Tales From The Vig

Random Musings (Oct.4)

2009-10-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

random thoughts:

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i realized today after the Donnie/Stosh car scene that i have really gotten a lot of the contents of the blood packet into my throat...

you see the problem is i have to hold the blood packet deep into my right cheek so by the time we get through the scene with all of the dialogue, i have amassed a pretty sizeable amount of spit in my mouth; so by the time i break the packet, it mixes with my saliva and runs pretty freely down my throat.

the worst part is i have no idea what's in the packet. i assume it's some sort of corn syrup with some sort of food coloring, but it tastes pretty much how it looks. it tastes "dark and red".

so if i figure that if about a teaspoon of "blood" goes into one of those packets, and if 6 teaspoons equals 1 fluid ounce, and if 33 fluid ounces equal 1 liter...that means that after about six months in the show (about 200 shows), i essentially am drinking half of a 2 liter bottle of soda that you would buy at the store...but filled with stage blood.

i should find out exactly what the hell is going into my system.

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i am horrible at blogging nowadays. but i also sleep a whole hell of a lot less and am working my ass off...so sorry about that but i guess it is what it is.

i don't think i can (or will) promise to do better at blogging.

but i'll try, i promise (i'm lying).

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the Chicago company celebrated their 1,000th show last week. that is 1,000 shows since the first public performance that the cast made back in San Fransisco when it opened there after the first national cast left for LA and before they moved onto Chicago.

what an amazing experience i have had being able to celebrate all these milestones with all of these different companies i have been a part of.

it's also amazing to me that i have been a part of three different companies with this show. Tour, Broadway and now Chicago; all so similar and yet completely different. I'd really like to do a show in Vegas so I can say I have done every North American company...

...or they can just send me to Australia for a few weeks.

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at intermission, everyone pretty much hangs out in the wardrobe room. not only because the wardrobe staff is freaking awesome, but because there is always so much junk food to eat.

today there were brownies, three different bags of chips/crackers and a birthday cake.

it's like a damn pot luck 8 shows a week and i can't stop eating...!

yet i have lost over 10 pounds.

so should i have more cake?

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i hated living in NYC but i can't tell you how badly i miss that city right now. i miss my friends in the Broadway cast so much and i want to see them right now. i miss going to a broadway show. i miss the really good halal cart on 56th and 6th. i even miss the subway a little bit.

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a few weeks ago i went with some cast members to this place called Stanley's Kitchen & Tap for a few drinks and, more importantly, for LIVE BAND KARAOKE!!!

they have an amazing live band, and as you would sign up at any other bar to sing for a crowd, you do it with a live band and it's unreal. i want to go back soon because i have not stopped thinking about how much fun i had.

i sang "Baba O' Riley" by The Who and "Everlong" from Foo Fighters and it made me feel just like i used to feel when i sang with my band back in college...

did any of you reading this knew i was in a band for seven years or that i recorded six albums with them...?

anyway - here's me singing The Who song - please excuse the poor video/sound quality:

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my daughter is the most adorable baby in the entire world. i look at her and i can't stop smiling. all i want to do is make her laugh and make stupid faces at her and for her to think her daddy is the silliest daddy in the world.

i go outside to do an errand for a few minutes and i walk back in the room and she turns her head to look at me and starts grinning from ear to ear and repeats the babbling of words, "ha da, da da, da da" - which obviously means "hello daddy! look it's daddy! i love you daddy".

she is everything to me and even with her sleeping in her pack and play near me right now, i am excited to spend time with her tomorrow and tell her i love her.

she is also crawling and it terrifies me because i know walking is next...

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i have fun news to share but i can't yet. i always love posting that shit because it puts some of you in such a frenzy to figure it out.

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good night.

Wrigley Field (Aug.28)

2009-08-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I was lucky enough to step onto legendary Wrigley Field and sing the National Anthem with the rest of the Jersey Boys cast (well, the majority of them at least). I am not a huge baseball fan (much to my father's dismay), but I can appreciate a ballpark like Wrigley. You just walk in there and the history kind of consumes you. A total "old school" park that still doesn't have a big jumbo-tron scoreboard...just literally someone that replaces the numbers of hits and runs every time they happen by hand.

I didn't stay for the whole game because I wanted to try and enjoy a few hours with Sarah and Riley before I had to head to the theatre, but I really enjoyed the time I was there. And of course, had my traditional dog, beer and cracker jacks...which my stomach was not happy with me about.

For those of you who missed it, here's us singing the anthem. I get a nice closeup as the song is starting:

Also, for those of you kind of wondering who is replacing Craig Laurie as Bob Crewe...all I can say is he is also singing the anthem and you can see him on screen. But I won't tell you his name because it's kind of fun reading all your posts trying to decipher it.

Oh, and another thing...I love whirlyball. It's 5 on 5 lacrosse in bumper cars...amazing. The tradition here in Chicago is as shows come into town (Chicago, Rent, Mary Poppins, Spring Awakening, etc), Jersey Boys challenges those shows to whirlyball for a few hours. It leaves me in pain and I am exhausted and yet it is the best time ever!

So that's all I got. Two shows tomorrow and then a final show for Craig on Sunday with a big party afterward.

Night.

Hello from Chicago (Aug.24)

2009-08-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

well...just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

greetings from Chicago. it has now been a full month since i have been back in the show and holy crap, is there a lot of catching up to do. let's start, shall we:

a bit after leaving NYC and moving home to the mitten state, Sarah and i had our beautiful daughter, Riley Addison. she was born on Jan.24, 2009 and the past seven months (yes, already seven months!) have been amazing. she's the happiest baby and she always has a smile on her face. she is sitting up all by herself for huge stretches of time so she can play with her blocks and other various toys and we're pretty sure she's going to be crawling any day now. we started her on solid foods (well if you can call pureed veggies and fruit solid) and she loves things like sweet potatoes, peas, bananas and pears...but hates avocado. it's still amazing to me that I am a parent and right now, i'm just enjoying every second of my time with her.

here's a few pics of her in the past seven months:

a few minutes old

2 weeks old

3 months old

4 months old

5 months old

6 months old

so...yeah...i have a pretty cute kid!

as far as Jersey Boys world is concerned, let me get you up to date there as well.

in mid-March, i was called to come to Chicago for 5 weeks as Michael Ingersoll took a one-month leave. so i traded in the gorilla mask for the mustache and debuted as Norm Waxman while Dominic Bogart played Nick Massi for the month.

cut to a few months later, Dominic gives his notice and i get the call to be the replacement.

so here we are:

Chicago marks my third company with Jersey Boys. all i have to do is perform one show in Vegas and i can say i have done every North American company.
With playing "Norm", i have now performed as six different characters through my tenure with the show.
Before the end of the year, i will hit over 1,000 performances.
Because of the basement crossover here at the Bank of America theatre, I have to climb or descend 462 stairs every show.
With this contract, I am no longer understudying any of the four seasons (sadly), but am understudying Bob Crewe.

i am sure there is a ton more to catch everyone up on, but honestly, it's my day off and Riley didn't realize it and i have been up for a good few hours already and i'm having trouble focusing on anything right now.

i will *try* to do some more updates here and there. i know i have kind of fallen off the blogging grid, but i guess with the baby, that free time i had before is slim to none.

until next time...

Guess Who's Back...?

2009-07-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

A new addition to the Jersey Boys family (Jan.24)

2009-01-24T17:56:00.000-08:00

Introducing...

Riley Addison Gutman

Jan.24, 2009

4:10pm

7lbs 5oz, 21 inches long

Mother and baby are doing splendidly. This was the most amazing day of my life.

The Final Blog (Dec.14)

2008-12-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

well...

a week has come and gone. i didn't find myself doubling in "Sherry". i didn't catch myself looking for a sunburst strat to play. and i didn't have to put on a wig to play a gay mute handing off a glass of milk.

a week has come and gone. i have found myself at our first birthing class. i have found myself installing a dimmer switch and custom shelving in the nursery. i have found myself drinking with my buddies at The Bench Pub in Livonia, MI.

how much can change in seven days.

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let's back up a moment to Dec.7. my last show was great. what a lame adjective to describe it but there it is: "great". it felt pretty much like every other show i've done lately with bits and pieces of the show almost as an out of body experience.

a perfect example was in the few moments i have before i enter as Handsome Hank were very cathartic; right before i walked onstage i found myself back two years ago in front of the entire creative and production team, as well as Bob and Frankie, auditioning at my final callback. And I realized that this was the moment that got me cast. I made them all laugh. In that small room at Chelsea Studios, i said my first "Hey!" and they all laughed. And that is what, I think, locked it in for me.

and so i walked onstage, and with as much excitement as i had in that final callback, i said my infamous line and that was it: "Hey". And everyone in the cast smiled at me.

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i wasn't sad at all through the rest of the show. i thought i would be but i wasn't. i was just thrilled to enjoy 150 minutes with some close friends making 1,222 people cheer and scream for us.

i was a little bummed out after "Can't Take My Eyes..." right before "Working My Way" simply because I had to say goodbye to Miles. Miles and i have been friends since day one with rehearsals for the National Tour and rocking out next to him upstage every show has been one of my favorite moments in the 800 shows i performed. having him make his way to Broadway was a thrill for me and to play my Joe to his Charlie again...to watch him play the shit out of that guitar every night...has been an honor to say the least.

and at the end of the show, while the band and i are performing the playoff, it was simply amazing to look stage right and see the entire cast cheering me on as i played my last rhythm guitar part in the show.

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the tradition in the Broadway cast when someone leaves is once everyone is out of costume, the entire cast meets back onstage once the house is cleared and we do a champagne toast for that person. a few people will say something for that person and then that person has a chance to speak as well.

Miles said some absolutely beautiful things. Mark and Peter showed love as well in some funny toasts and the Jersey Girls got me an adorable present for the baby (baby Uggs and of course, a "Big Girls Don't Cry" onesie - NICE!). then i got to speak.

i was very emotional the minute i opened my mouth. to see all of these wonderful people who have shared in this journey with me and to have to say goodbye to them...it was overwhelming.

i will try and sum it up the best way i can:

i love this show. i have loved every person i have worked with and feel lucky to have met them. the past two years of my life have been a dream come true and the fact that i have gotten to tour the Country as well as perform on Broadway...well...there are no words.

all my life i have wanted to perform. since i was a little kid, i knew that one day i would be on Broadway. i have achieved my dreams and the fact that Sarah was able to share them with me makes it that much sweeter. and i have lived the dream. i have performed in one of the most amazing musicals written in a quarter-century. i have seen people in the audience scream until they had no voice and i have seen the hardest of men cry when Frankie gets that phone call in Act II. i have performed as Bob Crewe, Nick Massi, Bob Gaudio and Tommy DeVito and i thank Des, Ron, Sergio and everyone else for seeing in me that i can be relied on as a solid understudy and dependable ensemble member.

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lastly, i want to thank those of you who have read my blogs and seen our show once, twice or 32 times. you are the reason we are the jugernaut we are. you are the reason that more and more people keep coming. and it still amazes me to this day that the blog i started simply for family, has morphed into something that a few hundred people read regularly. i aplogize for not keeping it up as much as i intended to and i apologize if i forgot some of your names as you said hello at the stage door. i have appreciated all of your kind words, emails and comments and it was nice over the years to have "family" show up at the stage door.

