Cunio: We were all looking for what was going to be the next thing for us, and this has become that. THE MANAGEMENT TEAM The greater Chicagoland area did not want the show to close. Cunio: and then the whole rest of the show was just us acting like idiots. Movies. "If it was on the radio, we may sing it. | TrackBack URI. Their 10-year anniversary celebration has begun and is sweeping the nation. Hmm, better not display my ignorance. Michael probably can, still displaying the elocution of the Shakesperean actor that he was before there was a Jersey Boys. We do it for them. PBS is a huge national platform and very few people make it on PBS much less make it through a full pledge drive and are invited back for a next one, as we have been invited to do. Were all doing it differently enough from one another to make each group unique and relevant, and frankly were friends with a lot of these people. Stubbs: Okay, seriously who came up with the name? VARIETY says "His Soulful delivery resembles Bobby Darin"& SF Examiner says "His knockout voicebrings down the house.". Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. . 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. How do you feel about the increasing interest in the sort of music that you do, and the concomitant (I love that word, concomitant, and I hardly ever get to use it. Why are some street lights orange and some white? Accompanied by a band of seven elite musicians, Under the . Christopher Kale Jones is known for Chicago Med (2015), The Good Time Girls (2017) and Under the Streetlamp (2011). In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. Or perhaps I should say, is about to be. The Four Cunios. Cunio: The only thing Id add to that is, this is I think some of the most fun any of us have ever had working on stage, so if we could continue to be gainfully employed, by doing something we love so much, for the rest of our lives, that would be a success. I was having more fun as the audience was having more fun, seeing the quartet come together. Well it still is, primarily. Were all doing good work. So I just thought that that was kind of a cool thing, that he was the first one who ever mentioned that to me, that that was a possible career option, and planted that seed. Under the Streetlamp will perform on March 24 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Best of luck to Under The Streetlamp! UNDER THE STREETLAMP goes back to the music that has captivated audiences around the country! ", BEYOND THE SEA: CHRISTOPHER KALE JONES SINGS BOBBY DARIN. Cunio: This is something we like to say too one of the fun things for us about these shows is, the people who grew up with this music, they come to see our show, and they dont know the words to just a few songs they know the words to all of them, and thats why. Elgin Community College Arts Center presents "Jingle Bell Rock" with nationally recognized performers Michael Ingersoll and Christopher Kale Jones on Saturday, December 18 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. ", "We all have different energies that we bring to the group," Wiley said. PBS favorite and Jersey Boys star Christopher Kale Jones celebrates the dazzling versatility of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Darin. Each of these guys is an accomplished lead singer in his own right and they share and rotate leads throughout the show, but each has his own style and an area where he particularly shines. Stubbs, did you apply to Guinness to overtake War and Peace for the longest verbiage in literary history?? Thanks so much for a wonderful piece Stubbs. With irresistible charm and rapport, Under the Streetlamp offers audiences the opportunity to get to know four critically acclaimed stars of stage and screen, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher. As far as Chris new second set tune, Cunios description of it as exciting proved spot on, so much so that one dork in the front row got carried away enough (that would be me) to prove why the audience sometimes has to be considered the fifth member of the group. Another great thing about the concert, as it aired on PBS, is the reaction of the audience. It looked to me like, Well, lets see whos gonna be available that night, or whatever, and like you had sort of a rotating lineup of singers. 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. Current company members of Under The Streetlamp include Eric Gutman, David Larsen, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley. Since 2011, Under the Streetlamp has been bringing 1950s-70s doo-wop, Motown, and rock n roll to the stage and screen, with five PBS Specials, packed concert halls, and a critically acclaimed international Symphony tour. . Stubbs always..DELIVERS! Ticket sales might have been down as far as the people in charge were concerned, but the people who live in this community did not want to see the show go. You get PBS favorite, Under the Streetlamp and their electrifying show, with an inspiring catalog of classics, that has been thrilling audiences across the globe for over a decade. Such as getting us on Access Hollywood, and things like that. Under the Streetlamp was founded by Michael Ingersoll, who starred as Nick Massiof the Four Seasonsin Jersey Boys. Shonn: For Tour Two, were already starting to talk about what it is that we want to do the next time we enter these markets. Fans said it is easier on the eyes while driving or just enjoyed seeing something a little different. Often appearing in matching suits, the quartet continues to honor the great musical period between the '50s and the '70s . Strong and smooth as ever in his chest voice, Chris is