon,

JLY

Saturday, February 9, 2008

I'm a little disappointed it's the weekend, now, because I'm becoming addicted to the new HBO drama, IN TREATMENT, which airs every weeknight.  IN TREATMENT allows the audience to peek in on a therapist -- Gabriel Byrne -- and his patients' weekly sessions.  One patient's session airs each night, and then the following corresponding weekday is the patient's next appointment.  It's a great concept, and I'm really enjoying it.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

My concert at Lincoln Center is a month away.  Have been busy rehearsing for it and training vocally, still working with my trusted voice teacher Katie Agresta, every week.  Singing Four Seasons songs in JERSEY BOYS was fun and certainly a challenge, but finding and choosing songs that I want to sing is even more rewarding.  I can change the key, and I can even drop the song from the list completely if it's not working the way I want it to.  It's very rewarding to know that everything I sing in this concert, I've chosen myself.  Some of you have made some pretty astute guesses as to what I'm singing.  No one's guessed so many, though, that anyone will leave unsurprised.

Many of you who plan to see the concert are asking if there's a stage door.  I don't know the answer to that, but I want to emphasize that there is a possibility that the concert itself will be our only glimpse of each other!  If that's the case, then I've just got to make this concert all the more personal.  And of course it will be, since it'll just be me and you out there:  I'll have no guise of character to stand behind (which is the scary and fun part of putting this together).

Happy to see this year's Oscar nominations announced.  Now here's hoping the writer's strike will be resolved and we'll get to see the Academy Awards.  Though James McAvoy certainly seems to have a long career ahead of him, I was hoping he'd get a nomination for ATONEMENT, which I just recently saw.  His performance was excellent in that film.

Monday, January 14, 2008

About a month ago, I went to San Diego, California to perform at the La Jolla Playhouse annual gala honoring Des McAnuff.  While I was there, the San Diego-based "Jersey Boys Podcast" did an interview with me.  Here's a summary from their website and a link to the page where you can download and/or listen to the podcast.

"Show #059 of the Jersey Boys Podcast has been posted and it includes a great interview with John Lloyd Young. The topics covered in the interview includes: what John is doing now and in the near future including his upcoming concert on Feb. 23, 2008; his thoughts on supporting service through fundraising; his praise for his dedicated fans; the Tony Award wins; his feelings about leaving the cast of Jersey Boys; and Michael Longoria's strengths as the new Frankie Valli on Broadway."

click here for a link to this podcast

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

This past weekend, I finalized the play list for my upcoming concert at Lincoln Center.  The songs are great, all 22 of them!  For those of you who write letters, send me your fantasy list of what you imagine those 22 songs will be.  I'll acknowledge here on the blog the person who guesses the most songs I actually do in the concert!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Thank you for making our collective 2007 total donations toward the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation $22,050!!  I only began soliciting donations for cystic fibrosis research in October, which means we raised that amount in only three months.

Excited to see Elaine Stritch perform this weekend at the Cafe Carlyle.  Here's a link to Stephen Holden's New York Times review.

Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year!

This past weekend I saw the movie, JUNO.  What a great cast, all around.  I recommend this movie.  Seeing my pal, Davis Duffield, go on tomorrow night in CYRANO DE BERGERAC, starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner (who's also in JUNO and gives such a touching performance).  CYRANO... is Davis's Broadway debut, and I've been looking forward to seeing him in it.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Today I started putting pen to paper and began working on the script for my concert in the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center on February 23rd.  I am already imagining the affectionate and enthusiastic reception some of you have promised when I walk on that stage for my first song!  So many of you have written to express how much you're anticipating this concert.  And so am I!  Imagine the feeling of being seated with your friends in the Allen Room, when the lights come down on this warm, intimate space, a floor-to-ceiling wall of glass behind the stage opening up on a panoramic view of Columbus Circle and the New York skyline behind it.  If I'm not too dumbstruck by the surroundings myself to sing, I can promise you that the songs I've carefully chosen are excellent, some of my (and surely your) most personally beloved songs from the 60s and 70s.  (Click to hear the "Cara Mia" clip from below -- that will be one of them!)  Now I just have to try to come up with some interesting things to say between them! (I think I'll figure that out...)  Isn't it going to be fantastic to reunite for a short hour-or-so, somewhere in between my growing absence from JERSEY BOYS and before whatever big thing comes next?  Can't wait to see you all.

Best wishes,
JLY

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas!  And I have a small gift for fans.  Someone posted video of my "musical madlibs" version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" from last week's "Don't Quit Your Night Job" sketch comedy show at NYC's Zipper Theatre.

