a conversation with JERSEY BOYS' Tommaso Antico

Tommaso Antico (right) as Bob Gaudio and Jonny Wexler (right) as Frankie Valli
photo by Joan Marcus

by Gil Benbrook

Jersey Boys, the smash hit Tony Winning musical biography of the Four Seasons, might focus slightly more on the group's front man Frankie Valli, but the character who was most responsible for the group's success was Bob Gaudio who wrote just about every hit song the group recorded.

Gaudio not only composed such best selling tunes as "Rag Doll," "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," but it was also his idea to take the group's catalog of songs, and their rags to riches story that is filled with a lot of bumps and setbacks along the way, and turn it into a jukebox musical.

The National Tour of this four time Tony Winning show comes to the Orpheum Theatre for a week long run and Tommaso Antico, who plays Gaudio in this production, took a break between stops on the tour to answer some questions about the show and his role.

Tommaso, you've appeared in productions in regional theatre, national tours and Off Broadway shows, and were also in the ensemble of the closing cast of Jersey Boys on Broadway. How did your past experience prepare you for appearing in a huge hit like Jersey Boys? 

"Well, it definitely didn't happen overnight. I auditioned for this show for 5 years before I actually got an offer. This is show is so specific and I just wasn't ready for it as first. But after a lot of patience and hard work, I finally got it. "

It's amazing to hear that you auditioned for five years before being cast. I guess perseverance clearly paid off.  So going back over five years ago when you were getting ready to audition, were you familiar with the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons before your first audition and before you appeared in the show on Broadway? Or did you have to take a crash course to learn more about the group before you auditioned for the show? 

"My parents love to listen to music from their era, so I was very familiar with this music growing up. I needed to do some research on the show itself, but I was fan of the music at a very young age."

(l to r) Corey Greenan, Tommaso Antico, Jonny Wexler and Chris Stevens
photo by Joan Marcus

In the musical you play ‪Bob Gaudio who was the main songwriter for the Four Seasons. I know Gaudio was involved in the original Broadway production as well as the first national tour and the film adaptation. Have you gotten a chance to meet him, or if not, speak to someone who knows him? And if you did how did that chance your portrayal? 

"I actually just met him a couple weeks ago! The tour was recently in Nashville and that’s his hometown. He came to the show and that was a very interesting moment for me. To portray Bob Gaudio on stage while the real Bob Gaudio is in the audience was pretty epic to say the least. It was a pretty special day for me. "

I have to imagine that was both nerve wracking and incredibly special. Gaudio also wasn’t that big on constantly being on the road touring, that he much preferred being the song writer behind the scenes.  Do you find it ironic that you’re playing a man who got tired of touring while you're on the road touring, going from city to city in the national tour of this show?

"Absolutely! Being on tour really helps drive the show along because a lot of the dialogue that we say in the show is very true to what we're going through in real life. "

Since this show features the signature music of the time period, how difficult was it to leave your musical theatre experience behind and project the doo woo, pop and R&B song styles of the Four Seasons’? 

"It was very easy. I am a lot more comfortable tapping into the sounds of pop/rock than I am with classical musical theatre."

While you're not exactly a "Jersey Boy", having grown up in a small town in Michigan, I know from your bio that at just 18 you moved to NYC to explore a career in the theatre. So just like the Four Seasons, you also started out at a very young age to start your career. What was it like coming to NYC at such a young age? 

"Not easy. I was 18 years old and I moved here by myself and I didn't know a single person. My fearless attitude helped me get through those hard times. That struggle that I experienced has helped me as a man and as an actor.  "

I have to imagine that struggle helps you prepare for roles where the character also was faced with many odds, but how else have you learned to relate to a character that was from several generations before you were born? 

"Research. You must do your homework on that character, so you know what they went through at that time.  "

Jersey Boys is one of the most upbeat, joyous musicals of the past twenty years that every time I've seen it has left the entire audience on a huge high.  What do you find about the character of Gaudio, and the show, that brings you joy? 

"I love that every night that we step on stage, we're telling a true story. These guys had nothing, and all odds were against them. Four guys from the wrong side of the tracks in Jersey. They literally clawed their way to the top and made rock history."

CLICK HERE for more information on Jersey Boys at Broadway at the Orpehum Theatre through January 28th