the quintessential crooner. Movies. Catch ROCKIN' AROUND THE CLOCK on your local PBS station! "JONES HAS THEAUDIENCE SWOONING UNTIL THE FINAL CURTAIN. But when I first saw the show in November of 2007 in California, I took one of those backstage tours that was offered for a charity donation. Jersey Boys Broadway Returns to Millionaires Club for Week Ending 5/20/12. Its not any particular song, but its beautiful, and then it breaks right into the energy of I Wonder Why (Dion and the Belmonts), Blue Moon (the Marcels version of the classic, natch), and Sh-Boom (a bit more like the Crew Cuts version than the Chords, but definitely your own). Stubbs: That opening the slow intro is that something you yourselves created? Chris: And to just add my two cents, I always knew I would be incredibly successful despite these three. Theyre most common in February, which is American Heart Month. A defect in the coating is causing it to peel away on some bulbs, producing the purple hue, Cullen said. THE AMERICAN RADIO SONGBOOK If you ever see a purple porch light, its there to bring awareness to incidents of domestic violence. The members of Under the Streetlamp - Michael Cunio, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones and Shonn Wiley.This DVD also includes interviews with members Michael Cunio, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, and Shonn Wiley and the track Hey Jude.Track list:1. 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. Charles L. Blum. Aside from the fact he's actually in his forties (I say this because, the man has an energy which resembles that of a 22 year old college student) his vocal range and delightful stage presence bursts from the seams, and with an exceptional cast of Croswell favorites; Leah Fox, Sarah Nowak, Alan Gibson, Karl Kasischke, Ashley Fox, and John In 2021, a green porch light acts as a symbol of appreciation for American veterans and U.S. military service members. Dan Ponce wrote the vocal arrangement in conjunction with us, for one of our new tunes for the tour. Alicia Kaori, Christopher Kale Jones, and Cast of The Sound of Music From: Photos: . I saw Chris with JB in SF and the others in Chicago. Learn more about the full cast of Under the Streetlamp with news, photos, videos and more at TV Guide . Watch as beloved retro quartet Under The Streetlamp - including members Shonn Wiley, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, and Brandon Wardell, along with renowned musical director Dennis "Doc" Williams - coach singers as they vie for a chance to perform in concert with Under The Streetlamp at the legendary Star Plaza Theatre. Stubbs: Are you taking the same group of musicians along on the whole tour or are you picking up new people in each town? Weve all enjoyed singing together in Jersey Boys; Michael had the idea of learning extra music while we were in Chicago, and we continued singing outside of the show, and when we got our closing notice, we all made the commitment to continue working together because we became great friends. Under the Streetlamp, which features Wiley, Brandon Wardell, Eric Gutman and David Larsen, will perform at 3 and 8 p.m. March 24 at the He was in the second grade. Created by: John M Forte//Jenna Coker-Jones//Christopher Kale Jones. Shonn Wiley: Shonn Wiley and the Five OClock Shadows. VARIETY says "His Soulful delivery resembles Bobby Darin"& SF Examiner says "His knockout voicebrings down the house.". 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. With this group, I helped produce 3 TV specials, one docu-series, and 4 albums (all available for streaming and download). Christopher Kale Jones: best skin regimen. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. He won acclaim starring as Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys, originating the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and First National Tour casts. Paramount Theatre 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. Theres one show for the ears and another one for the eyes. (Well maybe not Queen. Michael: Yeah , thats exactly what it was. Weve all found our own specific spin, and I just think people talk about this a lot the only people we ever compete with is ourselves. Why didnt you tell him Shonn was the inpsiration for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Actually although Ive never met Shonn, I had the privilege of seeing this talented Bojangles as the real-life Jack Donahue, the lead in his Drama Desk nominated Mr. 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. Just last year, I saw him in a dramatic lead role as the real-life Ned Massey in Blood Ties! We would congregate in the center of the stage, and we would sing some tunes and make some beautiful music. Larsen also starred as Elder Price in the national tour of "The Book of Mormon. One more time on everyone's favorite Television Station, PBS! Jones said he began practicing his high falsetto in earnest and got the part of Frankie Valli, the leader of The Four Seasons, the 1960s rock group sensation whose story is told in "Jersey Boys.". Shonn: Occasionally some together and some apart. We started a conversation, and I said to Michael, were going to put some movement to some of these tunes, and it was the first time that we had ever done that. And talk to Frankie Valli for about an hour and a half. 