Here's the link to my musical madlib.

And here's a link to some of Don't Quit Your Night Job's other musical madlibs!

Friday, December 21, 2007

I'd like to thank all of you who have sent and/or have been sending donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Because of your help and generosity, before the year is out you will have helped me hand over more than $20,000 in donations, so far, for cystic fibrosis research.  Thank you!

JLY

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Just in time for New Year's, here's a YouTube link to last year's New Year's Eve in Times Square performance.

Here's some YouTube from the La Jolla gala honoring Des McAnuff in San Diego.

Friday, December 14, 2007

My appearance at San Diego for the La Jolla Playhouse gala honoring Des McAnuff was a lot of fun.  Thank you to the band, Charles Czarnecki, Ken Dow and Kevin Dow for backing me up just as well as they did on Broadway, where they are musicians at JERSEY BOYS.  Great to see JERSEY BOYS' Donnie Kehr and Steve "Hoops" Snyder, as well as JERSEY BOYS Broadway-alumni, Steve Gouveia (now "Nick Massi" on the National Tour), and guitarist, Joe Payne, too.  Stayed at the amazing Estancia Hotel and Spa, and can't wait to stay there again. 

Enjoyed the week.  Started it out by attending the NY premiere of the new Daniel Day-Lewis film, THERE WILL BE BLOOD at New York's historic Ziegfeld Theatre.  Attended the Actors Fund of America's benefit performance of MARY POPPINS, which was great to see after sitting on an American Theatre Wing panel discussion with star, Ashley Brown, a few weeks ago.  And tonight I saw XANADU with some friends I made during my JERSEY BOYS run. 

I can't wait to get to 45th Street to see all the new plays there, THE SEAFARER, ROCK & ROLL, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION and AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.  It is exciting in my new day-to-day life as a "civilian" to be able to see things again, when otherwise I would have been working onstage myself!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Just arrived in San Diego, where I'll be appearing as part of a gala benefit for the LaJolla Playhouse in honor of departing artistic director, and director of JERSEY BOYS, Des McAnuff.  I'm very flattered to be a part of this.  LaJolla is where JERSEY BOYS originated, and they are very proud of the show and of Des, as I am.

Thank you for the overwhelming amount of letters you've all sent.  It's been nice to see just how much support I've got behind me as I embark on the future.  There's really so much to look forward to!  I appreciate your encouragement.

***

Love New York pizza?  I remember when I was a kid, I lived in Omaha, Nebraska for a few years, and pizza is a totally different experience in the Midwest.  (I really missed NY pizza...)  Check out this article: now anyone across the continental U.S. can have an authentic New York pizza delivered to them!  Thanks to my mom for sharing this interesting link.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Thank you to all the JERSEY BOYS fans who saw me off a week ago, my final day at the show.  I'm enjoying my first time off in years, writing, driving, thinking and enjoying something I forgot existed: peace and quiet!

And thank you to young JERSEY BOYS fan, Kathryn, who just sent me this interview I did for her a while ago.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

One of his more recent backstage visitors provided him with some sage wisdom. "Mandy Patinkin came backstage a few weeks ago," said Young. "He told me, about ten years after Sunday in the Park with George had closed, they had asked him to do some kind of commentary or interview about it. He hadn't really thought about it in a long time, so he put the CD [on in] his car to refresh himself on the experience. He had to pull over on the side of the road; he was sobbing because it hit him so hard. And he said, 'It's going to happen to you,' and I said, 'I know you're right,' Young recalled with an audible smile. "'I just hope it doesn't happen when there are a lot of people around.'"

John Lloyd Young's JERSEY BOYS "Exit Interview" with Playbill.com

click here for full article

Monday, November 19, 2007

As you probably know, the stagehands strike will continue, and shows are cancelled through the 25th of November.  I have played my last performance!  Without going into details, believe me when I tell you that I prefer it this way.  I'm not afraid to get emotional onstage in character, but I was truly dreading the whole idea of any formal farewell.  What I am encouraged to hear is that many of you who would have otherwise been at the show on Wednesday, plan to say farewell at the picket line, instead, between 7:30 and 8, when we actors need to be there to sign in.  So I look forward to saying a "goodbye for now" to all of you on Wednesday night at the picket line outside the August Wilson Theatre! 

To the fans of JERSEY BOYS: I am forever grateful to all of you for your support, enthusiasm and affection.  At times, you were my ONLY support.  It can be a difficult job to star in a Broadway show, and JERSEY BOYS has certainly had its arduous, trying and frequently lonely personal challenges.  You've always been there, though, and the most rewarding part of my entire JERSEY BOYS experience has been getting to know you, reading your letters, shaking your hands, taking pictures and seeing the joy the show has brought you.  Though I won't be taking a formal final bow before you, I do bow to you in gratitude, and I am so excited to know I'll be seeing so many of you at my Lincoln Center concert in February and at all my future appearances, wherever they'll be.

