BWW Interviews: JERSEY BOYS Joseph Leo Bwarie - Omaha Preps To Walk Like Men (And Women)

Broadway World Interview: Joseph Leo Bwarie

Q&A

Get ready to walk like a man (or woman), Omaha! The Tony Award winning musical based on The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys, is heading to the Orpheum Theatre this Sept for 3 weeks of performances.

This week, BroadwayWorld in Omaha columnist, Analisa Swerczek, had the opportunity to speak with Joseph Leo Bwarie (pronounced Bw-airy, like in Sherry), a man referred to by friend and former Jersey Boys castmate, Sarah Pfeifer, as “one of the classiest and most generous guys... He is an expert in the kitchen, and can free style rap to the beat of "Oh What a Night" better than 50 Cent.”  Joseph, who plays Frankie Valli in the national tour of Jersey Boys, shared about his career, his new CD, and this Tony Award winning musical.

Hi Joseph! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for BroadwayWorld in Omaha!

Thank you.

Having grown up in Southern California, how did performing become part of your life?

I grew up in Sherman Oaks, CA, right over the hill from Hollywood, so I actually had the opportunity to work professionally from a very young age. As a really young kid and teenager I would literally go sing at Capital Records, and Paramount, and NBC for television and for film, among other recording projects.  It was a really neat time in my life. I didn’t excel in sports -- I’m a short guy. But I was a singer. I’ve always been a singer. Growing up, I was able to take advantage of the different children’s groups and high school choirs and theatre performances available to me. That was really the foundation for me figuring out what I wanted to do. It was trial and error. I mean, you’ve got to really like this field of the entertainment business. High school is where I was really given the opportunity to decide whether or not this was something I wanted to continue on to college to study and to pursue as a career. And look at me now. I guess I did alright in choosing this as my career.

I’ve see that you have made appearances in films such as Raising Helen, The Princess Diaries 2, and Valentine’s Day, among other movies. Is film acting something you wish to pursue further as a career, or where do you see your career headed after Jersey Boys?

I think at this point in my career I’m really going to be focusing on my music. As for doing more film - until I’m actually in the film, I would say that I’d love for some of my music to be in the film, because then you’re still a part of it. You’re still a part of the collaborative process, which is great. But music is what I want to pursue further. I actually just released my debut CD, Nothin’ But Love, in late June of this year.  It’s available through my website, www.josephleobwarie.com, or on www.CDbaby.com. I’m hoping people will get a chance to purchase my CD and get to know me better through my music. That’s what I really want to put my energy into.

That’s got to be one of the great things about touring in a production like Jersey Boys; giving the audience the opportunity to see you not only as a character in a musical, but also the chance to get to know you as a singer.

Definitely. When I’m performing as Frankie, I do my best to really recreate his signature style for the audience. But that’s his signature style – my sound is different. They will hear that on the CD.

What drew you to audition for Jersey Boys?

First of all, I heard about the show when it started preview performances at the La Jolla Playhouse in California, but I didn’t think much about it other than it was nice they were doing yet another great show at La Jolla. They really do great performances there.  I read the newspaper reviews and I had the opportunity to hear some clips from the show, but I didn’t audition for the show until 2007 when it had already opened on Broadway and produced the first national tour. I’ve been a part of Jersey Boys for 4 years now, and have played Frankie in the Toronto, Vegas and national tour casts. The thing that really hit me about this show is that Jersey Boys is not just a musical; it’s the story of a singer. It’s about a band and recording in studios. It feels very close to home for me.

It must be a show that many people can relate to given the audience reactions, which range from singing along to dancing to crying. What is it about this show that allows it to really reach the audience?

I think for the older audience member, it’s the sense of nostalgia they feel watching the show – the sort of trip back in time to when they were in their teens and when they fell in love.  It takes them back to a time when there was a war going on, and the music landscape was changing. Really, America was changing. This music was a mainstay through all those things during that time. There are a lot of people from that demographic, the baby boomers, that really have a very vivid memory of seeing The Four Season on Ed Sullivan, and of going to a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons concert before they were even big stars. This was their time and their music.

Do you find that you get as strong of a reaction from some of the younger generation who come to see the show?

I think their reactions are just as strong, but not from a nostalgic standpoint. I think they react to the energy in the room, the staging of the show, and really, the story. It’s a rollercoaster. I think the younger generation are honestly cheering for this brilliant creation of theatre, because that’s what it is. It’s unlike anything they have seen before. It’s presented like a concert, in which the audience can participate at times, but it also allows them to feel like they are being let in on a secret in very tender quiet moments in the show. I hate to say that I think it’s the best thing that’s out there, but I do. I think it’s the best thing that’s out there.

If you could sum up the show in one sentence to encourage the people of Omaha to come see the show, what would it be?

Wow. In one sentence?

Well, maybe more of a short paragraph. *laughs*

I would like to say that in these hard economic times, if people can only save up their money to see one show this year, they should come experience an amazing night of entertainment that will leave them feeling renewed and refreshed and just genuinely happy… Jersey Boys is a show that delivers. It gives the audience the most impressive amount of excitement and joy. It’s more than just a show… It really means something. People tell the cast all the time how hard the times are. But more importantly, they tell us how this show gave them hope and reminded them of what America is about and where we’ve come from. I think that’s one of the best things you can give people in theatre: hope. And Jersey Boys does that, and more.

Jersey Boys opens at the Orpheum on Wednesday, September 7, and runs through Sunday, Sept 25. Tickets for Jersey Boys start at $18 and can be purchased at the Ticket Omaha Office in the Holland Performing Arts Center; online at TicketOmaha.com; or by calling (402) 345-0606. For groups of 10 or more call 402.661.8516 or toll-free at 866.434.8587.

 

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