Oh What A...Week (April 23)

okay, let's get right to it.

Monday, April 16:

the cast got together at Club Fugazi in San Fran for a One Night Only benefit performance to support two amazing organizations; Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (a local Bay area charity that is doing some unbelievable work).

The entire night was a HUGE success not only because we raised a lot of money (for example, at the auction, a brunch with our Four Seasons plus 4 house seats went for $4000), but because a lot of people in the cast got to shine a little bit more than they do onstage in our little show.

some highlight's of the show:

* the auction raised over $10,000 in total. some amazing people dug very deep for some awesome items. and that was just the auction.

* Nate's song, "Shiksa Goddess" was hilarious. i don't know, maybe i'm biased because i'm Jewish but it was funny as hell.

* our bass player, Josh Weinstein, called in sick for the show...so i got to cover all the bass parts, and i loved getting to play in the pit with the other musicians!

* Erich Bergen singing Brittany Spears' "I'm Not a Girl"...nuff' said.

* getting to sing with my dear friend Jackie Seiden on "Anything You Can Do" but with alternate lyrics essentially making fun of each other.

after the show, we all headed to a local restaurant for wine and desert and a lot of the audience was there to enjoy it with us. it was great to hear their reactions and to also know that our hard work made for a night that meant a lot to some wonderful people.

Thursday, April 19:

Erich Bergen was sick. So my good friend Miles Aubrey got to go on for is debut as Bob Gaudio. he was fantastic and i am super proud of him. i only wish that his lovely fiancee, Erica, got to see him in the role as well. a HUGE congrats to Miles for doing such a fantastic job!

Saturday, April 20:

Erich Bergen is sick again. Miles gets to go on again for the matinee...but i get to go on for the evening!

so Saturday night was my debut performance as Bob Gaudio!

all in all, i was really happy with everything. a few little line flubs but nothing that the audience would necessarily notice. i wasn't as nervous to go on as i was when i did my first performance as Tommy, but man oh man, once you finally get on stage 30 minutes into the show...hold on for dear life because the tornado doesn't stop! it was funny because i was so "present" on stage due to the fact that as i was doing one monologue, i was of course thinking about the next monologue i had to do. especially in the big three songs when the character has to interject so much.

but the show was awesome and yet again, at curtain call when we were giving the Equity Fights AIDS speech, Deven May told the audience that it was my first time going on as Bob Gaudio and they gave me such a wonderful response.

speaking of Deven May - i have something to say:

he is a force of nature on stage. i have never seen a performance quite like his in the fact that he as an actor and he in that role are in such control at all times. he draws you in within 10 seconds of his first monologue and you can't take your eyes off of him. i actually found myself watching him more like an audience member than as an actor at times because i was so enthralled having him up there next to me. and pardon me for saying this (for i don't know who does or does not read this blog), but if any creative staff is checking this out, you would be fools not to have him take Christian Hoff's place when he leaves the NY production.

i think we are blessed having Deven, Chris, Michael and Erich as our Four Seasons...and i can't wait for the rest of the Country to see these 4 guys in action.

Sunday, April 22:

Erich Bergen is STILL sick...so i get to go on a second time as Bob. a little more relaxed this time and allowed myself to have a little more fun, and again, the audience was wonderfully receptive. again, a few little line things (damn you nerves), but i think a smoother show altogether for me.

...and this time at curtain call, Michael Ingersoll announced that this show was my last as a single man, as tomorrow Sarah and I head off to the beautiful Dominican Republic for the wedding!

yes folks, tomorrow is the big red-eye flight to Punta Cana, so this will be my last blog for about 10 days. i promise when i get back i will give a full report on the wedding and will try to post a slide show as well, but i do want to say THANK YOU to all of you who have emailed or posted comments wishing us congratulations on the upcoming wedding day. Sarah and i are so excited for April 30 and we can't tell you how much it means to us to hear from all of you giving us your love and support.

a few last items:

* an ENORMOUS thank you to Andrea Kim, one of our biggest fans here in San Fran, for the beautiful wedding gift. we truly loved it and can't thank you enough for your continued thoughtfulness.

* for my friends and family who read this but can't go with us to the wedding - we will miss you terribly! i'm sorry that we couldn't of just done something back home in Michigan so you could all be with us, but once you see the pictures, you will understand why we opted for a destination wedding!

* for my friends and family that are joining us - travel safe and don't forget your passports!

* a HUGE thank you to all our audiences in San Fran that have donated to Broadway Cares. i am super happy to report that between our collections after the show for the last 6 weeks, as well as the benefit last Monday, the cast and crew of Jersey Boys has raised over $225,000!!!!!!!

well folks, that's it for now. it's about 10:30 and it's time to start getting ready to do wedding stuf all day...packing, errands, etc.

much love to you all and i'll blog again as a married man!

Get Some Rest, More To Come (April 21)

okay, okay...i have a LOT to blog about.

but for now, i have to get the hell to sleep.

after going on for my first time as Bob Gaudio tonight, I need to get some sleep because turns out I am going on for tomorrow's matinee as well.

promise to blog more tomorrow or Monday before Sarah and I head off for the wedding!