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so that's it for the blog. i hope that this does not end my journey with Jersey Boys forever, but for now, it is.

goodbye.
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the early morning before the end (dec.7)

2008-12-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

this afternoon is my last show in Jersey Boys.

i tallied up all the shows i have done between the tour and Broadway and i happen to be leaving exactly on show #800.

it still hasn't hit me yet. maybe it will sometime in the first act. maybe it will later when the cast and i are out having drinks. maybe it will take two weeks when i find myself doubling Tommy's part in "Big Girls Don't Cry" while i put up shelving in the baby's room.

but it's happening. i am numb to it right now.

i think my cast mates are amazing. i feel blessed to have worked with such talented people both on the road and in NYC. i feel lucky to have had John Altieri in my life. i am amazed that tomorrow i get to walk onto a Broadway stage for 1,222 people and know that by the end of the show, the August Wilson theatre will erupt in applause as it has show after show after show.

800 shows.
11,200 costume changes.
84 blog posts.
i have covered and performed in four principal roles - three of which were Seasons.
i have performed for roughly 1.1 million people.

i will post one more blog after this one. and then...

thank you all for your love, support and encouragement.

quickly... (Dec.1)

2008-11-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

i can't sleep...again. i have been away from Sarah and Toby the dog for two weeks now and i don't think i have gone to sleep before 2am since i got back to NYC...not from partying or going out, but truly from sheer boredom and missing my wife.

i am laying here in an 85% empty apartment and i hate this bed and these shitty pillows and i am so exhausted that i can't fall asleep.

i want to quickly make something clear to everyone who posted on the JB boards or who have sent me emails; there is no new "project" or show that i am running to after my last show on Dec.7. i am running home, back to Michigan, to have our baby amongst family and our closest friends - a support team of dozens upon dozens that will help shower her with love and a great sense of family.

performing on a Broadway stage has been the highlight of my life - it is what i dreamed of as a child and what i worked so hard for when i went to college for music theatre. mere "thanks" would not be enough to Des, Sergio, Ron, Richard, the Dodgers, Tara Rubin...and the list goes on and on...for giving me the chance first with the national tour and then to be asked to go to the "big show" and i am forever grateful to this show for the opportunities it has presented to me as well as affording me the chance to provide and take care of my family.

but again, it goes back to that word: family. all of you that read this, all of you that come by the stage door sometimes dozens upon dozens of times - as strange as that may sometimes seem - know the true meaning of that word. we talk about it in the show and it rings true night after night. and as i leave the stage door, you will see me, without fail, holding a cell phone to my ear to immediately talk to Sarah...my family...

and that's why i am leaving. yes, this is a shit time to leave one of the only Broadway shows that has legs and is not folding up in the next 3 months and yes, the Michigan econmony is in the toilet...

but i get to go home. home to my amazing wife who has traveled with me for two years with constant support and home to Toby the Dog who finally gets to feel grass under his paws again. and right around January 19, my daughter will be born into a community of unbelievable and loving grandparents and a network of friends and family that she will never believe!

now i'm just rambling.

well maybe this blog is due for some rambling a little now and then in this next week. chances are, come Dec.7, i will shut it down for good anyway.

in any event, thank you for the emails and thank you for the comments. thank you for braving the cold and rain just to say hello and now, goodbye, at the stage door.

saying goodbye...

i played Gaudio this past Saturday night and Sunday matinee - Sebastian wasn't feeling great. it was weird in the diner scene with Jarrod this afternoon thinking this will probably be the last time i get to play the part. i love the role of Bob. i love the character arc he takes. i love singing "Cry For Me" with three other amazing actors and hearing that blend. and i love that in my head, by parting my hair to the right, i think it makes me look younger.

i would literally give Dom Nolfi $200 cash to take a show off this week so i can play Tommy one last time. other than playong Roy Cohn in Angels in America, Tommy DeVito is the best role i have ever played on stage. the power and sheer terror of having to hold the show in the palm of your hand for the first 30 minutes and then the slow defeat he has to face in the sitdown scene is just...well i'm just so proud that i got to perform it a handful of times.

okay - 2:23am - i need to try and sleep.

A 31st Year... (Nov.23)

2008-11-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

let's start real quick with a shout out to me. i turn 31 today. this year is going to be absolutely amazing.

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now then...

two months since the last post. two freaking months. who do i think i am?

let's catch everyone one on the last two months:

Michael Longoria left.
Please welcome Jarrod Spector as our new Frankie Valli.
Christian Hoff left to do "Pal Joey".
Dominic Nolfi took Christian's place.
Jake Speck from the Chicago cast took Dominic's place.
Travis Cloer left to be the 2-show Frankie in Vegas.
Please welcome Russell Fischer as our new Joey.
Dominic Scaglione, Jr. from the Vegas cast became our 2-show Frankie.
Bobby Spencer left to do "Next to Normal".
Please welcome Matt Bogart as Nick Massi.
John Leone left.
Please welcome John Hickman from the Chicago cast as our new swing.
Eric Schneider left to be Danny in the national tour of "Grease".
Please welcome Taylor Sternberg from the national tour as our new swing.

that is an ass-load of new faces and changes. in any event, if you wanted an excuse to see the show again - come now and see the new dynamics rocking all over the August Wilson stage.

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Still doing recording for "International Hareport" and we are into (I think) the 16th episode. Still have no idea when or where it will broadcast but i promise i will announce it as soon as i hear anything. i've really been enjoying getting in that studio a few times a month and really digging into Fred the Rabbit. i also have been doing a few other voices on the show - my favorite being an 8-year old beaver with a lisp named Doodle.

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I have another pet-peeve; people taking pictures during the performance. i mean, don't get me wrong, if someone sneaks in a shot at curtain call, i could care less - but when they take their digital camera out throughout the ENTIRE show and you see that annoying orange light in lieu of a flash...guess what...we can still see the orange light and it's distracting. and i'm sorry if you are not happy with your pics and you decide to get a clearer picture but actually turning on the flash...but we don't like that either. so stop taking pictures, stop leaving as we are taking our bows and stop putting your playbills and bags on the lip of the stage.

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Sarah is now into her 31st week of pregnancy and she looks gorgeous. we found out we are having a girl and as every week draws closer, i get more and more excited to meet her. you'll usually find me at night as we are going to sleep talking to her belly and telling her about my day. we're pretty sure that she is going to be a gymnast or a swimmer because all she does is roll around and kick Sarah all day. and yes, feeling your baby kick is about the coolest thing in the world.

i also put her crib together by myself last week:

i also installed a new light fixture in the baby's room and yes, i know that doesn't sound like a big deal, but i have never installed a light fixture by myself before and it was pretty cool. true, it took over an hour and i ended up with fiberglass all over my hands and face, but it was totally worth it. next project is installing a dimmer for the light switch. then we need to paint her room and finish getting everything she needs before she arrives in the world.

the other fun thing about the pregnancy is that Sarah gets updates once a week about her pregnancy from babycenter.com and one of my favorite things is going to the girl's dressing room every tuesday and giving them the update on how big the baby is getting. babycenter does a fantastic thing for us to visualize better what is growing with updates by comparing the baby's size to produce. this week she is roughly the size of 4 naval oranges (roughly 16 inches long and 3/3 lbs). my baby has also been a head of cauliflower, butternut squash and chinese cabbage.

Can't believe in two months I am going to have a baby!!!!!!!

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been having a really great time with the cast lately. i mean, it's actually pretty rare for all of us to hang out but there's been everyone seems to be getting along fantastic and maybe it's just the holiday season or something, but it's just a fun time to be in New York with friends. Bridget Berger and i had a great time between shows today and ordered Afghan food from this INCREDIBLE place on 52nd and 9th called Ariana Afghan Kebab Restaurant. Their lamb and chicken kabob dishes are soooooo good and i wanted to put their spinach samusa in my pocket for later. only crappy thing was we hung out in order to watch the MSU vs Penn State game...and MSU got spanked all up and down that field.

i also had a late dinner with Jarrod's mom and dad Friday night, Chuck and Beth Spector. we went to The Palm after the show and i just want to thank them again for a wonderful dinner and spending a little time with their favorite son...me. honestly though, it was great hanging with them and how great that they are now able to drive in from Philly and see Jarrod on Broadway performing in this dream role.

and the filet was freaking good!

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so we are starting to collect for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. it's been nice to see that audience members are so receptive to digging into their pockets even in these hard times. i did the curtain speech a few days ago and got a few good laughs (to the expense of the "Carols for A Cure" CD) and someone signed me up for the rest of the week and honestly, now i am not only feeling pressure to get people to donate, but more importantly to make them all laugh a few times. i am pulling all of my "A" material out but i am getting exhausted. i swear, the curtain speech is wearing me out more than the show. that's probably not the best thing to admit.

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so much more to talk about but this should do it for now. i will leave you with one other cast thing i forgot to mention above:

Please welcome back to the Broadway cast Matthew Scott.
My final show in Jersey Boys is December 7.

I'm A Rabbit (Aug.11)

2008-07-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

i don't even no where to start. i feel like in the past two months there has been so much to discuss, and yet i continue to be completely unmotivated to do another blog. i have no reason to be unmotivated; all of you that email me or call me or talk to me at the stage door are super nice about it and give me such nice feedback...

...maybe it's the freaking heat.

let's talk about that:

it's summertime in New York City. now, i want to make it clear i enjoy the summer. i really don't like snow and the summertime reminds me of when i went to camp and it's great for soft serve ice cream and playing softball.

but NYC's summertime blows. it's 96 degrees with 320% humidity and all the garbage on the street cooks under the heat so everything smells. and though i have a short 10 minute walk to the theatre, by the time i get there, i am absolutely disgusting and sweaty and just want to turn around and sit in my air conditioned apartment.

speaking of summer softball...

well last time i blogged, i started talking about the Broadway Softball League. i'm not going to lie...it's been pretty sad. in our ten game regular season, we were 2-8. and honestly, there were at least four games where we lost by one or two runs and we really should have won (damn you Grease!) but all in all, it doesn't matter because everyone gets to go into finals for double elimination...

...and we're halfway there. a few week ago we lost to Blue Man Group 10-0. i want to say that i will blame that on the sole fact that i could not be there to play second base because i was at stupid-rehearsal-for-jerks that day. but then again, it was also 94 degrees that day so maybe it's better i wasn't there.

the week after that, we were scheduled to play Altar Boyz but due to scheduling, they had to forfeit (thereby eliminating them completely from the playoffs).

last week though was amazing. we played New World Stages and...WON...in extra innings by one run. it really was a pretty intense game (for Broadway softball) and to win with a 2-out rally was even better than winning by a landslide.

this Thursday is going to be a tough one. we play Little Mermaid at 11:30 ("squish the fish") and should we win, we immediately go into a double-header against South Pacific. so all i can say is that if any of you wanted to show support for our team, this Thursday would be the day to do it...

...i mean, Toby is there every week and he loves sitting in people's laps.

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so i have been enjoying some really cool special appearances lately in the Jersey Boys world. you see, as an understudy for three of the four seasons, many times if Christian or Bobby are busy and can't do a special appearance, our press rep contacts me to take their place. a few of the things i've done (honestly) are kind of lame...doing a medley of the songs for random people that i don't quite understand why we have been invited to sing. okay, not "lame" but kind of strange that we are there.

