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Philly Roots Helped Jarrod Spector Become A 'Jersey Boy'

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – Jarrod Spector thinks being a Philly boy helped him become a Jersey Boy. His four-year run on Broadway and nearly 1,500 shows as Frankie Valli in the popular show proves that point.

Jarrod Spector, who had a four-year run as Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys" on Broadway, is coming to the Ridgefield Playhouse on April 26.

Jarrod Spector, who had a four-year run as Frankie Valli in "Jersey Boys" on Broadway, is coming to the Ridgefield Playhouse on April 26.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Spector, who will appear at The Ridgefield Playhouse on April 26, grew up in Philadelphia, about 90 miles south of Valli’s hometown in Newark, N.J.  He starred with "Jersey Boys" on Broadway up until December.

“I know my way around Jersey, and certainly spent a lot of time on the Jersey Turnpike coming up to New York,’’ Spector said. “There’s a certain feel that comes from living in the Northeast. We all have a certain energy. You can tell when a guy is from San Francisco or Jersey or New York. Coming from Philadelphia, I knew that energy and that feel.”

Spector said that his childhood roots helped, he found Valli’s character a challenging role.

“I had to learn the accent from a phonetic standpoint,’’ Spector said. “Having it in your bones and your blood makes it easier. But Frankie’s a complicated guy. He has a certain charisma, but he also has a certain sadness to him. That comes from living a harder life than we probably think. The man is still touring in his late 70s and doing concerts, and still not building roots and being at home. He’s still looking for that thing that feeds his soul.”

Finding Valli’s personality was only part of the difficulty in the role, Spector said. “There’s that part of it, and the part of the words on the page where you have to analyze the character and the scene. It took a while to get really comfortable with it. The sheer size of the role makes it daunting. And all of us who played Frankie are a little overwhelmed by the vocals. Singing that score night in and night out is a bear.”

Spector thrived in the role but was ready to move forward. “It’s like any long-term relationship,’’ he said. “There’s always sadness. Even now, it’s hard to believe I won’t go to the theater at night. I was ready for a break. I’m not ruling out the possibility of doing it again, but one job does not make a career. I have to be available for the next thing.”

Showgoers who attend his Ridgefield performance will see Spector’s “next thing.” They will hear some of his "Jersey Boys" songs, but they’ll also be treated to an assortment of tunes from the 1950s to today’s music.  Spector is stepping outside the Broadway box with his new show.

“Doing a direct address with 1,200 or 2,000 people is on some levels a lot harder than Broadway,’’ he said. “I want to make sure I don’t get up on stage and look stupid. We created this show on a word by word, very specific basis. But there’s a freedom to just play in it. If I want to say something, or there’s a connection with an audience member, I can go with it. It’s a wonderfully free environment. If you liked it, it’s my choosing and my creation. But if you didn’t like it, that’s on me, too. I appreciate being held accountable.”

This article is part of a paid Content Partnership with the advertiser, Ridgefield Playhouse. Daily Voice has no involvement in the writing of the article and the statements and opinions contained in it are solely those of the advertiser.

To learn more about Content Partnerships, click here.

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