A Jersey Contract – Broken

So I’ve been pretty quiet ’til now. OK , it actually only took me a few hours to jump on this blog as most of you probably guessed I would.

The news broke yesterday that Jersey Boys, the West End show, my most favourite show I have ever seen, the best show in the universe (OK , I’ll stop)….is coming to an end. And thanks to the few that messaged me asking my thoughts on it. I think the only way to get my feelings out is through blog world, as I always do. It should answer some questions.

Everyone knows by now that I was a Jersey Girl. I was mad for it. It was my happy place. I lost count of seeing it. A very talented man called Sandy Moffat introduced me to the show that would forever become my favourite. For two whole years I lived and breathed Jersey Boys. Every person on that stage became stars to me. The story was magical. The songs were timeless. The world was happy.

Then, a huge cast change shake up came in March. Every single one of my faves left and I had to take a breather. I wrote a blog about how I would support the new cast and everyone knows that since March, I haven’t even been back to see the new cast. But before you all shout at me, just because I haven’t seen them does not mean that I haven’t been supporting of them.

Jersey Boys was my favourite show. I read every review they got with pride. I got excited for the praise the ‘new’ (not so new anymore) guys got. I watched every TV performance they did. Every new person I met I would tell them to go see Jersey Boys. I have supported them quietly from afar.

My original reasons, in that first month or two for not going back was simple….I needed to get my head around a new cast, I needed to take a breather and go back realising it would be a slightly different show than the one I had seen.

But then it got more complicated. I had poor health from my absolute nightmare in February, I had to change jobs, I had less money than before and work shifts where I had to be up at 4am. The thought of going to any West End show was utterly terrifying when I was that exhausted, and true to the tale….I didn’t see one show. I have not seen a West End show since March, and that West End show was Jersey Boys. It’s not a simple case of me missing the old cast and not going. It was that….and I make no excuses for that. It was that in the first month, maybe two. But I always had every intention of going back to the show that made me so happy.

If a person goes to a show once, loves it with all her heart but can’t go back because of money issues, or living far away, or being a single Mum with no-one to help with her kids, or being a teenager who can’t afford a repeat due to not earning for themselves…..does that make them less of a fan then somebody who has been multiple times? Of course not. It makes them equally a fan. When I went countless times in those two years, I met a girl who had seen the show once and fell in love with it. She was just as big as fan as me. She was desperate to go back but her circumstances didn’t allow it. The fact she had went once was proof enough for me that she adored the show.

I do not ever try to be dishonest on this blog, as cliche as it sounds, this blog is my own personal diary. My sadness at the ‘old’ cast leaving was very real to me and I could not face going back. Then, as I said above, it turned into NOT being able to go which in turn made me want to go back.

Jersey Boys is closing in March, and before then….I will be going back to see it once more. I will say goodbye in my own way. I will probably cry like a baby. I will be the usual me.

I am so very sad that Jersey Boys has to close. Granted, there are worse things going on in the world right now….but that makes it all the more sad because we need these West End shows with talented casts lighting up our day to day lives. They are an escapism. And the thought that I can no longer go and escape to the show that means so much to me has hit me like a shit ton of bricks this morning. The option has been taken away from me.

I have said my feelings on the matter, now I want to talk about Jersey Boys as a whole.

The fact that the cast and crew are dealing with the news is enormous. It’s not just a show, it is their jobs. From the directors to cast, from costume people to wig guys, they are all employed and working on a show where no doubt the people will feel like family. As when any show closes, not just my favourite, my heart really goes out to every single person who will be saying goodbye.

I think that the two Matts, Declan and Simon are doing a brilliant job with stunning the crowds each night. And I know that they have to carry on as all shows do when they get the bad news of a closure. They themselves have managed to entice a whole new fan base to the show, I’ve seen it on twitter. They kept the old fans coming back, gained new ones and of course, wowed the people that were there for a one off night of entertainment. I wish them nothing but the best for the future, and look forward to seeing them perform on stage together.

The Jersey Boys contract has been officially broken, and with it…..a little piece of my show loving heart. I know the ones who will already be booking several shows to give it a good send off, and I would urge everyone that has never seen it, or seen it before and wants to go back to book up and see it. Make the last few months one big party and see it off in style.

Jersey Boys, I thank you for the years of joy you provided me. Not so much for the late nights and delayed train journeys and making myself bankrupt to see you, but it was all worth it!

It will be an emotional goodbye. X

 

Changing Seasons…..

So…. the new Jersey Boys West End cast has been announced and naturally, I had to do a blog post about it!
The show means a huge deal to me and ever since it was announced that all four of the seasons (Michael Watson, Jon Boydon, Edd Post, Gary Watson and of course, Sandy Moffat) were leaving, I have been anxious to see who would be replacing them. I have even been that sad case and made up little cast people in my head, none of which I got correct by the way. I then came up with my dream Jersey Boys cast which basically consisted of the current cast plus the West End Rock Of Ages cast which just obviously ain’t gonna happen….. I’ve clearly been going a bit loopy waiting for news of casting. I was completely sane before. Sssshhhh. Don’t look at me like that. I was.

But guess what guys? The new seasons are looking mighty fine.

