Coverage of 'Sports Night' with the Canadian Cast of Jersey Boys

For as long as I can remember, there has been a great divide between men and musicals.  Men seem to view musicals as too feminine, or too boring, or in some cases "too musical!"  I've heard it a million times and done the dance more times than I care to count, begging a guy to come with me to see a show, only to be told I should just go with one of the girls.  It's the old adage, one that I'm sure most of the females reading this will agree to having been through at least one time in their lives.  Being an avid musical lover it is something I have become very familiar with.  Trading off a sporting event for a night of theatre has become a regular routine for me.  But now, there is a musical that men will want to go to just as much (if not more) than the women!

Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  It's a smash-hit, with productions running in NYC, Chicago and Las Vegas, as well as London, England and one is about to open in Melbourne, Australia.  The US Tour came to Toronto this past August, and was so popular that a Canadian Cast was assembled that has been thrilling audiences ever since. 

Perhaps one of the most unique qualities about Jersey Boys is its ability to bring men into the theatre.  It truly does "Score with Men".  It's hard not to fall in love with this musical, with its catchy and popular songs, amazing dialogue and intriguing back-story.  Many people know the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but not everyone knows how this group came to be.  In Jersey Boys, the story of how the group evolved is told in four parts, which each guy getting his own "season".  That way, The Audience gets an individual perspective from each of the Jersey Boys. 

A large percentage of the men who see the show seem to be coming along with their female companions, but then something interesting happens, they find themselves enjoying it.  In fact, on any given night you are more likely to see a male get up and give the first standing ovation, or start clapping along and dancing in the aisles.  This is certainly not what you will see in most theatres these days.  And that's what makes Jersey Boys so great; its appeal to both sexes.  Gone are the days when the men have to sit still and pretend to look happy while they appease their significant other, now they can have a fun night out at the theatre as well.

Dancap Productions noticed this trend, and therefore has started to specifically market the show to the male crowd.  In order to do this they created a very exciting event called "Sports Night".  The idea was simple; compare going to see Jersey Boys with a typical night out to see a sporting event.  Various Toronto sports figures were invited, as were local sportscasters and newspapers.  In The Audience you could see people from TSN, the Toronto Argonauts and more. 

After the show, drinks and hors d'oeuvres were served as the sports figures interacted with the cast.  The result? Overwhelming!  Toronto Argonaut Offensive Line Coach Ron Heller was seen raving about how much he loved the show, while Head Coach Bart Andrus could be seen happily chatting about the music with all four Jersey Boys (Jeff Madden, Jeremy Kushnier, Michael Lomenda and Quinn VanAntwerp).  Everyone was having a fantastic time, and the feedback from the men in The Audience was overwhelming.

This event has been the landmark for some other sporting related events that have taken place to promote the show.  Shortly before "Sports Night", the cast of Jersey Boys sang the National Anthem at a Toronto Raptor's Game and had a great time.  And shortly after the event, Jeff Madden (who plays Frankie Valli) attended a Blue Jays/Orioles Game at the Rogers Centre. He mingled with both Toronto Blue Jay Kevin Millar and Baltimore Oriole Jeremy Guthrie, and they talked about baseball and Jersey Boys.  Kevin Millar gave him his batting practice bat, and Jeremy Guthrie gave him an autographed baseball.  The Players then attended the Saturday evening performance of Jersey Boys, along with BrIan Roberts (Baltimore Oriole's all-star 2^nd Basemen), Roberts' wife and Millar's wife and mother.  They all loved the show, and stayed to chat with the entire cast afterwards.  According to Mr. Madden, the sports stars were in the theatre for about an hour mingling with the various members of the Jersey Boys cast and raving about the show.  The entire cast of the show had a great time, and so did all those in attendance.  Pictures of the various sport related events are on this site as well, exclusive to the BWW readers! Click here to see the photos!

It isn't very often that a musical comes along that can appeal to such a wide range of people, and this one is truly a gem.  Of the five North American productions currently running many people have said that this is the strongest cast, and it is certainly a production not to be missed! 

Whether you are a man or a woman, make sure that you get a taste of Jersey Boys! Tickets start as low as $25 and can be purchased online at www.jerseyboystoronto.com or by phone at 416-644-3665.  Rush seats are also available two hours prior to the show on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for $20.  Don't miss out!  Tickets are on sale through June 28^th, 2009. 

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