The Bat Phone Rang (April 15)

so here's the deal...i got "the call".

well not technically a call, but here's how things worked out yesterday:

i walked into the theatre around 1pm, like i always do before a matinee, and on the call board is a little note from our wardrobe supervisor saying "Eric, please see me". it's pretty typical, every once in awhile, little costume things come up and we need to fix them before the show.

i see her in the hallway and she asks me to try a jacket on. i put on this new jacket that i'm not familiar with, and turn to her and say "um...this is Tommy's jacket". she simply said, "go see stage management."

long story short: saturday evening, april 14, i did my debut performance as Tommy DeVito.

the show was...well...it was surreal. in a way, i feel like the first 30 minutes didn't even happen. i mean, the show starts and i'm standing there thinking to myself "just get through the opening and 'Silhouettes' and it will get easier from there."

but the audience was great, very inviting...and after that first monologue, and i started to get comfortable with the pacing and got those first few laughs on "ubiquitous", i felt almost like the audience was already with me...ready to take this "journey" with me.

and it was quite a journey. here are the highlights:

* the first scene with Frankie, i offer him the keys to the Bellevedere. it would have made a lot more sense if i actually would have pulled out the keys, however, they were still on the prop shelf because i forgot to grab them before the show. so when i tell Frankie his cut would be "hundred-fifty, maybe two", i held out my hand so Frankie might grab it and shake it as if it's a "deal". instead, Chris Jones simply looked at me and said "I'm in", and ran off stage.

* after Gaudio is introduced, Frankie and Tommy have an altercation downstage where Frankie says if Tommy doesn't give Bob a chance, he can find a new lead singer. Then, Tommy backhands Frankie, but Frankie catches it just in time and it makes fr a very dramatic pause in the show. Well, I went to backhand him, but pulled back because i thought i was a little too close to his face, and pretty much just rested the back of my hand in his. so essentially, it was one of the worst stage combat scenes in the history of theatre.

* the scene where Tommy tells Frankie he is going to help him get his car back from Donnie and Stosh after they scam him with the fake murder, the correct lines should go:

T: I'm your friend. Now go home, I'll take care of Donnie.
F: What are you going to do, call Gyp?
T: Are you nuts, you don't bother Gyp DeCarlo with two-bit bullshit. I said I'll get your car back. Now go home, make your wife happy.
F: Thanks Tommy, I owe you.

here's what was said:

T: I'm your friend. Now go home, I'll take care of Donnie.
F: What are you going to do, call Gyp?
T: Are you nuts, you don't bother Gyp DeCarlo with two-bit bullshit. I said I'll take care of Donnie...and make your wife happy.
F: Thanks Tommy...? I owe you...?

so i think with those small changes, i pretty much told Frankie i was going to take care of Donnie again, and then have sex with his wife. haha.

other than those major things, yes, there were small little flubs here and there and i did mess up one dance move in "Sherry" (damn those twists back and forth), but all in all, it was freaking amazing.

best highlights of the night:

* without a doubt, riding the mic lift up as we sing "Ragdoll" was absolutely incredible. Michael Ingersoll (our Nick Massi) told me right before we rode up to slowly pan my head up as the lift goes, because since we are back-lit, we can see the entire audience and their reaction. he was right, it was something i will never forget.

* the enormous wave of applause after "Walk Like a Man".

* the great laugh i got after introducing Joe Pesci.

* after our Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS speech, Erich Bergen was nice enough to tell the entire audience that they were at a very special performance due to the fact that the night marked my debut performance in the role. and the audience was wonderful...and they gave me another huge round of applause...

...and the best part about it was both my mom and Sarah were there to see it.

to close out today's blog, a HUGE thank you to the cast and crew for being so supportive of that night. i could not have done it without any of you having the faith in me that you did, and i appreciate everything you did to help.

that's it for now. big Broadway Cares benefit tomorrow.

...and 15 days until the wedding day!

Next Thing I Know, There Was Blood Everywhere (April 13)

that's got to be my favorite blog title ever...but more on that later.

first off, without harping on it, i just want to pass my love and thoughts to Sandy DeNise and her family. i will simply say, Sandy, we miss you and look forward to seeing you in New Haven. you are in our prayers and hearts.

ok, let's get you all caught up.

Rick Faugno has had his official first few shows as our Frankie alternate. he has gotten a great reception from the audience and i'm pretty sure i can say on behalf of the whole cast that we feel completely comfortable on stage and i'm looking forward to seeing how things progress with his scene work throughout the tour. but man oh man, what a powerful voice that kid has!

there was a fight in the audience the other night as well. i don't know the details of it, but i think some guy was getting to his seat at intermission and kind of hit some guy's kid and the father starts yelling at the guy...and then the other guy yells back...and next thing you know, one of the guys is throwing fists at the other. security was called, someone got ejected, and end of story.

more official news about the show: our last day at the Curran Theatre is Thursday, May 3 and the second National touring cast starts the very next evening on May 4. it's almost surreal because we do our show and the next day we don't have to go to work because a completely different cast will be there in our place...their costumes...our set. but we will all be there to support them at their final dress that afternoon and to, in a way, pass the torch to the next addition to this massive growing family. in any event, i truly hope our first row "regulars" will rush the show for their regular seats and celebrate with us as we say goodbye to San Francisco.

speaking of extended family; i want to give a "welcome" to Heather Ferguson, the female swing of the Broadway cast, who is here while Sandy is away. we had understudy rehearsal today, and Heather, fresh off an afternoon plane, walked into the theatre and onto the stage and jumped right into the mix. in any event, we are honored to have her with us and just hope that she'll bring good stories back to NYC about us.

