Places, Please!: Becoming a Jersey Boy (28 page)

I want to jump up and down and say this stuff, but I don’t. I just get a little teary. I get teary because in front of me is absolute proof that, after all these years of trying, I finally got to where I wanted so much to be. With a smile, I think, “What the hell am I going to do now?”

Epilogue

I have appeared as Tommy DeVito four hundred and seventy-nine times. Now, as I board the plane that will take me back to New York, I think I like him even more than I have for the past few years.

Tommy DeVito is a confident gambler. And I’m taking a gamble, too. I am gambling that this will not be the last show I ever perform in, but only the most recent. I am gambling that I do not need to jump right back into a full schedule of teaching right away, that maybe another big acting job will come along (or this book will sell). I am gambling that the producers of this show will not discredit me for having wanted to leave the job without any more incentive than “personal reasons.” But Tommy DeVito is also a guy who dreams big. He often gets what he wants simply because he doesn’t give up. He knows that you have to work hard, struggle, and often sacrifice things on your journey towards a dream. I feel like I did just that with my dream of getting into
Jersey Boys
. I worked hard. I struggled. I sacrificed. And it paid off, didn’t it?

Cara is sitting beside me as our plane lifts off the ground. I wish I could say that her Emmy Award was sitting on my lap, but maybe next year. Toronto creeps out beneath me one last time and the CN Tower holds my gaze just like it did the day I arrived. This city has been good to me. It has made me a (very small and hardly worth mentioning) star. It has given me a pile of new friends, good and kind people who have intimidated me with their talents four hundred and seventy-nine times. It has fulfilled my childhood dream. Now it’s time to attend to something else.

There has been another dream running around my head since I left home seventeen months ago. A simpler one. A dream that requires only my presence, not two years of auditions (or two hundred pages). This other dream is simply to be able to spend my nights falling asleep at home in the arms of my wife. To be working in the same city again is what we both need. That’ll be enough for a while. Other dreams will come along, surely, but this one needs attention now.

“Daniel, I think I’m going to take a nap during this flight.”

“Cara, I think I will too, because that’s my next little dream.”

“What is?”

“To fall asleep next to you most of my nights.”

“Aw. That’s nice. Cheesy, but nice.”

A pause.

“Cara?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks for being so supportive of all of this. You are totally my best friend.” She moves in closer.

“Daniel?”

“Yeah, hon?”

“You’re my best friend, too.”

Another pause.

“G’night.”

“G’night.”

And home we go.

Afterword

In the months following the closing of
Jersey Boys: Toronto
, I have remained a part of the Jersey family. Shortly after my return to New York, I was asked if I would be interested in doing a promotional performance of material from the show in the Bahamas. After that, I was asked to do another promotional performance in Berlin. Then Morocco. Then Paris. With each event, my world-view expanded and my work-life became more and more difficult to believe. And my family benefited, too. Rachel has been taking French class at her school and, thanks to
Jersey Boys
, last week we were able to take her around the corner from our hotel to see the Eiffel Tower for the first time.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX I

SUPERFANS

A fan of the show made us these personalized bears!

©Daniel Robert Sullivan

On April 10th
,
2010
,
a college student in Ontario named Frances Fong
-
Lee saw her hundredth performance of
Jersey Boys.
As a gift
,
the producers bought out the entire front row for Frances
,
and she filled it with other superfans who were closing in on her record
.
What is it about
Jersey Boys
that keeps these fans coming back
?
What does the show mean to them
,
personally
?
I tracked down some of the superfans and asked them to answer in their own words
:

“I’ve been a lifelong Four Seasons fan, but never knew their story. I love how the show ends with each Season having an opportunity to talk about their life now. It’s especially satisfying after seeing their struggles. Now, so many years later, these guys and their families are again in the spotlight and reaping the rewards for their life’s work. It’s a true story and a very captivating one. Frankie is still performing and I’ve seen him several times since being introduced to
Jersey Boys
. Seeing him perform reinforces the belief that despite whatever obstacles or setbacks you encounter, you can get through it. It is inspirational.

“I’ve met several other fans of the show, and we’ve had fan gatherings at various
Jersey Boys
events. I’ve formed friendships with people of all ages, from teens to seniors, and we all have a common interest: a love for this show.”

–Linda SooHoo (San Francisco, CA)

“Dan, I had no knowledge of pop music prior to October, 1962. During that month, at eleven years old, I was hospitalized for a week and my roommate was a teenage fellow who played WABC radio constantly, and I heard ‘Sherry’ over and over. As a gift while I was recovering, my father bought me ‘Sherry and 11 Others’, my first LP. I followed the Four Seasons throughout the 1960s. By the early 70s, the Four Seasons’ music faded from the charts. But on November 30, 1974, my father and I were in our car and heard ‘My Eyes Adored You’ for the first time, and we talked about how we hadn’t heard from Frankie or the Seasons for a long time and this was a beautiful re-entry. My father died in an accident two days later, and the song still reminds me of him each time I hear it.

“During 2005–2006, I spent most of my time in Europe on business. I had just returned from Munich literally a few minutes before Christian Hoff won his Tony over heavily favored Jim Dale for his role of Tommy. His beautiful speech in memory of his dad made me think of that last day with my dad. I bought a ticket on eBay the next day to that Wednesday’s matinee.