A very warm thank you to all of you.  Keep in touch.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

In light of this strike, which could mean I won't have my "final performance," of JERSEY BOYS on November 21st, I want to make it clear that, if that's the case, I've had a final performance, on November 9th, and it was wonderful.  I just didn't know it was the last one!  I am very happy with my two-year run in JERSEY BOYS, and I am at peace with the possibility that November 9th was my final show. 

Labor disputes are extremely important.  There are much larger issues at stake for all my colleagues out of work and all my producer colleagues with empty theatres than whether I get to have a final time at bat as "Frankie Valli."  I appreciate the outpouring of sympathy, very much.  It's hard to say goodbye to such a great role, no matter what.  But I also hope we can all come together and wish the two disputing parties a swift resolution, through my final scheduled performance on November 21st and beyond, if necessary.

In the meantime, please continue to make dinner reservations in the theatre district and support the establishments which have been a virtual second home to so many of us who work on Broadway; see an off-Broadway show, all of which are still up and running; go to a comedy club; see one of the few Broadway shows not affected by the strike.  There's so much to do in midtown Manhattan until Broadway's back!

I've been trying to go to a Theatre District restaurant each night, after signing in at the picket line.

Tonight, instead of being onstage at JERSEY BOYS, I'll be at Times Square's Tony's DiNapoli for dinner.  Tony's is a major supporter of Broadway, and I'm going to do my part to support them at this difficult time.  Hope to see YOU there tonight, too!  Visit www.tonysnyc.com to make a reservation.  Or call 212-221-0100.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

The stagehands strike is still ongoing, with no visible resolution in sight.  Each night the cast assembles at the theatre anyway, to sign in with our actors' union representatives and demonstrate that we were willing and able to work.  In the meantime, we've found imposed upon us nights free, for the first time in years for some of us.  My friend Blake and I are fans of jazz guitarist and vocalist, John Pizzarelli.  Blake met me at the picket line outside of JERSEY BOYS at 8, and we went over to New York's famous Birdland Jazz Club to hear the John Pizzarelli Quartet.  They will be playing at Birdland through Saturday evening, so, as the strike persists, if you planned to see a Broadway show and can't, hop over to Birdland on 44th Street and check out Pizzarelli and Co!

www.birdlandjazz.com

www.johnpizzarelli.com

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Two years ago tonight was the opening night of JERSEY BOYS on Broadway!  It's been a rewarding and tumultuous two years, and it's exciting that the core Original Broadway Cast is still together for this landmark day.  In only a few weeks, I'll depart and only a few weeks after that, Daniel Reichard will follow.  It's a very lucky time right now for us and for the audiences who see us during this small window of time while the original four of us are still performing together.

Thank you for the overwhelming interest in my upcoming February 23rd concerts at Lincoln Center Jazz's The Allen Room.  A lot of people have been asking where the stage door is.  I don't know!  What I do know is that I will not be able to emerge between the 8:30 and 10:30 shows.  As for after the final show, I don't know how things work, so I think the best thing to do is, if you have tickets, it's best to direct that question to the venue itself (i.e. the staff of Lincoln Center Jazz). 

I'm eager to begin work on putting this concert together in the coming months and happy to know I'll see so many of you there!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Thanks again to everyone who sent donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation a few weeks ago, when I offered up a contest for the chance to win a fresh, signed copy of the new JERSEY BOYS companion book.  Additional donations have continued to come in, which I am proud to continue to forward to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The final total is nearly three thousand dollars more than when I last blogged about this. 

Thanks to the following additional donors, you helped raise the total to $14,676!

Thanks to all the donors including:  Laurel Avery, Joseph Leo Bwarie, David Cace, Judy Carrasco, Kazumi, Alicia and Jamie Costantino, Alberta Egan, Robin Koval, Kayla Kuzbel, Brian Lim, Helen Ratcliffe, Samantha Roberts, Maddi Niebanck, Lucy Rochetti, Karen Swanson, Patricia Washlick, Mansie Yue Williams.

Isn't it amazing to see what people can do when they come together around a common cause?  I am so happy with the generous amount we've contributed together to this charity.  Thank you.

