Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
JERSEY BOYS UK Tour 2017/2018
Jersey Boys is the show that everyone loves. A performance filled to the brim with musical hits, telling the story of how The Four Seasons rose to fame, it's hard to find someone who is not a fan. Starting their UK tour on Tuesday 16th October and continuing on until the end of March, the latest cast of Jersey Boys are only just beginning their journey...
Q) How does Jersey Boys compare to other productions you’ve done?
Dayle: Jersey Boys was the show that I always wanted to do from the first time I saw it. When I saw the part of Frankie Valli I just said: "I have to play that part one day". That became my dream and my mission - I worked really hard and here I am. I’ve been doing it for about 4 years and I still absolutely love it.
Lewis: It was actually Jersey Boys where I landed my first principal role. I’ve always been in the ensemble, the swing or as an understudy - when I landed the role of Nick in the first tour of Jersey Boys, that kind of set me on a path. So, when the second Jersey Boys tour came out, they asked if I was available to reprise my role as Nick and I said: "No brainer - I’ll see you on opening night!"
Q) If you could give a short summary of the musical what would you say?
Dayle: Jersey Boys is a fast-paced show that will leave you singing and dancing your way to the car park. The story itself is almost unbelievable in some places; It’s about the rise to fame and fortune of the band from absolutely nothing. They had a really dodgy upbringing in a rough part of Jersey and the play goes through everything they went through. And believe me it wasn’t easy.
Q) The show appeals to a very wide audience – why do you think that is?
Lewis: I think it's because it's relative. The sourced material is from back in the ‘50s. The band, before they became The Four Seasons, were actually a cover band and they went through various different incarnations with different band members, different sounds, different styles. It is a relative production because it starts back then, and finishes with the induction of the original Four Seasons into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. And that was in 1990, so you’re talking a good 40-year timeline story just in our show, and the legacy of The Four Seasons and indeed Jersey Boys is still going. It brings out a whole new audience.
Q) You’ve added 12 extra dates to keep up with demand! Why would you say people love it so much?
Dayle: It's the music that people always come away talking about, but I do feel that people wouldn’t love it so much if it was just an evening of songs. All of The Four Seasons' band members narrate a section of the show, which makes it unique. It really feels like you’re a part of the story.
Lewis: It’s a clever creation of two shows. I hate to use the words 'jukebox musical' and I hate to use the word 'tribute', but to a degree, it is a 'tribute jukebox musical' to The Four Seasons, woven through a two-act play, and the play is the timeline of their lives.
Q) Do you feel any extra pressure to do The Four Seasons and any big fans proud?
Dayle: The show is so well crafted that it does a lot of the work for us. Obviously, we have to do the work ourselves onstage, but it is so well-written that we kind of just become the characters. The moment we step onstage and say those lines and sing those songs, we become the band. The Four Seasons have a very specific sound and it’s our job to emulate that sound, especially with Frankie Valli. He has a very famous voice, so there is a pressure to make sure you’re hitting all those notes, and to make sure that the audience says "Oh wow yeah, I remember when that came out."
Q) You’re touring until March – how do you find being away from home?
Dayle: It’s tough. I got married recently so it’s hard to be away from my wife, and Lewis recently got engaged. As they say in the show, "We all have families!" But you make it work and you get back when you can, and you make the most of those times that you are with your family back home.
Lewis: We are almost method actors - we are playing four guys who are touring and living out of a suitcase and never get to see their families, and that is the life we are living, too! So to that degree, we bring a little bit of authenticity to the show. We hope we are doing the show justice because there is a personal sacrifice for each and every one of us.
Q) Am I right in thinking you [Dayle] live locally? Where are you from?
Dayle: I am originally from Yateley, not far from Camberley. I was here last time we did the show with Jersey Boys but I was a swing back then and I understudied the role of Frankie, so it’s nice to come back and actually play the role. I’ve got lots of family and friends coming to see the show - I think they’re coming to every show that I’m doing here!
Q) Apart from seeing your family, what do you do in your downtime?
Dayle: I like to watch a lot of football. I’ll watch any sport to be honest if it’s on television. And I really enjoy music, but we get such little downtime really, it’s more just about catching up with friends and family – that’s the main thing that I do.
Lewis: I just love to sit on the sofa in front of a box set or DVD collection and veg out. I like to do nothing. Because we work the way we work – it’s so immersive working on the road – when we get some downtime I just go back to my flat in Southend and just shut myself away from the world and be me for a bit, which is quite nice.
Q) Is there a particular scene that you are most looking forward to the audience seeing?
Lewis: Yes, the sit-down. Always. According to the creators of Jersey Boys, the show sprung from this one scene. It’s a lynchpin moment in the show for my character, but it also has a lot of participation from all of The Four Seasons, and it’s a real developing moment in the show.
Dayle: A highlight for me is the moment in Act 2 when Frankie does a solo. And this song – I’m not going to reveal what it is –
Lewis: You'd be a fool not to know it though!
Dayle: It builds and builds and they don’t announce what the title of the song is until he sings it, but the reason it is such a big deal is that nobody thought the song was going to be successful. Bob Gaudio wrote it and tries to get it on the radio, but nobody will play it because they don’t think it’s going to work. And so he says "Right, I’m going to take this record producer to a concert, Frankie is going to sing the song, and you’ll see how the crowd go wild." And that is a really big moment in the show – at this point, Frankie realises that he can do it - he can become a success.
Jersey Boys is in Woking New Victoria Theatre from 16-27 Oct. Get your tickets here.