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? Cunio, for example, has the purest rock, roll, and soul voice in the group, showcased on some Aretha, some Kinks, some Isley Brothers, and some Beatles. Its really well put together. Were not talking about what those two new tunes are but. , One day about seven years ago, stubbletwo came home from school all excited. Some homeowners leave their green bulb in the porch light all year, while others change the bulb on or around Veterans Day. We had an opportunity to capitalize on a if you want to call it a semi-celebrity in this area, and it gave us an opportunity to work with charities and not-for-profits, with arts education programs, to raise money for their organizations. A sampling of social media comments highlights the range of reactions: One person said the purple hue gives them headaches due to a past concussion. Menu. Hundreds of years ago, the language had words for four basic colours black, white, red, and blue so anything green was described using the word for blue, ao.. Everything Coming to and Leaving HBO and HBO Max . For me, personally, to step out on the stage with these boys, and to make music together, was enough. You will see why I now call UTSL the hardest working group in show business. And as a bonus, the guys hung out afterwards for photos and to sign CDs and DVDs which were on sale, on site. Which is work in total collaboration with one another. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. I spend a lot of time looking at footage on youtube. Do you have a particular hope or goal as to where it will take you? Under the Streetlamp will perform on March 24 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. August 2, 2010. When Chris left the JB tour, he held the distinction of being the longest running Frankie to date; when Michael left it was to start the JB production in Chicago, where he remained through its entire two-year-plus run. Thanks to all four of you for setting aside the time for this interview, and for your thoughtful, candid, and sometimes light-hearted insights into the past, present, and future of Under The Streetlamp. THE CONCERT In addition to that, you may have seen me on Chicago Med or in various local TV or internet commercials. Cunio: Occasionally we would stand with our legs together, occasionally we would stand with our legs apart. (By the way, Cunio goes by his last name not so much because there are two Michaels in the group, but because growing up he was surrounded by Michaels, and using surnames made it easier to distinguish among peers. Cunio: It opens the second act. Stubbs: If I can interject for a moment, Michael, Chris is responsible for my becoming a big JB fan. Kidding. Jones is also known nationwide as a founding member of retro-rock sensation Under the Streetlamp, seen in millions of homes on PBS. Like, this is what its been like for us, this is what you can expect, these are the things everyone tells you are really important, these are the things that are actually really important, and its been great. Shonn: Michael Ingersoll. Were not just a doo-wop band, were not just an oldies band. 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. (I know, Im showing my age with that one). Who are the members of under the streetlamp? Excerpt: (Photo credits: Carol B. And hopefully this agent will keep em off the botox!! Michael: And frankly he was more successful before he met us. Itll be a surprise. And were seeing that now in our fans. Shonn: I do. Funny thing is that his three brothers followed the same convention, so they were a houseful of Cunios. He won acclaim starring as Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys, originating the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and First National Tour casts. Shonn: Weve taken an opportunity in our show to specifically pay tribute to Frankie, Bob, Tommy, and Nick, like you see in the special. Ryan will play guitar, Matts on drums, and Im gonna play bass. It began with people blending their voices together trying to make some music, and then explode out from there. Shonn: I think its also safe to say too, if I might add, when you look at television, and you look at how popular shows like Mad Men have been, theres a desire by the population and people looking for entertainment to go back to a simpler time. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010,. Cunio: Yeah, its one that I came up with. I look forward to following this wonderful group of guys and hopefully catching a concert. Stubbletwo took one look at you on TV (on the PBS concert) and said Boy, that guy looks young., Shonn: Im actually the oldest, but I tend to have the . (Laughter all around). Great article.as always. Christopher Kale Jones is known for Chicago Med (2015), The Good Time Girls (2017) and Under the Streetlamp (2011). Is it you yourselves, or do you have someone doing that for you? . Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, Information: 630-896-6666; www.paramountaurora.com. Shonn s performing roots go way back, having started dancing at the age of five. incidents of domestic violence Hey Dad Im in a band!. Try to keep up with this quarter, Under the Streetlamp, in this Las Vegas show! Now I had no thought that I would ever join, or become any sort of musical act, but I was like, Oh sure, thats good information, and in one sense, now, something that Frankie Valli had spoken of in just a passing way has come true, with the four of us, and I now get to do that every night as a vocal group and as a band. Michael: No one is more surprised than we are that this is now our main job. Theatre Mania raves, "Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain." Christopher Kale Jones is an award-winning actor and touring recording artist. He also toured extensively with PBS retro-rock sensation Under the Streetlamp. He said theres every reason that you could one day transition into doing that. Of course he provides the groups falsetto, in a Four Seasons medley and occasionally but effectively in a handful of other numbers too. Before you stepped in and picked up those reins, did the guys have anything going on in that department? And its difficult to even describe our gratitude for such a thing. It looks like it would take a lot to learn and to remember, so Im surprised you can learn a number in ten minutes. 