It is privately a very emotional time for me, wrapping up this experience that has taken up so much of my time, energy and emotional investment for nearly three years, and, yet, the clarity with which I view a somewhat uncertain future is actually beginning to become quite exhilarating.  I am very honored to have earned your loyal and friendly support during my time at JERSEY BOYS, and I hope you all continue to stay in touch and to follow me into my future endeavors.  To know you'll still be there on the other end makes the future look pretty bright!

Monday, October 29, 2007

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Yesterday, I wrote about young Maddi Niebanck and her great fundraising.  But she isn't the only precocious fundraiser out there.  Just went through the envelopes and letters people gave me at the "fans of JERSEY BOYS" event this past weekend, and re-discovered $100 from Samantha Roberts for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Samantha donated the proceeds from her yard sale.  She is the granddaughter of the event's organizer, Irene Eizen, and they both had their birthday, October 22nd!  Thank you, Samantha!

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Last week had a fun, busy, and rewarding end.  Friday, I attended the annual Friar's Club Roast, this year honoring veteran comedian Pat Cooper.  Lisa Lampanelli was the roastmaster, and the jokes were dirty, funny and shocking over the nearly-three-hour roast.  It was a lot of fun.  Congrats to buddy, Randie Levine-Miller who was named Friar of the Year.  Here are some photos by Linda Lenzi of Broadwayworld.com.

Sunday evening after JERSEY BOYS, the fans of JERSEY BOYS treated the cast to a reception at the New York Marriott Marquis.  Thank you to Irene Eizen for coming up with and then executing the great idea!  In attendance were the legendary original FOUR SEASONS, Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio and Joe Long (who replaced Nick Massi when he left the band).  All proceeds from the reception and ensuing silent auction of JB memorabilia went to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 

It was so great to see all of you, and very fun to finally meet some of you who have been corresponding with me.  Thank you for making the trip to honor the Original Broadway Cast.  We appreciate you as much as you appreciate us.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Thank you to all of you who donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  I'll be sending out five personalized signed copies of the JERSEY BOYS coffee table book.   The 20th person who donated was Paulette Fourty.  The 10th person who donated after October 12th was Wanda Young.  And it was a three-way tie for the highest donor:  Charly O'Clarit, Buz & Irene Eizen (for the Newell Foundation), and Lish Garnett. 

The total amount you helped raise for Cystic Fibrosis research is $11,853!!  I'll post the final total when the last of the checks have arrived.

Thank you so much to the following donors:

Melissa Aldrich, Christina Andrea, Lenora Antunes, Mary Cae Ariano, Lisa Arkin, Cynthia Bambace, Kathy Bartsche, Nicole Basile, Rosemary Bonnevie, Lori Borelli, Carol Boyd, Dorothy Brown, Carol Callister, Jody Cardillo, Eileen Conway, Virginia Coroniti, Adrienne Cronin, Nancy Davison, Nancy Dela Cruz, Damaris Dugan, Brenda Edgington, Dina Fong, Paulette Fourty, Joan Fuller, Elaine Gampel, Lish Garnett, Jeanette Haas, Lois Halpern, Carol Ann Henicle, Maria Hickey, Kim Krahulec, Courtney Liddle, Karen Hsu Patterson, Gayle Kamen Weinstein, Kimberly King, Sally Lawrence, Eunice Lee, Lori Leone, Sharon Lippett, Nancy Mattern, Theresa McKeown, Dona Miller, Heather Myers, Patricia Natoli, Charlotte O’Clarit, Buz and Irene Eizen (Newell Foundation), Cherri Pitcock, Sara Rand, Patricia Rittereiser, Lucy Rochetti, Audrey and Spencer Rockman, Grace Ruggiero, Linda Salamone, Pamela Singer, Stacey Siringano, Susie and Dale Skarl, Jennifer Slater, Faith Steinberg, Lila Luehring Stillman, Margie Smizaski, Sandy & Dave Stortz, Karen Tsu Paterson, Vanessa Shyu, Samantha Toy, Howard Tucker, Kent Van Gelder, Michelle Walpole, Thea Wudyka, Gillian Young, Wanda Young

NEWSFLASH! 

Someone just unexpectedly trumped the top three donors with a very, very generous check.  Thank you to Rosemary Bonnevie, who will be receiving the 6th signed JERSEY BOYS book!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thank you to all of you who have been sending in donations for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  I'm going to throw in another JERSEY BOYS coffee table book for the 10th person who donates between tomorrow October 12th and the last day of the contest!  Results will be posted here on the blog after October 15th with a list of donors and an announcement of the people who won the books.  The book is released October 16th, and as soon as I receive my copies, I'll sign them and send them out to the winners. 

