Walk...Like a Man (Dec.9)

Okay…this is going to be the blog to beat all blogs.

I want to start by telling a story about my experience with the show thus far:

I auditioned for this show while living in Michigan. I was working 40 hours per week at a ticket brokerage company in Southfield, MI. I was making good money as their concert and theatre manager but other than some random regional theatre in the Southeast Detroit area, I had just about given up on my future with a career in theatre.

I found out about the Jersey Boys audition after randomly searching the Equity website for open auditions in Chicago. I saw that Jersey Boys was having an open call and I pretty much scanned past it because the thought of going to an audition in Chicago to simply sing 24 bars and be told “thank you” wasn’t really worth my time…

…then I bought the cast album.

I kept that cast album in my car’s stereo for literally three weeks without taking it out. I fell in love with the arrangements and the harmonies and the songs helped tell the story that I never got to see on Broadway.

So I called Chicago’s equity office for an audition, booked a flight and called in sick to work.

My audition was great; I auditioned for Ron Melrose and the casting associate of the time, Dunja Vitolich. I sang a real good cut of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and after singing, Ron Melrose gave me some great direction and asked me to sing it again. From there, he said (and I’ll never forget this), “well Eric, there’s about nine different parts in this show for you, so why don’t you give us a second here so we can figure out what you are doing for your call back tomorrow.”

The next day, after working my ass off all night going over the sides and music they gave me, I auditioned again for Ron and Dunja and thought it went well…but that was that.

About three days later I get a call from the NY offices that they would like me to come to the final callbacks in NY in about two weeks. So…I booked another flight to NY, came up with another horrible lie to tell my boss so I could get out of a ticket conference in Vegas the same weekend of my callback, and off I went.

The callback was surreal. Other than the fact that the first three hours was a dance call (and I hadn’t done one of those for about three years) and when Erik Bates walked in I thought it was Christian Hoff, it was for the most part relatively relaxing…

…that was until I walked in to read, sing and play my guitar and behind the desk is Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman (the authors), Des, Ron, all of the show’s producers and the actual Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio.

After changing my pants from the shock, I sang “Stand By Me” (thanks to Bobby Spencer who sang the same song for his callback) and was asked to do Hank’s “Heyyyyy” about twelve different ways.

And then I left.

But the signs the rest of that day were unreal:

1. I met up with one of my good friends right after the audition and he works right near the Wintergarden Theatre. Right next to the Wintergarden is a horrible tourist hole called “Ellen’s Stardust Diner” where lots of school groups go to during the day and the waiters and waitresses perform Broadway show tunes in between taking your orders (no, seriously, get me my cheeseburger and fries and put that microphone down). As I walked up to wait for my buddy, one of the waiters breaks into “Can’t Take My Eyes…”. Weird.
2. That night, I saw Sweeney Todd. As I am reading through the playbill before the show, I realize that the lead, Michael Cerveris was in Des McAnuff’s production of Tommy. After the show, since I am a huge stage door dork, I asked for his autograph and told him that he’s my good luck charm as I just auditioned for one of his past directors. He looked right at me and said, “well then, I guess you’ll be busy after you get the show.” Thank you Mr. Cerveris (you should have won the Tony that year by the way).

I flew back to Michigan thinking to myself, “well, the show starts rehearsals in about two months, so if I don’t hear in about 6 weeks, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

I got "the call" two days later.

Everything from there seems like a dream. From my blogs you all know that I packed up my house into storage, shoved as much as I could into our car, and Sarah, Toby and I have been on this adventure ever since.

One year and eight days to be exact since we started performances. #390 shows as of this Sunday night.

I have spent time in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Tempe, San Diego, Costa Mesa and now Seattle. I have driven countless thousands of miles across the west side of the Country…however…

After performance #390, this Sunday evening, December 9, I will be leaving the National Tour of Jersey Boys…

…and joining the Broadway company.

Holy shit.

This has all come very quickly; Colin Donnell (who plays “Hank” on Broadway) put in his notice just a few weeks ago and I got the official word less than a week ago. Since then, it has been all about negotiating what terms I need in order to get me and my family there safely, and of course, looking for housing has been a lot of fun (I think it’s all taken care of – cross your fingers).

But everything is slowly coming together and this experience on the road has really become something even more. I am going to miss my family here on the road so badly – so badly I really don’t want to blog about it – but to have the opportunity to perform on Broadway and literally live a dream that I have had since I was a child is unlike anything else in the world.

So that’s the big news. I want to share it with all of you because other than my family who reads this blog, I have gotten comments and email from all over the Country from fantastic people I have met at the stage door (or have yet to meet at the stage door). Your comments have really helped keep Sarah and I rooted during our travels and I thank all of you for your encouragement and support this whole year.

So what happens to the blog…? Well, I guess I can’t really call it “Tour This” anymore – so I’m open to suggestions. Now that I am going to be sitting in a city for more than 3 weeks at a time, honestly I don’t know how much I will update. But of course, as rehearsals finish up this week and I make my Broadway debut this Saturday matinee, December 15, I will of course bring you all in to the experience as well.

So that’s it. I feel like I have so much more information to share about my experiences on the road but I guess one day I will have to re-read my blog since the start and see what memories they conjure up.

In the meantime, I guess for now you will have to rely on other cast members of the Sherry company to keep you informed – which might be tough because I don’t think any of them have a blog. As far as my cast mate’s parents are concerned, I’m sorry I have to leave because I know you all find out information on your sons and daughters through my entries…I guess they will have to pick up a phone every once in awhile now to keep you in the loop.

Again, thanks to everyone for the support (especially all my parents and Sarah). Think good thoughts for us as we travel to NYC and get our lives set up there.

Until then…this is officially the last blog entry of “Tour This”. See you on Broadway.