I am so excited by this cast!!! With Rock of Ages, I never had to deal with the emotions of Cast Change, as I became a fan in its last year. It would have been proper hard for me to watch someone else other than Sandy as Franz, and I would have needed large amounts of chocolate to get through. (OK , so I did that when it closed anyway but that isn’t the point.)

Then last year on the Jersey Boys cast change , we said Bye Bye (extremely tall and handsome) Baby to the gorgeous Matt Nalton, and I wondered how I would get through a Naltonless JB …. but then Gary Watson came along who is lusher than a hot apple crumble with custard and everything felt right.

But this year is a huge deal. I just couldn’t imagine a Jersey Boys without Michael, Sandy, Edd, Gary…. and especially Jon who has played Tommy for a mind blowing six years. All leaving at once, not one at a time. And I have harped on and on about what joy they have all individually brought me on stage…. (plus that day when Sandy was doing the charity bike thingy and was in shorts because legs….. that was a lovely day……) and how much I am going to miss each of them in their particular roles, but this post is being written to celebrate the new seasons.

Taking over from Michael Watson as Frankie V is the charming Matt Corner. It’s fair to say the role is in good hands, Matt played Frankie V on tour. I follow pretty much everything JB related because I need to get a life, and I have heard nothing but incredible things about Matts Frankie. Also, a friend went to see the show when Matt was playing Frankie and said he was absolutely superb. I also read a review once from someone that has seen many Jersey Boys productions in many different places, and they said that Matt was a stand out. That is all the convincing I need to tell me that he is going to be firmly cemented in the jersey fans hearts in no time. Congratulations to Matt, I can’t wait to hear the high notes on the big three.

 

Simon Bailey has been cast as Tommy DeVito and as you will all know….my beloved Tommy casting was the one I was most worried about. I bloody love Jon Boydons Tommy. Tommy is the man. It would have been weird seeing anyone other than Jon cast as Tommy……but I need to thank the casting wizards right here, right now….because with Simon Bailey, the show is on to a winner (as if it wasn’t already.) I adore Simon Bailey. OK , granted, I have only seen him in one show before now, and that was I Can’t Sing where he played the Dermot O’Leary character. I even wrote a blog post about that theatre trip which you will find somewhere because I am too lazy to post the link here. Also, I’m shit with computer stuff and don’t even know how to do that. But we will go with the lazy thing, it sounds better. Anyways…. Simon Bailey was my favourite from I Can’t Sing (Other than the brilliantly hilarious Simon Lipkin of course…..) . I was talking to my best friend about Simon Bailey for ages. The amount of times she had to hear….. “He was my favourite!! I loved him!!!” She would have been rich. You know when someone just oozes talent and charm? That’s him. And obviously, Simon playing Tommy is a whole world of different to who I saw him play in I Can’t Sing, but I just know that he is going to smash it. I mean…. Look at his head shot guys. He’s already giving me Tommy vibes. He has the look in his eyes. The sexy look. I am so excited to see Simon as Tommy, I have been so wrapped up in thinking how hard it will be seeing another Tommy that I haven’t allowed myself to think just how bloody awesome it will be if they get the casting right. And in this case, I have no doubt that the picking choices are excellent. Well done to Simon, Can’t wait to see his take on Tommy.

Then we have Declan Egan taking over as Bob Gaudio. I’m not going to lie, I know nothing of Declan, but being the little Jersey Boys nerd I am, I have been researching him (I’ll tell you, it’s a hard life having to look at page after page of not too shabby to look at stagey men). Declan seems awesome, talented and fresh faced. I am sure he will do the role of Bobby G brilliantly and I have high hopes for his Cry For Mes!! Congratulations to Declan!!

Last of all, and the news that made me jump off my chair and screech like a kid who just saw ice-cream …… the properly lovely and gorgeous Matt Hunt has been cast as Nick Massi!!!! Guys, we have a little piece of this season going in to next season!! We have a still green leaf going into an autumn day with golden leaves. We have a snowflake burning in the sunshine on a beach day. OK , you know what I mean….. Matt Hunt is a well loved Jersey Boys face among the fans, and I was so stoked to see that he had been cast!! And I never use the word stoked so you can tell I am happy. I have only seen him in the smaller roles in the show, Norm and the occasional Gyp…. and I love him every time. Also, it has to be noted with Matt that when I have taken girls who have never seen the show before (my sister and workmate), they both came away asking who Matt was because they liked him. So he obviously stands out when he isn’t a main, I can’t imagine how much he is going to wow everyone as a season. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. You can tell he has a lot of passion for the show and that will shine through his time playing Nick Massis. I already know he’s going to be adorable during the whole wanting to leave part. Well done and thoroughly deserved to Matt Hunt. Thrilled for him.

There are other new faces joining the show including…..Mark Dugdale, Leanne Garretty, Will Haswell, Mark Heenehan, Joe Maxwell, Nathaniel Morrison and Dan O’Brien.

It looks like we can all sleep tonight safe in the knowledge that the best show in the west end has been superbly cast yet again, and I will most definitely be supporting the show over the next year. Can’t wait to see the new seasons making their mark on the stage. Congratulations to everyone involved and thanks to the casting gods!!

xox