HOWEVER, i want to talk about two events in the past month that have been great.

the first was the 2008 Friars Foundation Gala honoring Frankie Valli. It was hosted at Cipriani in NYC - which i have never been to - and other people who performed were legends like Steve Tyrell, Julie Budd, Norm Crosby, Tony Orlando and Joe Piscopo. oh, and yes, i hung out with Joe Piscapo for almost three hours in our shared green room and he was about the nicest guy i have ever met.

but we got to end the night with a medley of songs and Frankie was right there watching us and cheering us on. it was such a thrill and honor doing some songs for the man who has essentially changed my life in the past 18 months and how cool to get to perform last in the evening to close everything out.

the other event that we did, which was also probably one of the highlights of my professional career as a performer, was singing the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium for the 2008 MLB All Star Derby.

i don't know what was the most exciting part; it might have been getting to the stadium early that morning and stepping on that dirt for the first time and doing sound check right in the middle of the field before the place filled up. it might have been getting there later that night and hearing the crowd already roaring with anticipation. it might have been meeting Derek Jeter and having him sign my program and take pics with some of is. it might have been sitting at the Derby and watching history being made as Josh Hamilton crushed 28 home runs in the first round. but i would say it was hearing the crowd go ape-shit for us as we held out that note at the end of "the land of the freeeeeeeeeeee".

in any event, i will never forget the feeling of doing this event and being able to watch the game afterward. i just wish i could have had my dad fly in and taken the show off on Tuesday to go to the All Star game with him at legendary Yankee Stadium before they tear it down.

and for those of you that would like to hear it - here's a YouTube version of it (if you listen, you can hear Dominic Nolfi and i on the high notes in "and the rockets' red glare").

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so some other changes have been taking place in the show: first off, as of now you all know that Donnie Kehr has left the show to be in Billy Elliott (leave one big smash to start another smash hit) and my buddy Miles Aubrey has taken over the reigns in the Norm track.

i cannot tell you all how happy i am that Miles is in the NYC company. forget the fact that he is great in the show and truly one of the best guitarist i have EVER met. forget the fact that for almost 18 months, he was on the road without his lovely wife, Erica, with him - i don't know how people can do that - especially during their first full year of marriage!?!? but i am thrilled he is in the NYC cast because the entire time i was on the road, Miles and i were either sharing a dressing room or stationed right next to each other. he and i became fast friends and never lost touch after i left the tour for the Broadway cast and having him around is a real treat for me. only thing that sucks is that he and i don't share a dressing room anymore and now i have to walk a good seven feet to go hang out with him.

i also would love to take a quick moment to officially welcome our new female swing, Katie O'Toole to the cast. she is a sweetheart and has already gone on as Lorraine and Mary and we are so thrilled to have her in the family.

and with Miles coming in and Donnie moving out - what happens with the cover/understudy situation...?

well my friends, Friday, July 18 was my final performance as the understudy for Nick Massi. i have been moved out of that cover spot and Miles takes it over (he can sing the bass notes a lot easier than i can!) and I move over to cover Bob Crewe! all i can say is i am ready for the opportunity to do the role and i have been told (though things can change anytime) that next time Peter calls out sick or is swung out to note the show, that i will be on to make my Broadway debut as Bob Crewe.

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some other fun things going on in the world of Eric...

i have been cast in a animated series!!!!!!

it's actually a great story: Rebecca Kupka, our vacation swing, came up to me a few months ago and asked if i did voiceover work. i told her that i had always wanted to break into it considering i talk in weird voices all day anyway and i would love to get paid for it. she mentioned that she auditioned for this new series and they were having trouble casting the two leads and she was going to give my number to her agent.

sure enough, the next day her agent calls me and tells me she might have an audition for me. i tell her to keep in touch with me and let me know but not to make it too late because it's already close to noon and i have a matinee to do that day. 20 minutes later she calls me and i have to fly over to 45th and 6th to Big Yellow Duck studios for this audition.

now please understand...though i have done lots of studio work in my life with the bands i played in, i have NEVER auditioned for a voice over gig and though i do consider myself very good at cold readings (that means that you get the script walking into the audition, not before to prepare), but i was soooooo pressed for time when i walked into the audition and i was just trying to concentrate on not rushing let alone getting all the words out without stumbling.

in any event, a few days later, after never auditioning for voiceovers before and never even meeting this agent face to face - i booked the gig!

it's a really cool series called "International Hareport" and essentially it's about the show's main characters, Fred and Ned, two rabbits who decide to build an international airport on their own garden after discovering that all animals can finally fly. I have no idea what network (if any) it will premier on, but all i know is that we are going to tape all 26 episodes and then see what happens from there.

*******************

a few other things happening in the coming weeks or months:

i am going on as Bob Gaudio while Sebastian is on vacation from Sept.16-21. i am thrilled to have a full week of shows and hope that a few of you might come check it out. i have tons of family and friends flying in from Michigan to check it out that week and i am so honored to have all of their support. even Bubi Goldie is flying in on Saturday morning with Sarah's dad and (new!) stepmom, Cheri, to see the matinee and then turn right around and fly back home that night! i am also scheduled to go on as Tommy on Sept.12 while Christian takes a personal day and Dominic is on vacation. this can totally change, but i think it's pretty much locked in. i really hope so because i haven't played Tommy in forever and i love what i do with my hair in that role.

my brother, Brian and his fiance, Allison are moving to NYC this Thursday. it's kind of freaking me out because here's my baby brother...all the sudden moving to the fastest city in the world. he is going to be going to law school and she is going to grad school and less than two weeks after they move here, we are all flying back to Michigan for their wedding. i'm very excited for him and just hope that the stress of a big move, being in a city he is not familiar with and starting freaking law school doesn't mess with the excitement of their big day.

Toby the Dog's third birthday is coming up on September 3. he's pretty excited because Chris and Jenna will be back from St. Louis which means he gets to play with Fender again (who he misses incredibly).

*******************

one other thing to report. we've been keeping it under wraps for awhile now and it's also one of the biggest reasons i have not been blogging lately. just wanted to share a picture with everyone:

Sarah is 17 weeks pregnant...

Random Thoughts (May 21)

2008-05-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

i love the Price is Right. i am sitting here blogging and Price is Right is in the background and i love it. i'm not thrilled with Drew Carey as the new host, but at least he brings a little more humor to the show that Bob Barker never really did (though how can you beat Bob Barker!). i remember back in college my roommates and i used to watch it all the time and we got to a point that we actually scheduled our classes around it our senior year...

...though maybe it was just an excuse to go to class after noon. either way, i'm really bummed out that while the tour was in LA, we didn't go as a group to a taping.

anyway...

first off, i want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all their touching comments and tributes to John Altieri from my last post. to hear from so many people including members of John's own family was a true testament to how many people he touched in his short lifetime. additionally, as i said i would, i would like to post how everyone can make a donation in John's name. all i ask is that if you saw John perform or ever had the opportunity to speak with him and share in his light, that you consider sending something...even if it's just a few bucks.

donations can be made to:

Idyllwild Arts Academy
Children's Center Summer Program
52500 Temecula Rd.
Idyllwild, CA 92549

*****
so i wanted to share a few pictures from mine and Sarah's vacation to Jamaica. as many of you know, Sarah and i were gone for a week at the end of April to celebrate our 1-year anniversary. we stayed at the beautiful Sandals Whitehouse resort on the southern coast and it was an amazing week. i can't tell you how nice it was to go back on vacation and celebrate our first year of marriage together in such a beautiful place.

highlights included:

the amazing chocolate bar that they had one night while we were there. i mean, we had to stay up until 11:30 to catch it, but it was well worth it! i have never seen so much chocolate in one place and it was delicious. they even had "white chocolate bread" which was liked fresh baked bread that when you tore it open, melted white chocolate pieces were in it...YUM!

we also went snorkeling about a mile or so off the main property. it was a little clouded in the water that day but we still saw some really cool reefs and fish. i got a little sea sick after about 30 minutes of floating in the choppy waters, but still a fun experience.

on the day of our anniversary, we were in the guest newsletter that came to everyone's room. kind of cheesy, but very nice to be recognized.

and of course, for desert that night, our waitress put a nice little spin on the desert we ordered:

sarah and i loved the little pastry shop that was always open. many times we would skip desert after dinner and just bring a selection of pastry's back to the room at night.

we got a big kick at one of the signs at the pool. i thought it was pretty obvious but i guess at a nice resort, they need to make sure of some things:

but most of all, it was soul cleansing just enjoying the great weather and sunny skies with my beautiful wife.

ahhhhhhhhhh.........

*****
so every thursday for the last few weeks, we have been heading to Heckscher Ballfields in Central Park to play in the Broadway Softball League. now i know what you all are thinking: "Broadway performers playing softball...? like in uniforms? like with choreography?" well all i have to say is we are having a blast.

sure, we are 0-3 but we have played powerhouses like Mary Poppins (who are 3-0) and to be honest, there are barely any actors who show up. it's mostly the tech staff that plays. but i have been there every week, even through exhibition games, and it's nice to get some exercise and meet other Broadway folk. and this Thursday is one of the biggest games of the season so far as we play Altar Boyz. this game is important for a few reasons: 1) they are also 0-3 and someone is going to finally come away with a win for the season and 2) Eric Schneider (one of the swings in Jersey Boys) is playing for THEIR team because he did the tour before he was cast in our show and has good friends on the team. that freaking traitor.

i will have Schneider's head on a plate come Thursday at 11:30.

*****
the last thing i want to blog about is some promotion for Sebastian Arcelus (who plays Bob Gaudio in our show).

Sebastian is involved in an AMAZING web video blog called iChannel.

“iChannel” is a collaborative web series about a young man who has his life magically taken over by an audience...YOU. Their goal is a compelling original series where the audience can interact with the creators and the show’s characters in unique, unprecedented ways.

suffice to say, each of their episodes are anywhere between 3-7 minutes long and i guarantee you that if you watch about the first five episodes, you will be HOOKED! it's unlike anything i have ever seen before and Sebastian is really proud of it and that's all i needed to become a fan.

check it out here:
http://connectwithi.com/index.htm

or on their YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ichannel

*****
guess that's it for now. sorry that this blog was all over the place. just wanted to chat a little bit and get my family and friends up to speed.

until next time.

John Altieri (May 5)

2008-05-05T14:30:00.001-07:00

as many of you already know by now, John Altieri, the gifted actor who originated Bob Crewe with the first National Tour of Jersey Boys, passed away yesterday.

i, as is many of the people that grew close to John over the past two years are devastated and trying to make sense of what and why has happened. he was so young and had such an amazing and healthy spirit that one would beg the question of why should he have suffered the way he did and why, after spending a month in a hospital, could they not find the way to help him.

in any case, his spirit, laughter and friendship will live on forever in those of us he had touched. i feel, more than most, that i was one of the lucky ones that got to know him so well. i played "Mika" to his "Crewe" for over 400 shows and we were very much inseparable in every scene we were in together. some of my most fondest memories was the shit we would pull on stage together (both of us constant troublemakers) and how much we would make each other laugh...even when we definitely were not supposed to.

one of my favorites:

at the end of "Dawn", Crewe and Mika end up on the stage left stairs facing upstage applauding the Four Seasons on their big ending. The lights are up so hot on the audience at that point and we are facing away from them that John would usually applaud and the momentum of them would smack me in the face and head. I would then applaud slightly broader and the momentum of my elbow would try to catch him in the groin. then when we turned downstage as the Mary and Lorraine characters greeted us, i would pull on his pant leg just enough to have his pants sneak down and he at the same time would pull my shirt from inside my jacket to have it untuck...and so on and so forth.

that was John. always in high spirits and always ready for a laugh.

he was also completely devoted to his pets, Goose (his cat) and Spyder (his Shepard-mix dog). he loved his animals so much that much of his housing was due to their comfort (like we did with Toby, John drove to every city so his pets did not have to fly). thinking about it now, i remember him once telling me that one of his biggest decision in taking the Vegas company was so Spyder could live out her short remaining years (she is, i believe, about 13) in a comfortable environment where they are not always driving to a new destination.

but my favorite thing about John was watching him work. he put so much thought and energy into his lines and knew exactly where each laugh should be. his "metaphor" line was always a show-stopper and i just wish that all of you could have seen him on stage...because he shined so much up there.

he shined upon all of us.

i thank God that i have known John. that for over a year, i got to see him and spend time with him every day. that he was able to come to my LA house and enjoy a fun BBQ. that he and i got to carpool almost every day while we were in Orange County. that he and i had to struggle like hell to get that fucking yellow couch on stage and afterward would both laugh about it. and for a year, it was my pleasure and honor to be his "personal assistant" on stage and i had never had larger shoes to fill when i was asked to understudy him...i only hope that the few times i went on in his part, that i did justice to what i learned from him.

as the days go on, we are hoping to get some more information on what we can do to help his family. one of his friends is hoping to get a scholarship for young actors in his name and as soon as i know what the details are, i will post them. my hope is that for all of us that John touched or made laugh, that we all might give a little to his memory.

i don't know what to say from here. i have nice things to blog about but that is for another time. the lump in my throat and the tears and my eyes are enough for now.

i love you, John. we thank God your suffering is over and you are finally at rest. none of us will ever forget you...