“Like everyone else was, I was floored by the performances and the play. I was glad the theatre was dark, since I actually cried during ‘My Eyes Adored You’ and ‘Fallen Angel.’ I was especially awed by Christian’s performance after hearing his powerful speech, and I emailed him that evening via his website, telling him about my dad. Lo and behold, he answered me within a few minutes, saying ‘I never imagined my Tony win would touch someone so deeply.’

“I couldn’t believe that an actor winning the biggest award on Broadway would take precious time to acknowledge someone he’d never met. Of course, his response gave me the impetus to see the show again. I’d been to stage doors where some stars rush out to the waiting limos, with little time to greet the fans. These guys were the exact opposite…they didn’t leave until every fan was acknowledged, every playbill signed, and every picture taken. They knew me by name almost immediately.

“Although I’ve lost count, I estimate I’ve seen the show about forty times. Having been a CPA and traveling the country for the better part of thirty-five years, a lot of friends visit me in New York and I visit many others. Although seeing other shows is enticing, I absolutely know that my friends will love
Jersey Boys
and, as icing on the cake, will be treated like royalty at the stage door.

“Going back to the first time I met Christian Hoff after our exchanging a few emails, when I extended my hand, Christian took it and proceeded to hug me with his free arm and ask me about my life and career. In those few minutes, he showed me that he not only liked me, but that he cared. Initially, I thought the caring was unique to Christian, but I see now that it is a wonderful trait of many of the cast members and creative team, who are so grateful to be involved with such a wonderful production and so appreciative of their fans.

“You know, at this stage of life these last four years seem like a fairy tale that I still don’t believe, but am just enjoying. Not only will the cast and crew look back upon this as a wonderful time in their lives, but I will too, Dan.”

–Howard Tucker (Staten Island, NY)

“The cast is amazing. There’s something about them that makes them loveable; even if they were to mess up onstage, you wouldn’t care. Plus, I have a huge admiration for swings and understudies, so I want to try and catch all of them in their different roles! I think I’ve seen almost every understudy, and it still blows my mind how one person can be so flawless in all three or four of his/her roles.

“Originally, the underdog story is what got me. The fact that four guys who no one thought had a chance made it big was really inspiring to me; it gives me hope for myself. In my run of forty shows, though, I find I’ve met a lot of other fans who I don't know what I’d do without. Even certain cast members have come to mean a lot to me.

“After a while, it stops being about the show and more about what you recognize in the little intricacies onstage that you never noticed before. I’m still noticing new things. The writers of this show are pure genius.

“This show helped to broaden my horizons, both in the world of theatre and my own understanding of life itself. It has made me fall in love with the stage, and even compelled me to practice singing, dancing, and running lines of other plays or movies so one day I may be ready to perform myself. I’ve memorized every step, every word, every costume change, every set change; they may as well throw me in as a swing! Everyone has to see
Jersey Boys
. It has changed my life, and I guarantee it will change yours in some form or another.”

–Michelle Bozzetto (Brampton, ON)

“It is hard to explain exactly why anyone sees the same show over and over again. I feel like
Jersey Boys
is a collection of so many fantastic things—the music and songs, the true story that the show is based on, and the talented actors—all of which are the things that keep me going back to the show an endless number of times. The music and songs are absolutely electric! It makes me feel like I am involved in a musical experience, rather than just simply watching a Broadway show. I love how timeless the songs are, and that they are still relevant and popular today.

“What brings this already incredible show to another level is the absolutely gifted cast. The cast is what brings the story and songs to life night after night. The personality, charisma, and talent that the four lead guys bring to their respective roles are completely unmatched; there is nothing quite like it. It is all of this greatness within one show that makes me want to see
Jersey Boys
again and again.

“
Jersey Boys
truly means happiness to me. There is a certain kind of happiness that goes along with seeing this show. Leaving the theatre with a huge smile and being filled with joy is one of the best experiences anyone going to a theatre performance can ask for. When leaving the show, I am always grinning from ear-to-ear and my face hurts from smiling so much. “‘Happiness’ is the best way to describe what the show has brought to my life. It is a special feeling that I always get while attending
Jersey Boys
. And the casts rock! They are some of the most talented people in the business, and are some of the nicest and most genuine people I have had the pleasure to meet. They are not only vibrant onstage, but off stage as well.”

–Amanda Timm (Newmarket, ON)

“I have always enjoyed the storyline because it rings true. I’m not really one for fiction, so this story speaks to me. I was born in 1961 and I remember my dad playing this music around the house. Because this is a ‘period piece,’ it brings back so many memories of my parents when they were young adults. For example, my mom had similar dresses and hairstyles, and everybody went bowling all the time! I remember watching the
Ed Sullivan Show
in black and white, and my parents often went to the Roostertail, as we lived in Detroit at the time. So for me,
Jersey Boys
is a little slice of my childhood that I can relive again and again.

“It introduced me to the Broadway community in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise benefited from. I enjoy meeting the actors (as well as the crew and other people associated with the show) at the stage door. I enjoy learning about professional theatre and I especially enjoy attending cabarets, open-mics and showcases by past and present cast members. It’s great to see them display their many talents outside of the show.