Broadway Cares news: as most of you know, the Broadway and touring communities collect twice a year for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. We are in the middle of our 5th week of collecting, and i THRILLED to report that we have already raised over $150,000! And with about 12 more shows of collecting, as well as the benefit show at Club Fugazi next Monday, I don't see how we can't hit over $200,000. So for those of you in our audiences who have donated - thank you!

let's finish this week's blog with a fun story:

tuesday night, the show is going smoothly. no problems in the first act. good audience.

then, right before Charlie Collelo and Joe Long are introduced into the show, the person in the Joey track is to wheel on the "recording studio" table as Bob Crewe sets the microphone center stage. so because Courter is still learning the Joey track, Taylor Sternberg, one of our great male swings, is on. as he's wheeling the table onstage (about 8 feet long and about chest height), he puts is head down so he can gauge where the spike mark is for the table. but as he drops his head, the table leans slightly to the right, hits one of the steel stationary poles at the other end, and Taylor's face goes into the table.

from there, i see Taylor run offstage holding his face yelling for ice...and the next thing i know, there was blood everywhere. essentially, he bashed his nose and forehead into the table and ran offstage so it didn't happen on stage. the crazy thing is, we are all still trying to do our offstage vocals and get ready for entances, and i had to pretty much step over him so i would make my entrance.

long story short: our other swing, Erik Bates, was in costume within 2 minutes and he finished the show, Taylor went to the hospital and other than some bad swelling, was okay. he was out for both shows on wednesday due to doctor's orders, but was back in the saddle thursday for rehearsal and the show at night.

well, i guess we'll stop there. thanks to everyone as always for the comments and emails. and a special thank you to those of you who have sent all your wonderful wishes for Sarah and my upcoming wedding (17 short days!!!!!!).

"How's Vegas, Tommy" (April 4)

Went to Vegas...stayed at the Luxor...lost my ass in craps and poker...barely slept...and yet it was a GREAT 2 days! it also makes me laugh that the drinks are "free" in Vegas when you are gambling - they figure they can give you some watered down drinks while you spend your money. it's not free. i had some of the most expensive "free" drinks ever sitting at those tables. but the MGM Grand Buffet was delicious and we went to some Irish Pub type place at the New York New York Hotel and Casino and it was a great atmosphere. and a 24-hour Krispy Kreme!?!? enough said!

but a HUGE thank you to Doug Crawford who had all the Vegas hookups, and to Erik Bates and Jarrod Spector for taking care of mine and Miles' flights!

speaking of Jarrod Spector - let's start talking about the show:

well as most of you hardcore JB fans already know, Jarrod is going to be Frankie in the 2nd National Tour! we have known this for a long time but didn't know when we were allowed to post things. But since it is on the JB blog, i figured what the hell - and i wanted to officially say congrats and good luck to my good friend. And for those of you in the 2nd National...Jarrod is amazing, you are lucky to have him. but careful playing poker with him - he likes to raise blind.

other cast news:

last night was our very own Rick Faugno's first night as the official Frankie Valli alternate! he will be doing all Tuesday night and Wednesday matinees and he was a powerhouse last night! we in the cast though are very sad to lose him as Joey though...but happy to back him up twice weekly in his new role.

so who is playing Joey? well for the next 12 shows, our swing Taylor Sternberg is stepping up to the plate as we work with and welcome new cast member, Courter Simmons! We all had the chance to meet Courter last night and his enthusiasm for being a part of our cast was great...we all stand behind him 100% and can't wait to work with him onstage.

other news: yesterday, our Four Season were invited to sing the National Anthem for the opening day San Francisco Giants game! They sang to a full crowd of over 45,000 people and met some hall-of-famers and got some awesome Giants jerseys. Check out their anthem rendition HERE!

what else to report...?

sarah and i are down to the wire with our wedding in 26 days!!!! we actually leave for Punta Cana in 3 weeks so we are going crazy trying to get all the last minute things together. she actually just got home with her dress...she has her last fitting today. my suit is getting altered as we speak, and our rings should be here any day now. VERY VERY VERY exciting!

lastly, if you or anyone you know wants to see the show this Saturday Matinee (April 7 2pm), please have them email me at theguter@hotmail.com. I have a few tickets in the loge/mezz that i want to get rid of and so i am selling them at like $10 or so under face (face is $99).

will blog soon - i'm sure more to report as the 2nd National cast gets announced.