...and i will always have a glass of milk waiting for you.

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Cracker Jacks (March 30)

2008-03-30T19:58:00.000-07:00

hello everyone. blogging tonight after a very long day...long week really. just thought i would catch everyone up on some things.

last Sunday night, Rick Elice, Marshall Brickman (the show's book writers) and Bob and Judy Gaudio (no introduction necessary) threw a great party for the cast and crew of Jersey Boys to celebrate not only the cast album reaching gold status (that's over 500,000 records sold), but to celebrate the milestone of the show reaching its 1,000th performance!

personally, i was honored to be included considering between the tour and now my 3+ months in the Broadway company, i have probably only done about 500 or so, but what an amazing achievement for a show to hit a number like that. and though the room we all mingled in was way too small for all of us to move comfortably (they say "RSVP" for a reason you damned fools), it was nice to be crowded with such great people who i have grown so fond of in the last few months. congratulations to the entire cast, musicians, crew, and production and creative staff who deserve to celebrate 10,000 more shows!

moving on...

i played Tommy a few times in the last two weeks. on one hand, it was so weird playing the role again after not doing it for over 4 months with an entirely different cast than on the road...on the other hand, it was like slipping on a familiar pair of shoes and going to work again. and it felt great. sure, there were a few little line slips and some staging issues (on the road, we crossed more stage right than here on Broadway...seriously), but man did it feel great getting that lift back in my hair, putting those cards in my pocket and jumping on that roller coaster. everyone in the cast was super supportive and i felt like i had everything in control and i'm just saying...anytime Christian wants to take vacation or a personal day is fine by me.

i do want to thank some of you JB Superfans for coming out for the support...you know who you are and i appreciate you staying after the show to say hello...it really meant a lot. and for one of my email buddies who came by (she knows who she is), don't think you are coming back in April without some of that delicious Hamantashen!!!!

as far as future Seasons dates...i really have no idea. i think Bobby and Sebastian have one or two personal days in either April or May but i'm not sure about it as well as whether or not i would go on or one of the other covers...but i will of course post it as soon as anything becomes official.

and kind of on the subject of seeing the show. if you or anyone you know (friends, family, clients, colleagues, etc) might be interested in seeing the show this Tuesday (April 1 @ 7pm), i have up to 4 tickets available in mezzanine row P for $75/ticket. if anyone wants them, email me at eric@ericgutman.com with your contact info and we can set it up.

so let's briefly chat about my experience with Derek Jeter...

this evening, Sebastian, Michael Longoria, Dominic Nolfi (for Christian) and I (for Bobby) were invited to go to the Sheraton Hotel and sing a brief medley for the Yankees Homecoming dinner. "great", we originally thought, "we'll go in there, bang out a few songs for the Yankees biggest donors and call it an evening."

not so much.

we find out that not only are we singing for some of the Yankees biggest supporters, but for the entire Yankees organization. from the front office staff to George Steinbrenner to the entire Yankees lineup: Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and just about every other MVP in major league baseball.

so we get to sound check today and when we see our "stage" (stage being really a 10' x 3' riser) it is in front of this grand dais and we find out through the stage managers of the event that the players are all going to be sitting there...right behind us...about an arm's distance away.

we got to the event and were lead to our table...had a lovely sit down dinner...then was escorted to our green room to relax for a moment or two and go over our choreography. after a short time, we are escorted back down to the main ball room and are placed behind a curtain to get ready for our entrance (at this point, Steinbrenner is at the table directly across from where we are sitting with about four secuiry details flanked around him).

now...for those of you familiar with the show: remember the part in "Walk Like a Man" where the three Seasons look to Frankie and then quickly turn around and walk upstage for a few beats befoer turning back to the mics and stomping downstage...? well the only difference between doing that exact part in performance and doing it tonight was that when i turned around, Alex Rodriguez is staring at me and if i wanted to, i could have literally taken the steak off his plate...that's how freaking close i was to A-Rod...and Shelley Duncan is just looking at me as if to say "are you dudes really singing musical theatre right now. there's no singing in baseball".

in any event...it was quite a surreal evening.

and with that, i just want to wish my Detroit Tigers a killer opening day game tomorrow at Comerica Park against the Kansas City Royals.

well folks, guess that's it for now. have my day off tomorrow and hoping for some good weather so Toby can get outside and enjoy the day.

blog soon.

Random Thoughts (March 19)

2008-03-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

just a really quick blog tonight...and there's gonna' be lots of rambling.

i went on as Nick last week for four shows. all in all, i was very happy and FOCUSED. sarah finally got to see me on tuesday night and it was great having her there for support. both shows wednesday went without a hitch and although i was exhausted after a two-show day, it was great to start getting comfortable in the role. maybe too comfortable...? thursday sucked. full on sucked. i apologize if you were in the audience because i dont know if i was doing "Nick Massi" or Nick's slower brother, "Scotty Massi". i wasn't connecting to the lines, my staging was a little off and i didn't get one laugh on the "Ringo" line...not one...not even a chuckle...good lord.

suffice to say, i'm looking forward to redemption the next time i'm able to go on.

but for those of you who want to see me as Tommy, just a reminder that tomorrow (Thurs, March 20) is the big debut! Followed by Friday night and next Tuesday and both shows Wednesday (March 25-26). if you are in the city and can snag a standing room or actual seat, i would love to have some support out there. if not, send good thoughts my way...

i bought tickets to see Kids in the Hall in a few weeks. i love the Kids in the Hall - i have since high school. i saw them about six years ago on their last comedy tour but was so hopped up on cold medicine that i literally almost fell asleep/passed out before they even started. i'm really looking forward to seeing them without any sickness from my 3rd row center seats this time. sarah is not really a fan so i think Peter Gregus is going to be my date...good times.

Nate Klau left the "Sherry" tour...so very sad for the tour but i am thrilled he is back in the city. Nate-O is the best...an amazing friend and a neurotic mess and i can't wait to hang out with him again. some other dude took his place on the tour but i'm not there anymore so i don't really know who it is. i think his name is Huck or Buck or something.

what's going on with this weather...? why is it 50 degrees yesterday and then cold and rainy today? and why is it supposed to be beautiful the rest of the week? why can't it just be spring already so i can put my sweatshirts and heavy coat away? and why haven't i bought a second umbrella so i'm not stuck getting soaked every time i walk out of my house?

next Monday is going to be a great day. it's the day i go to Duane Reade or Rite Aid and all the Easter Peeps are 50% off. i love Peeps. i love them even more at 50% off. i love taking the plastic off the top of them and waiting a day or two to eat them so they harden up a little. freaking peeps and your marshmallowey goodness - you will be the death of me.

to end, i want to share a fantastic commercial sarah saw on the TV and then found online just so we can laugh some more. it's a great commercial - especially if you are a dog owner/lover like we are. enjoy.

until next time...

"Fight on, Fight on for Western..." (March 8)

2008-03-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

well everyone...true to my word, i am blogging again. lots to catch you up on so let's get started. in true Eric form, it will probably be a lot of rambling.

let's start with a little story about Western Michigan University...

i went to WMU for college and got my music theatre performance degree there. i truly LOVED my four years there and was extremely lucky and blessed to have gotten the opportunity to perform in main stage shows throughout my career there as well as work with amazing professors and fellow students.

well this past Monday, the senior music theatre majors were in town doing their annual showcase for agents and casting directors, and i was invited by the music theatre director to come on down, see the show and talk to some of them after the show.

i have to say, i had a great time. i mean, let's face it, there were a few numbers i could have done without...but all in all, absolutely fantastic. the craziest part about it though was realizing that 1) this graduating class is 9 years after mine and therefore i feel old and 2) apparently, when you have graduated from their college and are now performing in a hit Broadway show, they really have a lot of questions.

honestly, it was great for the ego though and i hope i was able to answer some questions they had...and if for some weird reason any of them are reading this, it truly was a pleasure meeting and talking with you and i hope nothing but the best for your careers. please call on me (or any of the other alumni) if we can help you out when you get here.

and for all you others - here's some ridiculous pics of me in shows back in college:

in "Berlin to Broadway"

in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (that is my real hair)

in "Return to the Forbidden Planet"

moving on...

oh - can i just say for a second how much i miss my wife...? sarah got a "real person" job about three weeks ago and now our schedules are completely opposite. she is up every day by 7am and out the door by 8:40 and by the time she gets home at around 6:30, i am slowly starting to get ready to leave for the show. and when i get home around 10:40, she is getting ready for bed. and i would say that we have the weekends together, but with my two shows on saturday, the only real day we look forward to is Sunday because we get the morning and early afternoon together and then try to do something fun for Sunday night. in any event...i miss her...a lot. i can't wait for our vacation when we will have a week of just us being together in paradise.

...and have i even mentioned our vacation?

i will be out of the show April 29 - May 5 as Sarah and i head to the South Coast of Jamaica to the Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa. this much-deserved vacation will coincide with our one-year anniversary as well as be our official "honeymoon" since we were not able to take a honeymoon right after our wedding last year as the tour was getting ready to move to Los Angeles. in any event, we are super excited and, let's face it, really need to start working on our base tan so we don't get fried out there. i hate fake-baking but i think it's going to be a necessity.

i guess to finish up this short post, thought i would share that today at understudy rehearsal, i put on some nice pants and a button down shirt and jumped back into the role of Tommy DeVito. man, i'll tell you, after not doing it for over three months, it honestly took a good 30 minutes to get it back into my body, but overall it felt great. i have such a love for the role and am just so pleased i get to cover it again and other than now having three harmonies mashing my brain in all different directions, what a thrill to be working this hard again. in any event, it was a good rehearsal and looking forward to doing it again next week to really nail it down and get out all the kinks before i go on...

oh wait, did i mention i am going on as Tommy DeVito!?!?

mark it in your calendars people - March is a busy month now:

March 11-13 (4 shows) as Nick Massi
March 20-21 (2 shows) and March 25-26 (3 shows) as Tommy DeVito.

so that's it for now. i think there is a lot more to talk about but honestly, i am exhausted and need a little sleep before a two-show day tomorrow.

blog again soon...

Nick Part II, Electric Boogaloo (Feb.21)

2008-02-21T20:34:00.001-08:00

so a real quick post before i head to sleep.

Bobby was sick again so I got the call (or really, the text) right before 6pm. It was a great Thursday night crowd and though I have only now done the role three times, I am really starting to love the Massi character. his subtleties are the best thing about him and it's so interesting, as the "quiet" one in the group to really get to listen not only to the scenes and react accordingly, but really get the opportunity to see some great actors next to me make some amazing choices throughout the show...

in any event, i am really looking forward to March 11-13 when i get 4 in a row as Nick.

only weird this is after concentrating so hard on Nick the last few days, i have to pull a 180 as tomorrow at understudy rehearsal i am playing Bob...

