And I remember him talking specifically about that experience, about how there was a time where it was just one FM radio station and you were really in the hands of a deejay. And hopefully this agent will keep em off the botox!! Former "Jersey Boys" co-stars Michael Ingersoll (left) and Christopher Kale Jones star in Artists' Lounge Live's "Lean on Me: The Brotherhood of Rock . You could either say he gets the credit, or gets the blame, depending on your perspective. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010,. Michael Ingersoll, who played Nick Massi of the Four Seasons for three years in "Jersey Boys," started a solo act and had some of the guys from "Jersey Boys" (including Wiley) with him on stage in the second act of his show. Behind the Streetlamp A Conversation with Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Michael Cunio, and Shonn Wiley. Everyone's favorite retro rock band, Under the Streetlamp, delivers an electrifying evening of classic hits from the American Radio Songbook, bringing their unique blend of tight harmonies and. One of my favorite lines in Jersey Boys occurs when Tommy says that in the early days, the group always was singing somebody elses latest hit. Its a short line, easy to gloss over, but what I like about it is how historically accurate it is, in so few words. When I was in Los Angeles playing the Ahmanson, I had the good fortune to go to Frankie Vallis house. Chris Jones and I, we started out the first national JB tour together, and when the show closed, I called Chris and I said, are you available to come in and do some of these dates that we have, even after JB has closed, and he said yeah. Michael: Yeah , thats exactly what it was. Weve been telling people a lot about the origin of doo-wop and where it came from it was created in urban settings like the Bronx, like Baltimore, Detroit, Washington DC these large cities where a lot of people lived in these very cramped homes, and they would find themselves coming out into the streets in the summertimes. Why are some street lights orange and some white? And I tried really really hard to do that as well. I dont know if its your intention to start every concert of this tour with that, but I hope for the audiences sake you do. Were constantly competing to be better performers and better at what we do within our organization. "If it was on the radio, we may sing it. Like Joanne Doherty, our musical director, who I just mentioned. Stubbs: If I can interject for a moment, Michael, Chris is responsible for my becoming a big JB fan. Chris: Well, short term, were looking for new tunes all the time. (Well maybe not Queen. Cunio: That includes our seven musicians you mention two of them, but our whole team, the band that we play with, aside from being totally exceptional as musicians individually, they bring to the table a wealth of talent and that allows us the ability to do exactly what Michael just said. And in addition to that, at a lot of these gigs weve flown in to perform, weve been able to partner with some high schools, so we could go and have actual talkbacks with students who want to be performers in some way, whether it be in acting, or singing, or becoming a musician, and well get these groups of kids to come out, and well just talk to them, and tell them about our experiences. I saw Chris with JB in SF and the others in Chicago. We choreographed Sh-Boom. Members of Under the Streetlamp (left to right: Christopher Kale Jones, Shonn Wiley, Brandon Wardell and Michael Ingersoll) will perform at 3 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. Michael probably can, still displaying the elocution of the Shakesperean actor that he was before there was a Jersey Boys. Arlington Heights, IL, Theatre Mania raves, Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain. Christopher Kale Jones is an award-winning actor and touring recording artist. Under the Streetlamp features Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Shonn Wiley and Brandon Wardell. King's in Times Square, NYC. Charles L. Blum. Three days after Michael, Chris, Shonn, and Cunio graciously and candidly gave me 73 minutes of their time, I went to their kickoff concert of the tour, at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, a premier entertainment complex that also houses the Staples Center and the Nokia Theater. But no, they did not sing together despite having a perfectly good name for a quartet). If you ever see a purple porch light, its there to bring awareness to incidents of domestic violence. While living in New York, I was cast as Frankie Valli in the Musical Jersey Boys, which allowed me to tour all over the country. One more time on everyone's favorite Television Station, PBS! We have choreography and staging and four-part harmony. Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. Is this the guys first Farewell Tour? Under the Streetlamp (TV Movie 2011) Christopher Kale Jones as Self. I received my training as an actor and singer at Northwestern University in Chicago, before spending my early career in New York and Los Angeles. The idea of traveling from venue to venue, and playing top theaters in large markets this is the first time that weve ever had that opportunity. (Shonn sings the only Monkees tune in the show.) Why did Michael Ingersoll leave under the streetlamp? Shonn: Its the first time that we will board a tour bus, and travel from city to city, and we will be playing a different venue every single evening. He is thankful to God for all the blessings in his life. Theatre Mania raves, Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain. Songs include Dream Lover, Mack the Knife, "Splish Splash," and Beyond the Sea., October 23, 2019. Menu. Shes an incredible musician and helped arrange a couple of things, and you can also tell from the credits that Steve Orich, who orchestrated JB, worked on a couple of our charts as well, so weve been lucky to work with some of our former JB colleagues, and