So far, in only a week and a half or so, you have helped raise more than $4000 for Cystic Fibrosis Research.  As many of you know, I lost my birthmother to cystic fibrosis when I was very young, and bringing attention and support to this important charity has a lot of personal meaning for me.   I send my deepest appreciation to all of you who are joining me in that effort.

Astounded at the great tally, I contacted the Executive Director of the Greater New Jersey Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Robin Vogel, to ask her to thank you for your help.  She writes, "The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is so grateful to John Lloyd Young and his loyal and generous fans.  The key to curing cystic fibrosis is the ability the Foundation has to fund our vital research programs.  Your support makes this possible and will lead to the day we can say that CF stands for Cure Found!" 

Visit www.cff.org for more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Great to see JB fans Beverley and Irene at the stage door yesterday.  Looking forward to seeing them and many other fans at the big "meet the JERSEY BOYS cast" fan event, coming up on October 21st to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.  Visit the BC/EFA website to find information on this event.  A lot of you have written me letters telling me you're going to be there, and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you.

Friday, October 5, 2007

Congratulations to the Chicago JERSEY BOYS lead, Jarrod Spector (who stars as "Frankie Valli"), and company, who began performances there tonight!

A belated congrats to the star of the JERSEY BOYS national tour, Christopher Kale Jones (who plays the lead role of "Frankie Valli") on his recent wedding to Jenna Coker.

There's an abundance of great Frankie Vallis!  Including the real, live Frankie Valli, whose new album, Romancing the 60's, was just released.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Happy belated birthday to young JERSEY BOYS fan, Mario Hickey, who had a fun visit backstage last week!

Backstage	Onstage	Fans cheer for Mario!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

"Seek opportunity, not security.  A boat in the harbor is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out."
H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Congratulations to the JERSEY BOYS National Tour cast Jarrod Spector, Drew Gehling, Jeremy Kushnier, Michael Ingersoll and company for their performance tonight on the Emmy Awards.  This cast, currently in San Francisco, will play Chicago, next.  A second national tour is currently playing Sacramento.

The Tony-winning JERSEY BOYS original Broadway cast nears the 2nd anniversary of its opening, coming up November 6th!

Saturday, September 15, 2007

45 years ago, today, The Four Seasons had their first Billboard #1 hit with "Sherry."  And what a 45 year ride it's been for them since.  Congratulations to the Seasons on this important landmark and on the staggering success of JERSEY BOYS.

Especially for JERSEY BOYS fans who discovered the show after the 2006 Tony Awards, here's a link to an early radio interview I gave for Wisconsin Public Radio about becoming an actor, finding inspiration in the movie TOOTSIE, struggling in New York and finally landing the role of a lifetime in JERSEY BOYS.  From WPR's "The Best of Our Knowledge" my story is the first of three segments in the program, "Living Your Dream."  Click here to listen.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Forgot to provide a link to photos of our recent visit from NYC Mayor Bloomberg.  Click here for photos from Broadway.com.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

So many younger fans who are aspiring actors have written me asking for advice.  Oftentimes I suggest books (because when I was struggling, and even now, books are where I turn first for inspiration and instruction).  So here's a list of books that have helped me, and could help you, too. 

My absolute essential is AUDITION by Michael Shurtleff.  This book is a classic, not only about auditioning, but about having a life in the theatre, being an actor, being YOURSELF and TRYING to stay afloat in a difficult field.  My favorite anecdote is of legendary director Elia Kazan (A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, etc.), who if an actor was having difficulty in an audition reading, he'd sometimes stop them and just talk to them.  He believed in casting an essence and sometimes you could extract that essence better in talking to an actor than in having him read.  Brando may not have been Brando if it weren't for his start with Kazan.  (P.S.  Every actor on earth is seeking "THEIR Kazan" and is BLESSED when and if they find him or her.)

Here are some more great books for actors.

TRUE AND FALSE, by David Mamet.  Worry no more about who the RIGHT teacher is, or the RIGHT training, or getting it RIGHT.  I don't agree with all the ideas in this book, but it'll get you to stop trying to OBEY and start focusing on being true to yourself, which is, frankly, far more interesting to watch.  (As all my friends were applying to graduate programs in acting, I was reading TRUE AND FALSE: FIVE TIMES IN A ROW).

HOW TO STOP ACTING, by Harold Guskin.  Just stop acting.  Read it, and you'll know what he means.

THE SEASON, by William Goldman.  An insider's look at a Broadway season.  Written in the 60s, it's still mostly relevant to today's Broadway.  An essential for any Broadway aspirant.