...i literally have three harmony parts going on in my head at all times. i'm a one-man choral group.

lastly, i want to end this blog with something Sarah did when she was bored yesterday. i loved it and wanted to share it with everyone. just hit "play" and enjoy.

peace out!

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Shame on Me (Feb.21)

2008-02-20T21:02:00.000-08:00

okay, i have to apologize. i honestly had no idea the last time i blogged was New Years. i mean, that means that i haven't blogged in over 50 days. that is absolutely ridiculous and i should be ashamed of myself. but seriously, you ever feel in a rut or kind of just get...i don't know...writer's block? i don't know what it has been; perhaps the fact that i am not in a new city every 4 weeks has added to it, but hey - i AM in the most exciting city in the world, right? and i AM performing in an amazing Broadway musical, right? so no more excuses (at least not right now). i am really going to try to blog at least once a month so you lovely people that have been emailing and calling can get all the dirt on mine and Sarah's life.

so let's get you up to date:

January went by really quick. like really, really quick. however, it was the tail end of January when i finally started feeling relaxed in the show. it's funny that after doing the show close to 400 times, you move to a new company and a new city, and it takes you over a month to really find your rhythm again, you know? but i have to say - honestly - this cast and crew have been fantastic. everyone has been so welcoming and supportive and it's nice to see that i am starting to make good friends here on the Broad-way. in any event though, i truly have begun to feel more at ease and the show seems much more manageable to me than when i first got here.

also in January, our good friends Kelly and Bob visited us from Michigan. Kelly is a few months pregnant so this was kind of their last hooray before she delivers the baby in the spring and we had a blast with them! we went to some great places for food (i HIGHLY recommend Essex for brunch - can you say "unlimited mimosas"?). also found this weird little store in the lower, Lower east village for your candy fix - anything you can think of - called Economy Candy Market. but it was so great seeing them and Toby had a blast as well as Bob wanted to take a little walk with Toby and sure enough, 2 1/2 hours later, they came back and Toby has never been so exhausted in his life.

lastly, mid-January saw the show bid a fond farewell to our friend, Daniel Reichard, who originated the role of Bob Gaudio. as those of you who have seen the show and gotten the opportunity to meet Daniel, you know that you will never meet a friendlier and truly sweet person. we are very excited and proud of him as he pursues other aspects of his career (go see him in Candide at NY City Opera) and personally, it was a pleasure getting to work with him again since our time in Forbidden Broadway many years ago. however, with his departure, we have gained an amazing new Gaudio in Sebastian Arcelus. my favorite part about Sebastian is the fact that I was fortunate enough to rehearse a lot with him before he started his run and it was such a treat to see him really grow into the magnificent character he has created on stage. in any event, it is such a delight having him with us and if you haven't seen the show in awhile, come on out and check it out!

another highlight of the month was when Jackie Seiden, Erich Bergen, Chris and Jenna Jones and Sarah and I all were in NYC in the same afternoon and we all had lunch together. i can't tell you how much fun it was just sitting for an hour and the six of us really just catching up on each other's lives and seeing some great old friends. i miss Jackie immensely and am so happy the strike in LA is over so she can get to what she moved out there for, and i am so excited for Bergen to open Vegas in April! and the Jones's...? we freaking love Chris and Jenna and other than the fact that their dog Fender is best friends with Toby - they have without a doubt become our closest friends and we cherish the (very little) time we get with them.

i will say however, that though i love Chris and Jenna - i did not love helping them move. holy shit, i have never seen a storage unit used to the capacity they had. seriously, how they even got everything in there is a mystery and a move from a storage unit to a studio apartment...even a big studio like they have...should not take almost seven hours. but it did. seven hours. two boroughs. almost 100 boxes. and easily over 1,000 stairs. they are never allowed to move again.

February finally reared its ugly head and the city was abuzz with the Super Bowl. i mean, without a doubt, NYC goes crazy for their Mets and Yankees, but to have the Giants make it to the big game and then not only beat the Patriots, but beat them in probably the best fourth quarter football game in the history of the sport was a huge highlight. Travis (Cloer) had some people over to his place to watch the game and it was nice to hang out with a few cast members outside the show. his wife, Jen, made this freaking incredible chili and some brownies (i think i might have eaten half the pan) so a big thank you to them for having me over.

oh...a quick side note: a few of you have contacted me regarding my website that some of the links are messed up and my blog isn't posting correctly. the deal is my gorgeous web designer (my wife, Sarah) broke her computer about a month or so ago and when she got her new one, it turned out that she hadn't backed up the most recent publication of my site and some of the html or other computer jargon i really don't understand got a little screwed up. anyway, she is going to try to work on it when she has some free time (not much now that she has a full-time job), but in the meantime, just go ahead and bookmark this link to just get to my blog directly to check up on it: MY BLOG . In addition, you can also "subscribe to my blog HERE or if you want direct notifications to your email when i post a new blog, click this link HERE. i think that should cover all bases.

random thought - can i vent here for a second: why do people who sit in the front row think it's okay to put their playbills on the front of the stage? do you not see 15 actors walking around up there? do you think that is really the best place for it...like, better than under your seat or in your stupid lap? because i know, personally, when i have been directed to go downstage or "toe the grate" (the grate is the metal grate that is at the farthest edge of the stage closest to the audience that we sometimes gave to literally stand on so we don't fall in the pit) i like to worry about slipping on a glossy program because someone is too stupid to put it in their jacket pocket. how about this, next time you are at work and in the middle of a meeting, i am going to walk onto your conference table and literally stand on your file folders.

arghhhhh!

also, when there is a show with narration, why do people think that the fourth wall doesn't exist and they can just yell random shit out? perfect example: this evening, Tommy is doing his final speech and this is what we hear:

Tommy: "By the way, you're ever in Vegas, walk into any casino and say 'Tommy DeVito'..."

Some Jackass: "...Tommy Who?"

okay, first off, you have now brought 1300 people out of the scene because you thought it was a good time to yell something out. secondly, Christian Hoff's last monologue (and subsequent laugh) is now lost because you threw him off. thirdly, what do you mean, "Tommy Who"...? where the hell have you been for 2 1/2 hours?

double arghhhhh!

back to the blog...

...last weekend, one of my great buddies from back home, Dave, came into town with his wife Julie. i love seeing friends from back home because they bring a little bit of "back home" with them, you know? i have knows Dave since high school and we lived together for all four years in college and it was so great to have them in town and for them to see the show and spend a little bit of time with them. they really enjoyed the show and our lovely mild weather we had last weekend and i just wish we could have had a little more time. weekends go by so quickly when you have 4 shows within them. i will say one of the biggest highlights of having them here is we went to this sassy burger joint in Union Square called Stand and though their burgers were only pretty decent, i have finally had the PERFECT milk shake. it's called the Toasted Marshmallow milkshake and for any of you that are marshmallow freaks like i am, this was, for real, the most amazing milkshake i have ever had - it was seriously like drinking a marshmallow right off the campfire...but with ice cream.

damn, i love writing about food...

...i also love writing about making my Broadway debut as a Season.

today, Bobby Spencer was sick and i was not. so this afternoon and the subsequent evening performance, i went on for my first (and second) time as Nick Massi.

okay, the first show was a first show. i haven't rehearsed the role in almost three weeks and i never got a put-in for the role so it was kind of like getting shot out of a cannon, but it went smooth. a few harmony problems (it's so easy to jump to old Tommy harmonies) and a few spacing issues (i couldn't find my spike marks for the church scene so i might have been in the right wing i was so off the mark) but a lovely matinee audience. the evening's show was great. i was more relaxed and certainly more confident in my spacing and i just let the nerves settle themselves so i could do a better job. not as many harmony issues this time and an ear plug helped as a monitor so i could hear myself better on those low notes and the audience was fantastic (and that always helps). what i like about Nick is the fact that he really doesn't say that much in the play, but when he does, it means so much to the development of his relationship within the group and with the other characters. in a way, i feel he's so quiet because he's always listening and that's what makes him so interesting to play.

one of the nicest things about playing the role was that my dear friend, Michael Ingersoll, who as you all know is playing Nick in the Chicago company sent me flowers to congratulate me. my friend, i miss hanging out with you to chat over a beer and thank you again for that incredible gesture.

so suffice to say, today was a great day. and though i'm pretty certain Bobby will be feeling better tomorrow. it was such a treat debuting as a lead in this show on Broadway - what a thrill! and i'll be honest with you - a person could get used to the attention at the stage door. everyone was so nice and complementary and it was a real treat to sign so many playbills and posters...i rarely get that opportunity in my ensemble track. and in case any of you would like to see me in the role, i do know that i will be going on as Nick March 11-13 for all four shows while Bobby is on vacation. can i announce that? i have no idea.

to end this blog, i'm real excited to announce that in addition to covering Bob and Nick, i have just been contracted to cover Tommy again as well. it's kind of crazy to me that i am now covering 3 of the 4 Seasons but i am beyond thrilled for the opportunity. a big thank you to the creative staff as well as my stage and company managers here in NYC for having faith in me for triple coverage!

so that's it. it's almost 2 in the morning and i have a sleeping wife and dog next to me and i think it's time to join them.

until next time...

Happy New Year (Jan.1)

2008-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

my oh my...what a crazy 16 days it has been.

first off, can someone tell me why the hell people bring their 5 year old children to Jersey Boys? and then sit them in the first three rows where 1) in NY, they are paying broker prices of at least $300/ticket and 2) every time we say the words "fuck", "shit" or "asshole" - which is a LOT in this show - we can all see them turn to their parents because they are uncomfortable that they heard what we said and they're not sure if they are allowed to enjoy it. listen up parents - Little Mermaid is only 6 blocks away and the scariest thing about that show is that their Heely's are supposed to pass for swimming.

thanks for letting me vent.

the Broadway debut came and went and every show since has been a lot of fun. it still is completely surreal, in a way i still can't comprehend that i am performing on Broadway. i mean, i am still walking down 52nd street to the August Wilson theatre, there's still a ton of tourists in the way of the stage door, and i'm still paying 30% more than i'm used to for groceries, but am i really here...?

one thing is for sure...Sarah and Toby are!

after securing our long term apartment in Hell's Kitchen about 4 days earlier than i anticipated, and after being on hold or talking to every stupid asshole that works for Northwest, i changed Sarah's ticket from the 24 to the 20th on a JetBlue redeye, and before i knew it, she was here.