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. Many people considered Neil Diamond to be the fifth Monkee. His At Last is a classic and he should patent his wailings in Twist and Shout and Hey Jude. That was my first clue that this wasnt going to be an easy conversation to stay in charge of. The Three Desires. May 24th, 2012. Youre about to embark on a six week, twenty-six concert tour. Menu. Shonn: And just to add to that, for us when we first started out, it was about the music and it was about making people happy, and it didnt matter if we were playing a multi-purpose room at a high school , or we were playing the Chicago Theatre, or the Paramount Theatre, some big theater like that. Producer 1 Credit. Michael: Because Joann Doherty, our musical director, and her husband Ryan Bennett, and our baritone saxophone player, are all on the JB second national tour right now, we have had to rebuild our band. Date: 11 . 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. Turns out its the covering that has worn off and needs to be replaced. For instance, the team that were working with on the tour, are our musical director Pat Williams, whos our bass player, and our pianist, Kara Kesselring, came up with an arrangement for one of the brand new tunes were doing. Michael: Our audience is the fifth member of the band. . Part One Discover the transformative power of music to affect positive change in the lives of individuals and their communities. 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 . Can you say it with a mouthful of fried peanut butter and banana sandwich? We didnt have any expectation, or there was no design in place to try target a younger audience, but we found that theyre showing up, and its a really exciting thing to be witness to as we have the chance to perform again and again. Stream the latest seasons and episodes, watch trailers, and more for Under the Streetlamp at TV Guide. Ill decline the guys offer to name the two new numbers in the second act, I mean set, so that you can be surprised too. 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. From: Flashback: JERSEY BOYS Celebrates Seven Years on Broadway Today! Apr 13, 2017 at 11:43 pm. Comment by Pamela May 25, 2012 @ 1:24 pm. Glad you made it in on the ground floor to spend precious time with these future stars! Fast forward to the present, when I had the opportunity to sit down with the four very talented performers who comprise the up-and-coming retrogroup Under The Streetlamp as they were about to embark on their first national tour. Christopher Kale Jones. It just kind of had an exponential result. Thats awesome. Youre calling it the first tour, but UTSL has been performing since January, 2010, and has done over fifty shows, according to your website. With the mantra "Retro never sounded so now," these four extremely talented and charismatic former cast members of the Tony Award-winning . about 2-3 hours Backed by a seven-piece band, the four singers perform the hits of Tom Jones, The Beatles, Sam Cooke, Roy Orbison, some rock 'n' roll tunes, some doo-wop ditties and some Motown melodies, among other songs. 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. 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. And just by doing that, and by making ourselves available, weve had a lot of loyal fans come along, who are in high school who are the ones on Facebook all the time, and on twitter, and they love it. Cunio: We were joking about it one day. Under the Streetlamp. The music we do is the music of the people that were kids at that time. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. We have been graced with an entire team of people who have felt that this project a good idea and that it made people happy. Last Name. 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. Kevin will play the piano, and Davis is gonna sing lead. Now I knew that between these five kids the only thing any of them could play with any proficiency was their Gameboys, but who was I to stifle such youthful exuberance? 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. Yep. Theres a new number for Chris too which is particularly exciting. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. Aside from the solo that I did in Michaels cabaret, there was no dancing in the show. But fitting newcomers into the group has been relatively easy. It was up to Alan Freed or Wolfman Jack what you were listening to, and you werent just limited to heavy metal, or hip-hop, or top forty. Dan Ponce created Straight No Chaser, and wrote the arrangement for the Twelve Days of Christmas, which became a viral video for them, and also wrote the arrangements for most of their biggest hits. 06/26/2014. We were sitting in Chris kitchen one day trying to figure out how exactly to categorize ourselves, and it was a very brief and very short-lived moment of inspiration (laughter) but it served us well. 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. That was pretty much the extent of it. Shonn: We really do honestly enjoy I enjoy at least two of these folks company . Theyre just cheap to run because they use less electricity. You see true, unadulterated joy and enthusiasm on their faces. Shonn: Hey, were looking at this first tour as like summer camp.