HELLO, HE LIED, by Lynda Obst.   Inside Hollywood and also inside entertainment.  The dirty truth.  How things REALLY work and the attitudes Obst learned to effectively play with the big boys.  Inside is the mischievous but absolutely accurate answer to that elusive question every beginning actor has: "How do I get my Equity card?"

And, sometimes the most useful books are just interviews with actors.  Here are some of my favorites:

AL PACINO IN CONVERSATION WITH LAURENCE GROBEL
CONVERSATIONS WITH BRANDO (Laurence Grobel)
ACTORS ON ACTING
ACTORS SPEAK
IN THE COMPANY OF ACTORS (a collection of interviews with renowned British actors)
ACTORS AT WORK (this book's new, published 2007, and I just read it)

Good luck!

*   *    *

Here's an article about Jarrod Spector, who will be playing "Frankie Valli" in the Chicago company of JERSEY BOYS.  Jarrod and I are both devotees of our beloved voice teacher, Katie Agresta.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Happy belated birthday to friend LEGALLY BLONDE's Kate Wetherhead and congratulations on her recent wedding to lighting designer, Jeff Croiter!

We've met so many celebrities at JERSEY BOYS.  Bruce Willis, President Clinton, Bruce Springsteen, the Manning brothers, Glenn Close -- the list is long and varied.  But never have I been so nervous to meet somebody as I was after last night's show when my favorite fashion designer, John Varvatos and his wife, Joyce, said hello backstage.  As a designer, Varvatos does something I really admire but don't know how to do, and he's renowned for it.  I'm a big fan.  For me, I think meeting artists and designers is always going to make me feel how most people might meeting sports, entertainment, media or political figures.  I've found I'm pretty calm meeting the latter types!

Anyway, if any JERSEY BOYS fans relate to what I'm describing and they feel that way when they meet me and my colleagues, now I'm truly flattered, because for the first time, I know exactly how it feels!

John Varvatos had a successful show on Monday night during New York's Fashion Week.  Click here to see images from Mens Style of the September 10th show.  And don't forget to find a Bloomingdale's and buy the special edition tie he designed to benefit VH1's Save the Music (scroll down two entries for information).

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Thank you to some recent visitors at JERSEY BOYS!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

I'm part of the campaign to restore the deteriorated buildings of our national landmark, Ellis Island.  Please visit www.weareellisisland.org to learn how you can get involved by donating, sharing your family's Ellis Island story and spreading the news to your friends and family to help preserve this essential piece of American history.  Click here to see my Ellis Island story.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Here's something that's weird, but kind of fun.  Follow this link.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Well, what do you know?  Wrote recently about Masi Oka and his first Emmy Nomination for HEROES.  Well, friend Jeff Marx has his first Emmy nod, too, for the episode of SCRUBS he wrote.  Congratulations, Jeff!  Here's a link to a video interview with him from Broadwayworld.com.

Enjoyed "Journey to JERSEY BOYS" last night at the Ars Nova Theatre, here in Manhattan, directed by Holly-Anne Ruggiero, (our first assistant director on Broadway).  JERSEY BOYS' Travis Cloer, Heather Ferguson, Jennifer Naimo, Erica Piccinnini and Sara Schmidt shared songs and stories of what lead them up to being in the show.  In attendance were friends, family, JERSEY BOYS fans, some backstage crew, JERSEY BOYS writer, Rick Elice, and the real Bob Gaudio and wife, Judy.

Sunday night after JERSEY BOYS, rushed over to the Music Box Theatre to enjoy the Actors Fund benefit performance of Terrence McNally's DEUCE, starring Angela Lansbury and Marian Seldes.  In its 125th year, the Actors Fund has been hosting benefit performances of Broadway shows for about 80 years!  Click here for more information on The Actors Fund.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

A surprise visit last night at JERSEY BOYS.

Also, click here for photos of us with the JERSEY BOYS cast album Grammy Award.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

An overdue congratulations to former Brown University buddy, Masi Oka, on his first Emmy Nomination for NBC's HEROES!  Masi visited me and the cast of JERSEY BOYS late last year.  Click here for my blog entry about his visit.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Monday, July 9, 2007

A special thank you to Frank Rovello, die-hard Four Seasons fan, (and -- by extension -- JERSEY BOYS fan, too), who has archived nearly every media appearance we've made from day one on his Four Seasons website, www.Genuine-Imitation-Life-Gazette.com.  Frank's video archives have meant so much to all our friends, family and fans, and especially to us.  I was in London July 4th, but thanks to Frank, I still got to see the clip from the Fourth of July Macy's Fireworks for which I had pre-recorded "What a Wonderful World."  Saw Frank and Charles Alexander a few weeks ago at the theatre, who both presented me with a copy of the new Four Seasons box set, JERSEY BEAT (for which Charles wrote liner notes).  Thanks, Frank, for never letting us miss a thing!  We all truly appreciate you.  Click here to see the extensive page of JERSEY BOYS media appearances on Frank's website.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Thank you to friends, family and fans for filling my inbox with happy birthday wishes!  Click here to find a video clip of my "What a Wonderful World" (arranged and orchestrated, respectively, by Ron Melrose and Steve Orich) at the NBC Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks display.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Monday, June 11, 2007