Toby's flight was a little more complicated: you see, we couldn't put him on sarah's flight on JetBlue because the only airliner that has temperature controlled cargo area (a MUST when flying cross country in the winter) so Toby had to keep his flight on the 21st all by himself. Chris and Jenna were amazing by taking him to the airport in Seattle for us and making sure he was calm (and drugged up) for his flight...if only they would have done the same thing for Sarah!

here was the problem; we gave ourselves PLENTY of time to get to Newark from the city. well over an hour before we was scheduled to land - let alone the extra 15 minutes it would have taken for him to get to the pickup area. but as soon as we got to the NJ Turnpike, it was a parking lot. it was seriously some of the worst construction traffic i have ever seen and we were at a dead stop for almost over an hour. and of course, because by now we knew Toby's flight had landed and he was probably just sitting there...stranded and alone...Sarah had a full on breakdown in the car. please keep in mind she had just gotten in from a red eye that same morning and was probably on three hours of sleep for close to two days, but she was a mess and there was nothing i could do but call everyone who has ever worked for Continental to finally get through to the Continental baggage department at Newark and plead with them to please watch over our poor dog.

once we got through the construction zone, i floored the accelerator and the minute we got to the airport, i threw the emergency lights on and ran like a bat out of hell around the airport to finally find Toby...asleep in his crate. my dog is fantastic - what a good boy making a cross Country trip like that by himself just to chill out near baggage without a care in the world.

now, with my full family in tow, NYC felt a little better. we enjoyed the next few mornings together, waking up to each other and it felt great.

the day before Christmas was a rough morning. i got a call from my family back home and there was a death in the family, so Sarah and I scrambled to find a proper boarding place for Toby (every place was booked up months prior for the holidays, but "D is for Doggy" in Chelsea were happy to help us with Toby for two nights under the circumstances). so Sarah and i jumped on a plane Monday morning and headed back to Michigan, where i have not been in over 14 months, for the funeral.

i will say this: i will miss this family member dearly. she was an amazing woman and the only memories i have of her are good ones (best homemade applesauce in the world). she was a constant support of my life and career and when i have children one day, they will all hear wonderful stories about her as she will always have a place in my heart.

and though it was for sad circumstances, it was still amazing to see all my family. and i mean ALL my family. every one of my cousins flew in and all my aunts and uncles were there and it made me realize just how lucky i am with my family; my cousins, there are about 9 of us, are all within about ten years of each other and pretty much all grew up together and it's so nice to see them and share some stories and laughter...even amongst the sadness.

let's move on...

i have been working my ass off on Nick Massi. i have done nothing but eat, breathe and sleep Nick Massi's staging, vocal parts and bass charts. i am DYING to get a full run this Thursday and/or Friday as we continue to put in our new Bob Gaudio, Sebastian Arcelus (who is freaking fantastic i might add). for those of you that know him and his work, they cut his hair on Sunday and he looks ten years younger. and though Daniel is absolutely magnificent and has built an amazing life into this role, Sebastian is going to be a fantastic Gaudio.

the worst part though about learning Nick is i have had no time to do any staging for Gaudio. you would think it's not that big of a deal, but Daniel was out sick for six shows last week and i couldn't do any of the shows because there is no way i could just do the show blind on a new stage with different staging than the tour. so although Dominic (Nolfi) did a great job through the majority of the week, i would be lying if i said i wasn't a little jealous that i wasn't allowed to get up there and make my debut as a Season on Broadway!

but i'm sure, when i least expect it, i will have another opportunity to go on as Bob or Nick and it will be a thrill! i just hope it's with enough time to get some friends or family in town to see it as well!

not much else to report. Sarah and i have been all over the internet and Manhattan desperately trying to find nicknack's and some decent furniture so our home can look more like a home and not a college dorm room and that's for sure the next step to get us more comfortable in the big city. in any event, we spent some major time and money at Bed, Bath and Beyond and all of those random items (ironing board, baking sheets, frying pans, towels, etc) now have a space in our apartment and it's just one less thing we need to worry about.

lastly, i want to wish everyone a fantastic and prosperous 2008! 2007 was one for the record books for me and as always, i want to thank all of my family, friends and blog readers for your constant support, emails and comments that made touring much easier.

Sarah and i had a wonderful New Years as we stayed in, rented some movies, brought in some food and made some fantastic Pomegranate sangria to bring in the new year. oh, and if i can vent about one last thing...

we were watching Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve and this young group, The Jonas Brothers, came on screen to chat about their year and their upcoming 2008 tour. can someone please explain to me why the hell two of the lead singers were dressed like they just came out of Oliver? seriously, one of them was in a freaking top hat and looked like the Artful Dodger while the other one looked like he just crawled out of the Hobbit's squire. please, watch this youtube video of them being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest and tell me you don't want to punch them in the face:

lastly, as far as the Sherry cast is concerned, i want to wish a heartfelt congratulations and bon voyage to my dear friends John Altieri and Erich Bergen. i wish i could have been there for both of your last shows but know that i am thinking of you guys (and the rest of the touring cast) like crazy.

John - i know you already put the cat out of the bag that you are going to Vegas and have a fantastic time - make sure you get a nice place to Sarah and i have a place to stay when you visit. our love to Spider and Goose!

Bergen - i can't wait to see you here in NYC so we can hang out again. but no, i will not go with your to "cast party" on Mondays and no, you cannot hang out backstage with me at the August Wilson. i personally know what is in store for you next and am excited for you - so best of luck with those rehearsals and i want all the exciting gossip!

so that's it everyone. again, Happy New Year and will blog as exciting things happen.

-Eric

Broadway Debut (Dec.16)

2007-12-16T20:20:00.000-08:00

so…

Saturday, December 15.

I got to the theatre about an hour before curtain. I usually like to loiter a little bit before half hour is called and everyone starts to trickle in.

Gus, the guy who takes care of the stage door for us, told me I had a delivery and an envelope in my mail slot and was so pleased to see a very nice note from my old friend, Bill Selby (from Forbidden Broadway) who decided to get some standing room tickets to see my debut. Also got a fantastic cupcake arrangement from Chris and Jenna Jones (they were delicious – thanks guys!!!!).

Checked in with stage management to see if they had any last minute notes for me, ran downstairs to our wardrobe supervisor, Lee, to try on a pair of shoes and a new shirt and tie they pulled for me, and then it was upstairs (4^th floor) to my dressing room to start getting ready…

…”half hour. This is your half hour call. Today, Eric Gutman makes his debut as Hank.”

The cast was great. A lot of them took time before the show to make sure I was good and to either wish me “break legs” or just to say it was nice to have me with the company. Peter (Gregus) and Mark (Lotito), my dressing roommates, left me alone to just focus while I looked over last minute harmonies and notes I had taken on the show the last few days…

…”15 minutes. This is your 15 minute call.”

My biggest problem before the show was my microphone. The mics are slightly different than on the road and the hair clips totally started getting me pissed off because the last one wouldn’t stay clipped. Mark tweaked it for me and all was good in the world. I could finally do my hair and start getting into costume…

…”5 minutes please. 5 minutes until places.”

Put on my suit jacket, popped a Ricolla into my mouth, filled up my water bottle and started heading downstairs.

“Ladies and gentleman, this is your places call. Places for Act One.”

And then it started.

The show was great. Great audience. Great energy. And my heart did a little leap as I entered into my first scene as “drunk in bar”. No problems with wardrobe or props and I was so pleased with the laughs I got as Hank, in the Brill Building and of course, Mika.

Had a little problem with my guitar part in “Stay” when Tommy leaves the group and of course managed to accidentally do one of the dance parts in Boyfriend’s Back like the tour, but all in all a very good show.

But the best part, without a doubt, something that will stay with me for a very long time, was taking my bow on stage and peering up at the mezzanine and seeing these two maniacs yelling and jumping up and down waving their arms and, sure enough, my Dad and Karen had flown out from Michigan to surprise me for my Broadway debut.

I can’t begin to tell you all how much that meant to me and how much that peaked any other feelings I had about that day. To see them both up there, waving and wiping tears from their faces…it really is a testament to how much my family has loved and supported me all these years. I only wish that my Mom and Jeff and of course, Sarah, could have been there as well.

…and for them to also be there after the bows, before the Broadway Cares speech when Daniel Reichard announced that this was my Broadway debut and have the audience give me such a nice ovation was also fantastic.

After a nice dinner at the Playwright Tavern with my folks and walking them to TKTS to get 50% off tickets for Spelling Bee (I LOVE that show), I went back to the August Wilson to do the evening show (was able to fix the guitar and dance problems from the first show), and then crashed at home because I was exhausted.

So that’s that folks. I just wanted to blog so you could all “be there” with me during my first show. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun back in NYC – I just wish Sarah and Toby were here already…but just a few more days until they fly out and then the family is all together again.

Also, to answer some questions I have gotten on my comments and in emails:

I am now understudying the Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi tracks. I lose Tommy with the move to NYC and Bob Crewe is still up in the air…time will tell with that.
Yes, on Broadway I no longer play the accountant in Act Two. But I now get to be the guy behind the 3^rd door in the Brill Building (“come back when you’re black”).
Sarah is in Seattle still getting things finished up on that end. We are shipping our car to a friend who is going to take it from us and they are scheduled to join me on Dec.24 – though I am trying to get them in earlier.
I am subletting from a friend right now in Washington Heights. But we just got approved for that apartment in Hell’s Kitchen so I should be getting in there in the next 3-4 days.

More blogs to come. I think I am going to the Gypsy of the Year competition on Tuesday with my stage manager from the tour, Lori Byars, and that should be a blast. And of course, this week will be my first full week with the Broadway company – so I will have to get back into the swing of things doing 8 shows per week.

Again, thanks to everyone for the comments and emails. I promise to try and email back once we get settled into our new place, so please bear with me a little longer.

Night for now. A much deserved day off tomorrow...

Hello From NY (Dec.12)

2007-12-11T21:30:00.000-08:00

okay, okay...

i guess people still want me to blog...so here i am...my first full day in NYC...and i'm blogging. a big thank you to Taylor Sternberg who came up with the new blog name (though Ron Melrose suggested "New Man in Town" and i liked that too). make sure you check out his new tour blog, Tour THAT, for all the goings on of the Sherry cast.

let's catch you up on the last 24 or so hours.

Sunday night i finished my final show (show #390) on the road with the first National Tour. i miss my friends on the road tremendously. i have been thinking of them nonstop today. i wish they could all be having this experience with me and i can't thank them enough for their texts throughout the day just saying hello (Bates, the text you sent me was awesome). my final performance was a good one; good audience and everyone just enjoying each other on stage as we all knew it was the last time i was going to be up there with them. because i know there are creative staff reading this, i will tell you that there were absolutely no hi-jinks going on onstage during the show...but for any of you who know me and have worked with me in past shows, you know that's a load of bullshit. the highlight of the night for me was getting to play the guitar solo in the band playoff at the end of the show and seeing the entire case in the wings cheering me on.

we'll leave it at that.

but thank you once again to the Sherry company for making this last year on the road one of the most memorable of my life. thank you for opening your hearts to Sarah and i and for being an amazing family. i will never lose touch with any of you and wherever i may end up down the road or you may end up down the road, you will always have a friend in me.

as soon as the show was over, we got into the car, headed home to load the suitcases into the back and got to the Seattle airport about 75 minutes before the flight.

5 hours later, i landed safely at JFK.

the rest is kind of a blur. i only got about 2 or so hours of sleep on the plane and by the time i got to my sublet in Washington Heights and got in the shower, it was already about 2pm. after a very quick few hours in the city to see my buddy Val, i headed back up the The Heights to grab a few groceries, eat some wonderfully mediocre Chinese food and was dead asleep by about 10pm.

had to get some good sleep as today was a big day.

day started with me filling out an application on some long-term housing. the apartment is a cute little 550 square foot studio located at 57th and 10th (amazing location and so close to the theatre) that we found through a friend of a friend. we should know by the weekend if we are approved. that will be a load off. it's kind of hard getting into the mindset that i will possibly be living in such a small place with Sarah and Toby when i have a 3 bedroom house back home in Michigan, but i guess i just need to remember the city that i am now living in and what a steal we are going to get a studio in Hell's Kitchen for (just a phrase they call that area Bubi Goldie...it's actually safe and very cute).

then i was off to rehearsal...

i had about 4 hours of rehearsal today. the first 1 1/2 hours was to check spacing and staging with my new production stage manager, Michelle. it's amazing to see the little differences in the Broadway company versus the road company. then about an hour with my new music director; let me just say this: only three songs are the same as i have sung on the road - all the rest are different harmonies and it turns out i double Frankie for a few songs...what???

the last hour or so was with Peter Gregus, the show's dance captain who also plays Bob Crewe. he was fantastic and super nice and very helpful with all the questions i had. turns out that on the road we actually dance a lot more than they do on Broadway so he had to pull me back quite a bit. but i am hopefully going to have another hour with him before Saturday because i need to get some things better in my head and body before i get on stage...

