San Francisco Downtown, January 2007

Jersey Boys
Erich Bergen stars in the smash hit

While other two year olds were learning to talk in complete sentences, Erich Bergen was starting his career. The precocious actor, who idolized big entertainers like Michael Jackson and Sammy Davis, Jr., participated in dozens of productions as he grew up but none resonated with him quite like his current role. Bergen stars in Jersey Boys, the Tony Award winning musical that has become a smash hit with San Francisco audiences. He portrays Bob Gaudio, one of the seminal members of 1960's doo-wop group, The Four Seasons. Gaudio's hits include "Short Shorts" (written when he was 15), "Earth Angel," "My Boyfriend's Back" and older standards such as "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." "The role itself is very similar to me," Bergen says, "He was a music geek, I was the same way, always asking for instruments and soundboards for Christmas...and of course, I'm from New York, a short distance from New Jersey." Despite all the number one hits, the Grammy had always eluded Gaudio. He is finally being recognized for his contribution to music, with the cast recording of Jersey Boys receiving a nomination. I'm sure he'll have his fingers crossed this February as the Grammy awards are announced. "He certainly deserves it," Bergen states.

Portraying Gaudio rather than the group's most famous member, Frankie Valli has its advantages. "It gave me a lot of freedom to develop the part because he doesn't have a public persona like [Valli] does, but it also was scary, because I had to define a character, start from scratch," Bergen intimates, "Whoever plays Frankie already has a template. They really have to imitate him."

Before Bergen saw the show on Broadway last year, he knew very little about The Four Seasons. "I was a blank slate when I went in," he admits, "but that night I had one of the greatest theatre experiences of my life."

The musical chronicles the extraordinary "rags to riches" story of the young musicians from the Garden State. They hailed from blue collar, street-smart backgrounds and their rise to fame reads like a case study for the (Italian) American dream. They ended up selling 175 million records before they'd turned 30 years old and were eventually inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame – not bad for kids from the neighborhood. The show does not shy away from the pitfalls the "boys" experienced along the way, delving into fights between band members, brushes with the Mafia, money troubles and failed romances. In short, it has something few musicals can claim, a strong plot. That may be the key to its success. "If you took the songs out of the show, you'd still have a play that is very strong using all the elements of drama," Bergen concurs, "It has tragedy and comedy and you add on top of that all these great songs; it works"

Another key to the phenomenal local success of the show may be the many innovative ways that it is being promoted. There are podcasts, blogs and even myspace pages dedicated to getting the word out. Bergen has his own personal myspace page, which serves as a means to receive feedback from fans. Almost four hundred have signed on to be his virtual friend. "It brings audience members back, especially the interactive content," he enthuses, "It also has pretty much revolutionized the way shows essentially advertise and generates a lot of buzz."

The latest "buzz" is that the show has been extended through March 25th. Several rumors are swirling about a possible year-long engagement. Bergen just wishes it would never end. "It's very thrilling to be in the show and all I can think about is what the hell am I going to do when the show is over!" He says that the thrill is shared with the audience members, "It's not like other musicals; it's like a rock concert. It's a party every night!"

Tickets range from $30 to $99. Purchase online at shnsf.com, through Ticketmaster by calling 512-7770, at ticketmaster.com, and the Curran Theatre Box Office (445 Geary).

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