What a busy weekend.  Preparing to present on the 2007 Tony Awards this year was almost as work-intensive as preparing to appear last year, when we were up for the the awards.  The four of us JERSEY BOYS presented the first seven awards during the hour before the live telecast on CBS, and then appeared again during the telecast for a short performance and to introduce a video recapping the awards we had handed out earlier.  One of the most exhilarating experiences ever is handing that Tony Award to its newly-announced recipient.  I was privileged to announce and hand out a 2007 Tony Award to Bob Crowley for his set design for MARY POPPINS (and he had JUST won another Tony moments before with Scott Pask for THE COAST OF UTOPIA) and to Catherine Zuber for her costume design of THE COAST OF UTOPIA.

Early Sunday morning we had to arrive at Radio City Music Hall for the dress rehearsal for the Tony Awards.  Near the end of rehearsal, the cast of SPRING AWAKENING came in and sat in the auditorium.  I nudged Daniel Reichard and said, "Let's go say hello to everybody!"  They reminded me of our JERSEY BOYS cast last year, all of us thrilled to be at the Tonys and eager/excited/anxious about what was to come later that evening.  We won last year, and happily SPRING AWAKENING was a big winner this year, and I think I know how excited they all must have been to rush that stage for the big Best Musical Award.  It was exhilarating to watch them take awards all through the night -- I'm a real fan of their show.  Congrats to all of them, especially choreographer Bill T. Jones and lighting designer Kevin Adams, both of whom I was privately crossing my fingers for since the pundits weren't saying they'd be obvious wins!

It was a fun awards show and there were so many worthy Tony recipients.  Congrats to all.  And thank you to John Varvatos for my fantastic tuxedo!

Today, JERSEY BOYS producer Joe Grano, had us all out to his house in New Jersey for a celebration in honor of the success of JERSEY BOYS.  Bob Gaudio brought his newly-delivered Grammy Award for the JERSEY BOYS album for us all to look at.  We'll all pose for a picture with it, eventually, and if I get a copy I'll post it to the blog.

Ended the evening as a guest of The Alliance of Resident Theatres' 35th Anniversary Gala at New York's Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center.  Daphne Rubin-Vega was this year's honoree.  Had fun visiting with the guests at the event and supporting the organization that supports all the Off and Off-Off Broadway not-for-profit theatres in New York.  There are about 360 member companies, including David Herskovitz's Target Margin Theatre Company who produced the first play I ever did in New York (Rinne Groff's THE FIVE HYSTERICAL GIRLS THEOREM).

Monday, May 28, 2007

Saw CORAM BOY Saturday.  There were some incredibly visceral and arresting moments.  Unfortunately, it closed yesterday.  I'm glad I saw it.  Congratulations to Tony-nominee Xanthe Elbrick, especially for her uncanny Act II portrayal of an 8-year-old boy.  What an achievement.  As an actor, these are the sorts of transformations I aspire to achieve in my own work, and that I stand in awe of as an observer.  To me, Elbrick's transformation is just as staggering as Tovah Feldshuh's as "Golda Meir" in GOLDA'S BALCONY, or Isabelle Keating's as "Judy Garland" in THE BOY FROM OZ.

Tonight seeing SPRING AWAKENING my second time since attending its opening night back in December.  Can't wait to see this now award-winning, Tony-nominated show once more.  Looking forward to the actors (including Tony-nominees Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher, Jr.), and the rocking score, of course, but also excited to again watch the entrancing choreography of Tony-nominee Bill T. Jones, all under the out-of-this-world lighting by Tony-nominee Kevin Adams.  (And, yes, I'm still listening to the cast album on my iPod).

The other JERSEY BOYS and I will be presenting multiple awards at the 2007 Tony Awards, June 10th (I wonder if we'll be handing a trophy to Mr. Jones or Mr. Adams...).