...speaking of which:

i went to the August Wilson Theatre today. and i just kept catching myself giggling like an idiot. going through the stage door: giggling. seeing my dressing room: giggling. walking the stage and seeing the empty house before the show: giggling and overwhelmed.

i will say this about the house: it's so small! i mean, i guess playing in these huge houses the past year has really made me realize just how intimate the theatre is. i can't wait to get up there with an audience.

i met most of the cast, band and stagehands tonight too. everyone was very inviting and welcoming. it was great to see my old friend Daniel Reichard again (he and i did Forbidden Broadway together 100 years ago) and Bobby Spencer was super nice. hell, everyone took the time to shake my hand and make sure i am getting along okay in NYC...and i really appreciated that...because God knows i am going to be a mess on Saturday.

tonight i was also able to sit in the house and watch the show. it's SOOOO surreal watching the show when all i have in my head are the performances i have grown to know and love on the road. it will definitely take some getting used to with the wonderful characters this cast has developed but i welcome it. i also have to say, pacing wise, i was exhausted. the Broadway show probably cuts 7 minutes off their show compared to ours and in theatre terms - that is HUGE! so buckle me in kids, because it's going to be quite a ride for awhile.

but all in all, there is a reason this cast (along with the book and lyrics, of course) lifted the show to win the Tony for Best Musical and i am beyond words and beyond honored to have been offered this opportunity.

so what's next this week...?

Wednesday - trail Colin backstage tomorrow matinee to start learning the track and the differences from what i am used to. the whole cast is also going to some dinner party thing after the matinee and i have been invited to go along, so that will be a nice bonding experience. Wednesday night i think i have a free ticket to see Little Mermaid so i think i am going to take advantage of that.

Thursday - rehearsal with Michelle and then a full run of the show with the other understudies to get me prepped for Friday's put in rehearsal with the whole cast. will either track Colin or watch the show again.

Friday - put in rehearsal.

Saturday matinee - the big debut!!!!

and that should keep you all up to date! i can pretty much guarantee i will have no time to blog again before my debut on Saturday, so everyone just send good thoughts my way this week into Saturday. i promise to blog sometime on Sunday to share the experience with you.

i want to close just by saying thank you to everyone who has emailed or commented from my last blog. the response was overwhelming and i can't tell you how much it meant to me that so many of you contacted me just to congratulate me. i guess i never quite realize how far this blog extends until i start getting emails from people across the Country and it meant a lot to know people are still reading my posts and are enjoying them.

until the next blog...on Broadway...

wow, i don't think i'll ever tire of that.

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

2007-12-09T00:21:00.000-08:00

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:

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.
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.

Where the Hell Are We? (Dec.3)

2007-12-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

let's cut to the chase...

Orange County was a blast. i was fortunate enough to go on as Tommy for 3 shows through the run and we had an amazing time at our beautiful beach villa in Laguna Beach. it went way to quick and just as we are unpacked and comfortable, we have to pack up the damn car and head to our new destination...

...and here's what's being going on in the last two days:

we left Sunday morning for Seattle. Chris and Jenna Jones caravaned with us so we could drive safe and so i could help Chris drive because Jenna doesn't drive stick shift and i do and we all took shifts. me and Sarah in "Bruiser" (our Jeep Grand Cherokee) and Chris and Jenna in "Pepe" (his '92 Honda) trekking across 1200 miles.

the first day we got almost 11 hours and then had to stay the night in Weed, CA because the road conditions were getting real bad with sleek rain and snow and hurricane grade winds. so we pulled over and got some much deserved sleep in some random Quality Inn...

...why are they called "Quality Inn's" and "Best" Westerns? I really don't see the "best" or "quality" in any of them. and seriously, what is with the continental breakfast in the morning? why do they feel that dry cereal, Lender's bagels and hard boiled eggs sitting in some plastic bin for hours on end qualifies as a "continental" breakfast? at least Holiday Inn Express' have those cinnamon buns.

today (Monday) we left Weed, CA around 9am and started our 518 mile remainder of our trip toward Seattle. the drive was beautiful for the most part; very clear skies with an amazing view of the mountains and some random waterfalls here and there. sure, we hit some rain but nothing we couldn't handle. the traffic was relatively clear and we were making some great mileage...

and then we hit Portland.

heavy rain, slow traffic. but success - we get through it!

and then 95 miles before our destination, we get to exit 68 on I-5 and sure enough, it is blocked off by local police and road work. we drive for over 30 minutes trying to find a detour and by now, the rain is horrible and it is getting colder. we jump online and our worst fears our realized: I-5 North to Seattle as well as all other local routes around it are closed due to the torrential rain, mud slides and flooding.

our trip to Seattle has now become a day in history as today's flooding is the worst in history. literally bridges over I-5 are flooding over by almost 10 feet. and now a good handful of us in the cast are stuck in Longview, WA until...well...who knows.

the Washington state authorities are saying that all roadways to Seattle are most likely closed for the next 24-36 hours and that's interesting because with me stuck in Longview is our assistant hair supervisor, one of our swings (Erik Bates), our Bob Crewe (John Altieri) and our very own Frankie Valli (Chris Jones). and we have to be at the theatre this Wednesday for orientation and to run Act 1 before our first show in Seattle that very night!

so keep reading loyal blog readers...because as things progress (or regress) i will post as much info as possible. most of all though, think good thoughts for us because all we want to do is now drive the short 100+ miles to our destination and stop eating crap fast food and sleeping in uncomfortable hotels.

lastly, i promise for a posting within the week as there is some CRAZY changes getting ready to go into effect. Broadway World boarders - please feel free to have a field day with that.

until next time...stay safe and keep your eyes on the road.

Thanksgiving Blog (Nov.22)

2007-11-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

okay...i know i need to blog...it's been over 3 weeks since the last blog and i should be ashamed of myself. i will try to recall everything that has gone on in the past 21 days...i'm sure i will forget a bunch of stuff and ramble a few paragraphs later, but hey, that's what you readers have come to expect from my blogs this past year.

speaking of which...

we have officially now been with the tour for over a year. rehearsals started october 23, 2006 back in NYC and our actual first year anniversary of playing to a paying audience will be coming up on december 1 and our official opening night in San Fran was december 10...so lots of big "one year" excitement will be coming up. it's crazy to think that by the end of Seattle, we will be past 400 shows.

400 shows saying "Heyyyyy" and wearing an ape mask...holy shit.

so let's close out San Diego:

we had a blast in San Diego! we went to the San Diego zoo and since it was a slower day at the zoo, they literally were walking their Timberwolf along zoo grounds...you don't see that everyday. obviously from the pictures from past blogs, our place was amazing and we had such a great time with Chris, Jenna and Fender.

other highlights:

* my dear friend, Jen Waldman (Titanic, Wicked and now her own acting studios in NYC http://www.jenwaldmanstudio.com) came to the show along with her fantastic parents, Lori and Bill. i have knows the Waldmans for about 15 years and it was great to have them (again) supporting me in the show. the craziest thing about them coming though was one of Jen's students came along with them and it turns out to be Jonathan Groff, who plays Melchior in Spring Awakening on Broadway. i mean, there i am eating steak with one of my oldest childhood friends, her parents and a 2007 Tony award nominee.

* getting to play Bob Gaudio for the last two shows to close out the city was a blast. i always have such a wonderful time playing my understudy parts and a big thank you to Bergen for taking some personal days. i think Bergen, Deven and Altieri should take more and more personal and sick days. the coolest part about going on for the last show was getting to meet all these great people who were at the stage door for our last show - it was like a rock concert really - tons of people were there to see us off and it's rare that i get to take so many pictures and sign so many programs and posters.

* Broadway Cares collections were at an all time high in San Diego and just for our collections there, we raised just over $175,000 for Broadway Cares. the best thing about all of that, is that half of that went to the San Diego chapter of the American Red Cross to help with fire relief. We continue to collect in Costa Mesa and we are kicking ass!

* I went on as Bob Crewe (see pics below)! It's amazing that for a role where you are only on stage for about 12 minutes, you really have to own scenes you are in. It was such a thrill being in the driver's seat for most of the studio scenes and the laughs that i got were fantastic. and i have to say, with apologies to the real Mr. Crewe as well as John Altieri who does the role on tour with amazing precision and style, but it was a real treat getting to play that part as gay as the day is long.

as Donnie (in the car scene)

as the man himself, Bob Crewe

my favorite part of the first day i got to play it is in the Donnie/Stosh scene where they fake the gunshot in the first act, i go to reach into my inside jacket pocket for the gun and it is stuck on a piece of fabric. so i have to jerk my hand out pretty quickly to nudge it loose and in doing so, the gun literally flips over itself in the air about three times and...i caught the damn thing! it was like some sort of horrible slow motion scene in a movie where all i was thinking was "you have GOT to catch this gun". but i did, and i shot Miles next to me, and it almost looked choreographed. suffice to say, the next night was much smoother.

last highlight of the city was the fun Halloween party the company had for us. costumes were mandatory and all i wanted to do was make fun of my buddy Nate who is also on tour. so i decided to dress like him and act like him all night. the catch is though, someone ratted me out to Nate and so Nate decided to dress like me. suffice to say, we wanted to fight each other all night because we were both making fun of each other so much that it was getting ridiculous. here's a pic:

for those of you that know both Nate and I, notice that i am in a cut off Abercrombie shirt, Yankees hat and holding a Myoplex Body for Life shake. Nate is talking on a bluetooth headset, wearing my Hebrew National shirt and pretending to sell tickets. the hottie in the middle is Sarah dressed as "slutty" Harry Potter.

but alas, the car had to be packed up, and we made the drive to Costa Mesa...

...and let me tell you about this new place we are staying!

so we are about 20 minutes or so from the theatre living in a beautiful small beach community called Laguna Beach. the whole town is steps from the ocean and it's full of artist's studios and quaint little places to eat and shop. in one way, it's kind of a tourist trap, but still really quiet and peaceful.

we, however, are a little bit away from the main strip because we scored a beach house in a gated community up a big hill. turns out that Sarah has some extended family that owned this beach house and when we went to dinner with them in LA, the offered us their place. so now Sarah, Toby and I are in this gorgeous house all alone in this secure gated community where every house looks like a palace. and the best part? we have a private beach! that's right - the community all backs into this private beach that is about 1/2 mile long between two coves and the only way you can get into it is by having a house in the complex. and even better than that is if we don't want to walk up and down the street to get to the beach, we just get in the golf cart that they own and drive it down. i love driving golf carts. they also have a Vespa but that is never going to happen.

Costa Mesa has been a lot of fun other than the trips to the beach and cooking in our pimped out kitchen (the place has a warmer tray for goodness sake!). i got to play Tommy the other night which is always a blast. and since i still have family and friends in town here, i had 11 people in the audience cheering me on.

but this coming week is also going to be a little rough; with our schedule here just a short 3 weeks, they are obviously trying to cram in as many shows as possible. so with our show this past Tuesday, we are going all the way through to December 1 without a break or day off. and we think our assistant director West is coming into town so that means we will be doing two understudy rehearsals as well so whoop-de-fucking-doo.

i really don't know what else to post at this time. do i just leave you with the above mentioned vulgarity and call it a day...?

of course not.

i want to wish everyone who might be reading this a very happy Thanksgiving! the company just had a very nice dinner for us near the theatre tonight and though i am very homesick today, it was wonderful being with my "road family" for yet another holiday. tomorrow will consist of hanging out with our friends Kim and Vipe for some massive leftovers that they are bringing over, maybe do some "black friday" shopping and celebrating a milestone day for myself (the big 3-0 baby!).

so that's it for now. no promises on when a new post will happen, but i will TRY to do one more, even a small one, here in Costa Mesa before we head off to Seattle!

and lastly, to our new family in San Fran, the soon-to-be Vegas cast, congrats on your opening night preview and we wish you all success for your holiday run there!

blog later,
eric

p.s. some GREAT pics up on my website (www.ericgutman.com) in the Misc Theatre page of some shows i was in back in college. thanks to Sandy Duke at WMU for finding them for me!

