Jersey Boys Debuts At National Theatre; Cast Parties Family-Style At Carmine’s!

NORTHWEST -- Washingtonians looking to escape the chaotic nature of the holiday season can temporarily transport themselves back to December 1963 over the next few weeks, during a production of Jersey Boys, which will call the main stage of The National Theatre home from now until January 7th, 2012.

The massively popular musical chronicles the rise of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, one of most successful rock groups of the 1960s, features the music of Bob Gaudio, and is based on the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

The Washington Post summed it up nicely in writing that: "'Jersey Boys' is irresistible, and the touring company now at the National Theatre gets it almost entirely right.”

From the opening song, “Silhouettes”, to the closing “Rag Doll”/“Who Loves You” mix, audiences are taken on a musical journey that highlights some of the most iconic songs of the last century, which continue to live on in movies and television, thereby exposing an entirely new generation to the catalog of one of the bestselling musical groups of all time (175+ million records to date).

The North American national touring company of Jersey Boys rolled into town on Wednesday of last week and easily breezed through a sound check at National Theatre (each show is mixed live) Thursday afternoon, before delivering an energizing preview performance later that evening.

The cast comically channels its inner ‘Karate Kid’ during the sound check.

The District will serve as the cast and crew’s home for the holiday season, with most shacking-up near Georgetown over the next few weeks.

And after Saturday night’s official debut performance, family, friends, and members of the press had the opportunity to chat with everyone from the show’s stars to stagehands, during a private VIP after party held inside Carmine’s of Penn Quarter.

Preston Truman Boyd, who plays Bob Gaudio in the production, with Windows Catering’s Brianna D'Amico. D'Amico is Gaudio’s real-life granddaughter.
Of course, after feasting on bowls of freshly prepared spaghetti and meatballs, heaping plates of tiramisu, and tall glasses of vino, guests had a hard time ‘walking like a man’ out of the restaurant.

Nevertheless, the show must go on!