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Spent my day off, yesterday, reading the fascinating novel, THE BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEAD, by Kevin Brockmeier, finalist for the New York Public Library's 2007 Young Lions Fiction Award.  The novel is about a metropolis into which the recently-departed-but-still-remembered have crossed over and where they reside until the last living person on Earth has forgotten them.  Strange changes begin to take shape in the city as humankind on the living Earth faces extinction by a worldwide virus.  Meanwhile, a woman stranded on expedition in Antarctica realizes she may be one of the last living people on Earth.  Dire as all that sounds, the book is both lyrical, poetic and witty.  It was a great read. 

I devoured the book earlier in the day, and later that evening joined Martha Plimpton, Robert Sean Leonard, and Ethan Hawke in reading excerpts from the five finalists' novels at the New York Public LIbrary.  Congratulations to the 2007 Young Lions Fiction Award winner, Olga Grushin, for her novel THE DREAM LIFE OF SUKHANOV.

Visit TonyAwards.com for information on this year's Tony Awards.  There is also a video page where you can watch interviews with past winners (including my two interviews -- scroll down to the Y's).

Friday, May 11, 2007

Show choirs doing FOUR SEASONS medleys again?  Can JERSEY BOYS be responsible?  Click here.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

From a press release, yesterday.  Congrats to buddy, Leslie Kritzer:

"New York, NY, May 9, 2007— Leslie Kritzer and Lin-Manuel Miranda have been selected to receive the annual Clarence Derwent Award presented by the Actors’ Equity Foundation to honor the most promising female and male performers on the New York metropolitan scene. The prizes are $2,000 each plus an engraved crystal trophy. The announcement was made by Arne Gundersen, president of the Equity Foundation.

Leslie Kritzer was recognized for her performance as Serena, a sorority girl, in Legally Blonde. Other credits include the Broadway production of Hairspray; the National tour of Urinetown, and the Off-Broadway production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical, for which she received a Drama Desk nomination. She also appeared Off-Broadway in Batboy and Godspell and at Joe’s Pub in Leslie Kritzer Is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lin-Man in In The Heights, for which he also wrote the music and lyrics, wrote the first incarnation of the show in his sophomore year at Wesleyan University. He is a founding member of Freestyle Love Supreme, a hip-hop comedy group that tours comedy festivals all over the world; has contributed original music to ads for Promesas, a youth center for homeless teens in the Bronx; is a part-time actor/teacher with CUNY/Creative Arts Team and writes restaurant reviews and a weekly scene column for the Manhattan Times, a bilingual weekly newspaper in Upper Manhattan."

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Happy birthday to the real Frankie Valli!

Click here for photos from Broadwayworld.com from Tuesday evening's afterparty for the documentary, SHOW BUSINESS.

Tuesday, May 1, 2007

There's a video online that I find hilarious, starring Will Ferrell, one of my favorite comedians.  Click this link to watch it.  I love this video.  (This video is not for kids, but is essential viewing for Will Ferrell fans).

Some photos have appeared online from some of the past days' events I attended.  Here are some photos from each event, all from Broadwayworld.com.  Click here for photos from the LEGALLY BLONDE opening night.  Click here for photos from the Actors Fund of America's 125th Anniversary Gala.  And click here for photos from the NY Pops Annual Gala at Carnegie Hall.

Tonight attended the afterparty at Film Center Cafe for a New York screening of SHOW BUSINESS, a documentary that covered the 2003 Broadway season.  Thank you to LEGALLY BLONDE producer, Dori Berenstein, for the invitation.  Attended with JERSEY BOYS co-star Christian Hoff, after our evening performance, and ran into a bunch of friends who had attended the screening.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Just back from a nice, whirlwind few days in Los Angeles.  So quick and busy that I apologize to my friends for not even picking up the phone to tell them I was there!  But the weather was great and visited some excellent restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's CUT at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, the garden restaurant at the Chateau Marmont and Katsuya Sushi restaurant in Brentwood.

Looking forward to the opening night of LEGALLY BLONDE on Broadway tomorrow.  And congrats in advance to pals composer/lyricists Larry O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, star Laura Bell Bundy and Leslie Kritzer and Kate Wetherhead.  I know it's going to be a really fun night.  Monday I'll be at some of the Actors Fund of America's 125th Anniversary Gala and then go to Carnegie Hall to perform with the NY Pops in their annual gala.

Tuesday?  Back at JERSEY BOYS.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Courtesy of JERSEY BOYS' conductor, Ron Melrose, here's a great link to a Japanese Four Seasons cover band!

Monday, April 16, 2007

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Thank you to everyone who came out to the rally to save the Paper Mill Playhouse last night.  And a special thank you to JERSEY BOYS fan, Howard Tucker, who gave up his ticket to this Thursday evening's performance, last minute, for me to offer at the podium for a donation to Pape