Seattle Gay News
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Issue 15, Volume 41, April 12, 2013
Joan Marcus
by Eric Andrews-Katz SGN A&E Writer JERSEY BOYS 5TH AVENUE THEATRE Through May 4 Even if you don’t know the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons you definitely know several of their hit songs. Their repertoire (“Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” etc., etc.) reads like a catalogue of American pop hits. But the story of how these four young men from New Jersey made their way to the top of the music charts is something you probably didn’t know … until now. The hit musical Jersey Boys makes a return engagement to the 5th Avenue Theatre, and does so
with much-deserved fanfare. The story is divided into four seasons, both within the group and within the calendar. Under headings titled Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, each band member – Tommy DeVito (lead guitar), Bob Gaudio (keyboards, songwriting), Nick Massi (bass guitar), and Frankie Valli (vocals) – gets to explain part of the story from their own individual perspectives. As the old adage goes, “You got four guys, you get four different views.” No matter whose version you listen to, the success is undeniable. Under their first name, The Four Lovers, Tommy, Bob, Nick, and Frankie started out as a group. Afsee jersey boys page 30
(l to r) Jason Kappus, Colby Foytik, Brad Weinstock and Brandon Andrus in Jersey Boys
d n a h t u Tr s e c n e u q e s con The Whipping Man reminds us that slavery’s scars aren’t just physical
by Albert Rodriguez SGN A&E Writer
THE WHIPPING MAN TAPROOT THEATRE Through April 27 William Hall Jr. gives a tourde-force performance at Taproot Theatre this month, as he stars in a tense production of The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez. He’s joined on stage with Ryan Childers and Tyler Trerise in this ensemble play set during 1865 in the Deep South. see whipping page 31
Erik Stuhaug
see colvin page 33
by Miryam Gordon SGN A&E Writer
Michael Wilson
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER & SHAWN COLVIN BENAROYA HALL April 19 If you listen closely to “Luka” by Suzanne Vega, you’ll hear Shawn Colvin harmonizing in the background. That 1987 guest-vocal stint served as a launch pad for the singersongwriter’s illustrious career, which spans four decades and includes three Grammy Awards (10 nominations total), as well as numerous critically praised albums, crossover hit singles, sold-out tours, and even a voiceover role on The Simpsons. Col-
Ryan Childers (l) and William Hall Jr. in The Whipping Man