then also a whole host of new folks. Darin starring Christopher Kale Jones. (More laughter). UNDER THE STREETLAMP is a group Chris founded with his friends in 2012. So the phrase The American Radio Songbook is one that you came up with, Cunio? He contributes some of the pre-rock tunes in the show, and hes a natural with anything from Vaudeville to Clarksville and all stops in between. Youre calling it the first tour, but UTSL has been performing since January, 2010, and has done over fifty shows, according to your website. It stems from the fact that there used to be one word for both blue and green. Our manager Charlie Blum has been an industry pro starting with the Nederlanders all the way back in the 70s. And that goes beyond the artistic pieces how the personalities worked together, and honestly that might even be the most crucial thing, and we knew we had our guys. He said theres every reason that you could one day transition into doing that. Michael: Are you coming to see the show? Pink porch lights are generally associated with Breast Cancer. Michael: He did fit the suit. THE TOUR Despite his looks on the website Reckless Place (someone an aging accountant wouldnt want to run across in a dark alley at night), Cunio is enormously talented. It is very heartwarming to see the wonderful ties that have been made through this one show, not to mention the talent. If the Backstreet Boys, for lack of a better comparison, hadnt been successful there would have been no room for a band like Nsync. What food delivery app gives you free food? With irresistible rapport, Under the Streetlamp offers audiences the opportunity to get to know the former lead cast members of Jersey Boys, and critically acclaimed stars of stage and screen, Eric Gutman, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley. You covered everything Stubbs! And like puzzle pieces, though they fit together just right, no two are exactly the same. I was having more fun as the audience was having more fun, seeing the quartet come together. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. So many years later, that hasnt changed; what has changed is that the breadth of his talent has widened, if thats even possible. Michael: One thing that I will say about that, and you were kind of alluding to this earlier, Stubbs. Jones tenderly recounts Darins story of a life lived in the spotlight and lost too soon. They stood under the streetlamps and created intricate, entertaining harmonies for friends, fans and passersby. Were not talking about what those two new tunes are but. Just nod knowingly. Can you say it with a mouthful of fried peanut butter and banana sandwich? But fitting newcomers into the group has been relatively easy. They sound like something youd pick up in the plumbing department at Home Depot. Most of the musical taste that I have, I have appropriated from him, not shockingly. Cunio: Is world domination an option? Stubbs, did you apply to Guinness to overtake War and Peace for the longest verbiage in literary history?? I thought Id open with a question or two about their name. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. While each performer gets his moment in the spotlight, their synergy and charisma as a group has drawn an . Cunio: We were joking about it one day. 6.5K views, 427 likes, 186 loves, 93 comments, 156 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Under The Streetlamp: "Blue Moon" has been one our favorites to hear Christopher Kale Jones sing lead on since we. @JerseyBoysInfo #OhWhatARun. Created by: John M Forte//Jenna Coker-Jones//Christopher Kale Jones. Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley deliver an evening of unforgettable entertainment featuring tight harmonies and slick dance moves that take audiences back to an era of sharkskin suits, flashy cars and . Cunio: and then the whole rest of the show was just us acting like idiots. His rendition of recently-departed Etta James At Last from 1960 is a showstopper. Their latest PBS special, wrapped in 2016, is now airing Nation Wide. Michael: Im going to just answer that question and say no, not a damned thing. Jim Gardiner is top vote-getter, likely headed to runoff with Megan Mathias, Kohls swings to surprise loss; warns on profit for year, Religion roundup: Putting sessions in Mokena, Irish music in Oak Lawn, and more, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. awareness to incidents of domestic violence. Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. I want the movement to enhance, but I never want it to take away from the true reason that were there, and that is to make music. So I put this concert together, and at the very end of it, I invited the other three guys who were performing with me (in Jersey Boys) in downtown Chicago at the time, and the audience reaction was so intense when the other three guys joined us, they were so happy and so surprised. So Chris was the last piece of the puzzle, so to speak. From Doris Day to Marvin Gaye. And its really the audiences enthusiasm for what weve done here thats made this the main gig, and given us the opportunity for us to really take a shot at it. Both as a group and as soloists, and were also starting to talk about our Christmas album. Never thought of that ourselves, actually. So youll want to write about that one, Im sure. Chris: And Ive changed, by the way. And thats how everybody referred to it. Chris: One of my favorite emails weve ever gotten kind of summed up exactly the mood we try to evoke. Do you want to tour more? I also first met Chris on a tour of the studio with several of my friends five years ago (almost to the day), and despite his wonderful start-turn as Frankie Valli, he was humble and gracious. And he mentioned to me, there are people out there who are doing this right now, today, and one of the people he mentioned specifically was Michael Buble. Cunio: Hopefully were giving them a chance to relive some of their fondest memories, and also share