Stay Classy, San Diego (Oct.30)

2007-10-30T13:48:00.001-07:00

hello all. this blog is being writen from our pimp pad in downtown San Diego on the 27th floor of a high-rise condo building overlooking the water and most of downtown... ...how's your view?

so let's catch you all up:

this city so far has had its ups and downs for sure. the city itself is just wonderful and we are really enjoying the theatre and the audiences. obviously, with the horrible fires that engulfed most of the area, last week was pretty scary for everyone. my heart goes out to the hundreds of thousands of people who had to be evacuated from their home, even for just a day or two, and all of our prayers are with those who lose their homes and cherished items to the fire. one of our local crew guys lost his home in the fires and sarah knows another girl in the area who lost her home as well; she was on the front page of the Union Tribune a few days ago embracing her mom amongst all the devastation.

but it's a true testament to the people who live here to see how much everyone is helping each
other. there are donation bins all over the city and in practically every building i have walked into. and people had to be turned away at Qualcomm Stadium because too many people showed up to volunteer.

as far as our show - it certainly "went on". we did cancel one show on Tuesday because the air quality was so poor, but honestly, doing the show Wednesday, when you could still the ashes and smoke particles in the air while we were singing was not the best way to rally the troops, so to speak, and because of the air it truly affected all of our voices as five people called out that next day because they had no voices or they were feeling to ill to go on.

but the week progressed and the air quality went from Unhealthy to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Moderate to Good and we are definitely back in the swing of things. and the audiences have been extra supportive because, honestly, after watching CNN for 4 days straight, we are a nice change of pace and a good way to take your mind off things for awhile.

and for a great segue...let's chat for a moment about Broadway Cares:

as many of you know, theatre companies across the country twice a year take collections for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (www.broadwaycares.org). last year's collection, i am so very proud to report that we beat all the other companies on the road and Broadway to raise just over $236,000 due to the love, support and kindness of our San Francisco audiences from last year. as of now, i think we are tracking to meet or beat that goal from last year and we couldn't be more happy or excited not only because it's a remarkable feeling being able to raise so much money for National and local organizations, but also, because of the fires, Broadway Cares has agreed to give 50% of the donations we make here in San Diego to the San Diego chapter of the American Red Cross. so if you want to make a difference, please go to the Broadway Cares website and donate something!

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continuing on my San Diego track - i need to share some pics of the view from our place. please keep in mind, this was on kind of a cloudy day:

like i mentioned before, we are at an amazing place called the Park Place (how the hell did we find this on Craig's List) and we are sharing the place with those wacky newlyweds, Chris Jones and Jenna. i have to say, i was a *little* nervous sharing with another couple but we are having a blast! they are great to live with, love to cook as much as us and best of all, their dog Fender and Toby have become fast friends and they absolutely love playing together or just sitting on the couch in our room and watching the sailboats go by or just taking a nap together:

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moving on...

i would like to now officially welcome Zachary Prince to the Sherry company. Zach did his first show this past Sunday night as Frankie and he will be our Frankie alternate doing 2 or 3 shows/week. the whole company gave him a much deserved applause at the end of the show and the audience was wonderfully supportive. i think that he will be a tremendous asset to the company and we are happy to have him here with us. funny fact: he and Taylor are cousins. ah, family.

and the show has been great with the new girls as well. i certainly miss our original Jersey Girls, but Jamie, Sarah and Holly are doing a fantastic job on stage and are really keeping the talent and truth of the characters present throughout the play. and what's more, everyone is getting along and speaks volumes...

but what does that mean for Rick Faugno? when is Melissa Strom returning, if at all? if she does, what happens to Sarah Darling? with Daniel's departure from Broadway in January, what does that mean for other actors who are playing Bob? what about Vegas? what cast is going to San Fran and will that same cast end up going to Vegas? so many things to speculate about...go for it Broadway World Jersey Boys Tour Threaders - i love the weird shit you guys come up with!

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want to end this blog with a few little tidbits.

first, a huge congratulations to my good friend Robert "Junior" Garcia (Junior is assistant propsmaster for our show) and his girlfriend, Kara Tremel (you super fans should know that name) for getting engaged this past weekend! we had a great engagement party for them last night at the W Hotel and all of us are just getting over our hangovers.

also, lots of love and congrats to West Hyler (our assistant director) and Ted Chubb (our trumpet player) both of whom got married in the past two weeks to their ladies...

...i believe that makes 7 weddings or engagements since we started this show one year ago.

lastly, speaking of weddings, today is mine and sarah's 6-month anniversary. unbelievable that it has already been six months because i can still picture her the first moment i saw her in her dress...so amazing. i just want to thank all of you that read this blog who always take in interest in mine AND sarah's lives on the road together and i want to thank my lovely bride once again for being with me on the road selling thankless merchandise to nameless faces night after night. i love you intensely.

until next time, happy Halloween to everyone (especially my father who LOVES this holiday) and will write more soon...

I Lost My Girls (Oct.15)

2007-10-15T22:38:00.000-07:00

Well folks…I am writing to you from gorgeous San Diego…more on that in another blog.

I need to start this blog by chatting a little bit about how much I have enjoyed Deven May’s vacation. While Deven and his lovely girlfriend are enjoying some sort of tropical locale this past week, I was fortunate to go on as Tommy for 4 shows last week in Tempe.

As always, the first show on was like a freight train. Those first 32 minutes on stage fly by, and again, it was like an out of body experience. But all in all, I was really pleased on how it all turned out and other than a few little line fumbles, all four shows went off without a hitch and I really felt like I had a great grasp on the role and being “in charge” of the group. Another highlight was the fact that Richard Hester (prod. supervisor), Ron Melrose (music director) and West Hyler (asst. director) were all there to see me go on that last Friday (their first times seeing me in that role) and I got some really great feedback from all of them.

And is it weird that I love what Ruth (our head of hair and wigs) does with my hair as Tommy? For those of you who don’t me, I have what some might call, a “JAfro” (Jewish-Afro). When my hair is in dire need of a cut and not even gel can tame the beast, it gets pretty big and out of control. Ruth harnesses this madness and forms this fantastic fro-helmet which gives the character real lift. Suffice to say, I promise next time I go on as Tommy, I will get a pic directly after leaving her hair station.

Love the fro - it adds attitude to my Tommy…and makes me seem a few inches taller.

One of the other great advantages of playing Tommy this week was that Sarah’s dad (and his fiancé, Cheri) flew all the way out to Tempe to see me in the role. I can’t tell you how great it was to see them both and how great it felt seeing them at the stage door and hearing the pride in their faces as they spoke to me about the show.

Since I know they are reading this: Sandy and Cheri – I can’t tell you how much I appreciated you coming out here and showing your support. Sarah and I had a blast spending some time with you and I hope your full visit to Tempe was a memorable one.

However, the best part about Tempe was the mini-vacation Sarah and I went on to Sedona. She of course had no idea I had planned this and she was extremely anxious on Sunday when I threw a suitcase on the bed and told her to start packing specific items of clothing. The next morning, I hustled her in the car and we took the gorgeous 2 hour drive to Sedona’s Rogue Hotel & Spa. The hotel was a lovely little resort settled on the main street just far enough off the downtown strip and the entire day and evening couldn’t have been more perfect.

We got to the hotel and little early for check-in, so we jumped right back into the car and started looking for a spot to hike. After about 20 minutes driving through the amazing red rock mountains, we spotted a good intermediate trail…and even better…two walking sticks just waiting at the base with our names on it.

It was an unbelievable hike followed by an unbelievable view. Here’s the proof:

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But with everything great about Tempe, there were also some things that sucked. Now is the time where I have to say goodbye to some amazing cast members: Lauren Tartaglia, Sandy DeNise and Jackie Seiden.

As you all know, Lauren joined us in Los Angeles when Melissa Strom took her first medical leave. We all knew that it was short lived because she was just a temporary replacement, but that did not stop any of us from becoming close friends with her. She leaves our tour for some other great things, including finally being in the same city as her fiancé, but I hope she knows how much all of us in the Sherry cast enjoyed working with her and hope nothing but great things for her and her future with the JB family.

Sandy DeNise played her last show with us October 7. it was truly bittersweet in the fact that Sandy was really ready to move on from tour (the girl has toured with like four companies over the past six or so years) and yet I will never hear anyone sing “Boyfriend’s Back” like Sandy…ever. As a matter of fact, when Sandy and Chris did Lorraine’s apartment scene when she breaks up with Frankie, it was nothing short of an honor being on stage (even in the background as Joe) watching her perform that night. Please keep in mind that I have always thought Sandy was fierce on stage, but this specific night, in this specific scene, it was another example of art imitating life. As Lorraine left Frankie…as Sandy left us…I will venture a guess that no one in any company - past, present or future – will ever play that scene better than when Sandy performed it that night. The breakup was real. The tears were real. And I will miss her on stage more than she can imagine. I have to end this goodbye to her with a “thank you” on behalf of Miles and I…she’ll know what for. Unforgettable.

I don’t even want to write a goodbye to Jackie Seiden. I don’t want to say goodbye to her because I don’t want to get any sadder than I already am. Jackie Seiden became one of my closest friends on this tour and she was like the sister I never had. Her humor offstage and on will never be forgotten and yet will always be missed. She and I had a lot of ridiculous inside jokes and she always made coming to “work” that much easier. Jackie now moves to LA to start the next phase in her professional life and I couldn’t be more proud of her for taking the initiative and having the balls to do something that thousands of others would be too scared to do. However, I have all the faith in the world that only great things will happen for her and I can’t wait to get the phone call from her in the near future that she has booked something magnificent. Jackie: Sarah and I will miss you like crazy and can’t wait to visit with you in Costa Mesa…you should have us over for Thai food and Pinkberry!

So as these magnificent women move out of our tour, it is time to welcome the new Jersey Girls in our life: Sarah Darling (Francine), Holly Ann Butler (Lorraine) and Jamie Karen (Mary). So far, Sarah and Holly have debuted on stage and Jamie will play her first show this Thursday. Welcome to the family my dears…we are all looking forward to breaking you all in to this insane show and having you enjoy the way this show moves people in every city we play.

So much more to talk about, but honestly, I don’t know what I’m officially allowed to discuss. All you need to know is the Vegas cast will probably be officially announced soon and lots of things will start to make sense. Until then, I leave you all to speculate on the Broadway World boards and see what exciting conclusions everyone comes up to.

To end this post, I want to wish my good friend Chris Jones a big “mazel tov” to his marriage to Jenna Coker. From what we heard, the wedding was beautiful and I only wish we all could have been there to celebrate with them back in NYC. They are a wonderful couple and I see an amazing amount of love and happiness in the future together.

Lastly, an enormous congrats to our brother company in Chicago, the “Zephyr” cast, and especially my dear friends Michael Ingersoll and Jarrod Spector, on an incredible opening night in the windy city! Make sure to go to JerseyBoysInfo.com and JerseyBoysBlog.com for all their killer reviews. Those of us in the Sherry cast wish them an incredibly successful run – they deserve it in every way.

Okay readers – I will post again in the next week or so about San Diego. I would talk more about my place, but it wouldn’t do any justice without pictures. After all, how can I explain my 180 degree bay view from the 28^th of 30^th floors in a penthouse condo without pics?

haha – I love San Diego already!