INTERVIEW: Finding that ‘Jersey Boys’ magic

Photo: Jersey Boys stars, from left, Keith Hines, Aaron De Jesus, CJ Pawlikowski and Corey Greenan. Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus / Provided by BBB with permission.

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Jersey Boys is the musical that continues to tap into the inner-nostalgia of theatergoers in New York City. After a celebrated run on Broadway, the show has set up shop off-Broadway at New World Stages, where it continues to bring the music of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons to toe-tapping life. Fans of the band should expect such hit songs as “My Eyes Adored You,” “Rag Doll,” “Who Loves You” and “December ’63 (Oh What a Night).”

At the center of the off-Broadway musical is new cast member CJ Pawlikowski, who plays Bob Gaudio, one of the Four Seasons.

“I’ve been so stoked,” Pawlikowski said in a recent phone interview. “It was the first audition I had when I moved to New York back in 2012-2013. In my first two weeks in New York, I made it to the final round.”

It has taken a few more auditions and patience, but this past August is when Pawlikowski got his shot at the role he has been dreaming about for quite some time. He called his engagement in the musical the alignment of all the stars in the sky.

“It’s been a six-to-seven year process,” he said. “It was one of the first shows I saw when I seriously contemplated acting.”

Think about that serendipity: Pawlikowski’s parents actually surprised him with tickets to the Chicago production of Jersey Boys when he was younger. Ever since then, his dream (and his parents’ dream) has been a starring role in this influential show. “I loved it from the second I saw it in Chicago,” he said.

In particular, and quite coincidentally, he responded to the role of Bob Gaudio more than any other on stage. Who knew this many years later he would be assuming the role.

This full-circle moment goes back even further because Pawlikowski, who has performed in The Book of Mormon and A Letter to Harvey Milk, has enjoyed so-called “oldies” music ever since he was a child. He was actually familiar with 90 percent of the band’s musical output.

“There’s so much nostalgia being in this show every night,” he said. “It has been the time of my life in all sincerity.”

The transition that Pawlikowski had to undergo to become a Four Season was made easier by the kindness and care of his fellow company members, including Aaron De Jesus as Franki Valli, Nicolas Dromard as Tommy DeVito, Keith Hines as Nick Massi and Dianna Barger as Francine.

“They have been so caring from day one,” he said. “You definitely rely on the shoulders of your cast-mates. I actually watched the show every night for four weeks, and sometimes I doubled up on matinee days. That was a four-week long process [to learn the show].”

When Pawlikowski performed in his first Jersey Boys show, he had one thing on his mind: “Before I walked on stage, I said a prayer that I wouldn’t screw anything up.”

Nothing went wrong, and it has been easygoing ever since.

Pawlikowski is a self-admitted late-starter to the world of musical theater. He stumbled upon it as a student at Indiana University, and in junior year, he started to take the art form seriously.

That decision has certainly paid off, and he couldn’t think of a better show to showcase his skills. “I’m so happy to be part of this company,” he said with obvious authenticity.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Jersey Boys, featuring CJ Pawlikowski, is now playing off-Broadway at New World Stages in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.