this music too, with people who are now their children and the next generation. Comment by Howard May 27, 2012 @ 1:51 pm, RSS feed for comments on this post. And as I continued to do this show over the next year, there were different people with me at different times, and so other cast members would go out, and new ones would come in, and Id say, Hey, I do this thing on Sundays and Mondays; do you want to do it? But when the show closed, Shonn and Cunio and I had been doing that consistently for almost a year, and thats when the camaraderie really started to build, and the consistency allowed that. , One day about seven years ago, stubbletwo came home from school all excited. Are those bands? Its a manufacturing defect. The Three Desires. Under the Streetlamp was founded by Michael Ingersoll, who starred as Nick Massiof the Four Seasonsin Jersey Boys. I couldnt do this interview for the Jersey Boys Blog without mentioning the Midtown Men, and other groups too, like Straight No Chaser and Human Nature. "JONES HAS THEAUDIENCE SWOONING UNTIL THE FINAL CURTAIN. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. Happy Birthday to the One & Only Rick Elice! Chris led it. Learn more about the full cast of Under the Streetlamp: Rockin' Round the Clock with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide Comment by Linda/Tiggerbelle May 26, 2012 @ 1:58 pm. Chicago Jersey Boys Tickets in April 2008, New York Jersey Boys Tickets in April 2008, JBB Exclusive Interviews with Cast & Crew, Jersey Boys San Francisco/Chicago Company. Celebrity Sighting: Robert De Niro & Chazz Palminteri at Todays Jersey Boys Broadway Matinee! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The world wasnt ready for Queen yet). Cunio: Its a terrible comparison we are not a boy band as I like to say, we re a man band but I think theres room for everybody, and there are audiences that are craving this kind of entertainment, and we all offer different experiences. Under the Streetlamp, which features, from left, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell, Michael Ingersoll and Shonn Wiley, will perform on Sunday, Nov. 6, at the Paramount Theatre in. Cunio: Theres one thing that we talk about when people talk about this music, and its ability to build bridges: One of the things that we joke about is, we all grew up listening to this music because it was the music we could agree to with our parents sitting in the car, you know? By stubbleyou, Jersey Boys Blog Special Correspondent, Our West Coast correspondent stubbleyou talks with the members of Under The Streetlamp about their origins, their first national tour, and their filmed-for-television concert that recently aired on Public Broadcasting stations across the country. Michael: And frankly he was more successful before he met us. Music that began its life on corners under streetlights will return to the stage of Mayo Civic Center when the vocal group Under the Streetlamp is back for a Riverside Live! In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. I see a great future for UTSL and cant wait to see them in person. Movies. Why did Michael Ingersoll leave under the streetlamp? Why is this set of gigs being called your first tour? Stream the latest seasons and episodes, watch trailers, and more for Under the Streetlamp at TV Guide. Shonn: We really do honestly enjoy I enjoy at least two of these folks company . Hes put on a few decades and maybe a few pounds, and he may have a bit less hair, but the way hes reacting to the music clapping and singing along hes fifteen again for that couple of hours. Its a dynamite beginning, and by the time youve worked your way through those three, its like the Big Three in Jersey Boys the audience is ready to explode. Theres one show for the ears and another one for the eyes. One thing he mentioned to me is that when youre doing these songs, you really have to invest in them and you have to craft them like an artist. Theatre Mania raves, "Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain." Christopher Kale Jones is an award-winning actor and touring recording artist. So its something were very passionate about, and frankly, it also gives us the opportunity to include a wide range of music, stylistically. ( Join our digital mailing list and get notified when we have updates. VARIETY says "His Soulful delivery resembles Bobby Darin"& SF Examiner says "His knockout voicebrings down the house.". Ingersoll was elbow to elbow with Chris when the first JB national tour began, so theres some irony that they now are embarking on their own first national tour. Cunio: The first choreography that we put together for the show was in a kitchen, and it was literally, step touch to the right, step touch to the left, it was super simple. May 24th, 2012. Under the Streetlamp, from left, Christopher Kale Jones, Michael Cunio, Shonn Wiley and Michael Ingersoll. Do you have a particular hope or goal as to where it will take you? Menu. Cunio: Just wait for it. Chris Jones clear-as-a-bell dulcet tones remind us why he was the first choice to take JB on the road when it became apparent that the shows Broadway success cried out for a touring company. I had a chance to talk to both of them, and they were very excited for us. Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. When we were figuring out how to categorize our repertoire, one of my great mentors in life was a musician and an arranger and a conductor. I spend a lot of time looking at footage on youtube. I give Ingy a lot of credit here. The quartet is composed of recent leading cast members of the smash hit Jersey Boys: Michael Cunio, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, and Shonn Wiley. Forte//Jenna Coker-Jones//Christopher Kale Jones more time on everyone & # x27 ; s favorite Television Station, PBS hope! Chance to talk about our Christmas album the audience swooning until the final curtain we do within our.... 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