Listen to the LIVE album recorded January 6th and 7th at Chicago's very own Mercury Theater. And thats how everybody referred to it. Theres an incredible line at the end of the musical Jersey Boys, where were four guys under a streetlamp, where everything was stripped away and all that was left was the music, that was the best. Shonn Wiley portrayed Bob Gaudio in the production of "Jersey Boys," the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, for more than a year. If the captivating songs "Only You," "Yakety Yak," "The Great Pretender," or "Ain't That a Shame" start people hand clapping and toe t 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. Shonn: Its the first time that we will board a tour bus, and travel from city to city, and we will be playing a different venue every single evening. Under the Streetlamp quickly earned a local devoted following-and a reputation for generation-bridging concerts that has paved the way to a . Well it still is, primarily. We have choreography and staging and four-part harmony. Im kidding, Im kidding. Youre about to embark on a six week, twenty-six concert tour. Shonn: Occasionally some together and some apart. 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. Chris led it. and Sammy Davis, Jr., among others) performed on stage. Cunio: That includes our seven musicians you mention two of them, but our whole team, the band that we play with, aside from being totally exceptional as musicians individually, they bring to the table a wealth of talent and that allows us the ability to do exactly what Michael just said. Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. Im really excited about the collaboration with Dan Ponce. Part One Discover the transformative power of music to affect positive change in the lives of individuals and their communities. While living in New York, I was cast as Frankie Valli in the Musical Jersey Boys, which allowed me to tour all over the country. 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. Flashback Video: Jersey Boys Opened on Broadway 12 Years AgoNovember 6, 2005! He was born in Jackson, Tennessee, where his father was a grocery clerk and his mother, Robbie, was an artist.Jones's father and aunt admitted her to the state hospital in Bolivar, Tennessee, in 1945.Jones and his brother were then placed in Boys Town in Memphis, where he became a fan of James Dean after being told he bore a resemblance to him. Eric Gutman joined the ensemble in March 2017. | TrackBack URI. Thanks to JB, The Four Seasons Music Is Celebrated! 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. Why did Michael Ingersoll leave under the streetlamp? Finally, I hope you get the same encore I did and I assume you will because it was just incredible, virtually another set unto itself, and a high energy one at that. I spend a lot of time looking at footage on youtube. I was having more fun as the audience was having more fun, seeing the quartet come together. Stubbs: I could see that, because as a guy who was fortunate enough to experience this music its first time around, I love it when I see younger folks today enjoying this music as well. 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. "We have different interpretations of the music.". Stubbs: Are you taking the same group of musicians along on the whole tour or are you picking up new people in each town? Stubbs: Fans of the music would love this show even if you just stood at four mikes and sang, but from watching the concert on PBS, watching all that movement, its like a theres whole second show going on. Cunio: Weve had a lot of help and were lucky for it. And the same press agent as Cher? Here in Chicago, Ive been fortunate to work at theaters I used to dream about collaborating with: Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, and The Goodman Theatre to name just a few. In addition to that, you may have seen me on Chicago Med or in various local TV or internet commercials. I now have returned home to Chicago, where I live with my beautiful wife Jenna, daughter Presley, Boston terrier Rocket, and Chiweenie Nacho. It means accompanying, or coming along with) increase in groups that invoke the retro repertoire? 45th Ward race: Embattled Ald. The Four Cunios. The way we look at it is this: The universe has decided, we believe, that this project would make people happy. Under the Streetlamp, a concert featuring Jersey Boys stars Michael Ingersoll, Shonn Wiley, Michael Cunio and Christopher Kale Jones, will be filmed Aug. 20 at 8 PM at the Star Plaza Theater in . ", BEYOND THE SEA: CHRISTOPHER KALE JONES SINGS BOBBY DARIN. I also first met Chris on a tour of the studio with several of my friends five years ago (almost to the day), and despite his wonderful start-turn as Frankie Valli, he was humble and gracious. He also gets a chance to show off the some fancy footwork that demonstrates why hes the choreographer for the group. This is a rare opportunity to hear the star of Jersey Boys and Under The Streetlampon PBS sing Bobby Darin's biggest hits: "Dream Lover," "Mack the Knife," "Splish Splash," and many more! Like Joanne Doherty, our musical director, who I just mentioned. Chris: They were so excited they were shouting and screaming, and the crowd of people who were maybe 50-plus were excited to see kids who were excited about it, and they got really excited. "Eric plays guitar, so he and Brandon do an Everly Brothers mashup in the show," Wiley said. Youve also done TV spots on several morning news and talk shows. Cunio: Thats exactly where the name came from, and Shonn started to set that up a little bit earlier. Can you say Elvis and Orbison? 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. . If you ever see a purple porch light, its there to bring awareness to incidents of domestic violence. He also toured extensively with PBS retro-rock sensation Under the Streetlamp. 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? 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. So stubbletwo thought Shonn looked really young? Another fantastic interview! Pink porch lights are generally associated with Breast Cancer. And no, I dont think Ill explain that one any further. 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. Theres a new number for Chris too which is particularly exciting. Randall G. Mielke is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News. Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. These groups, and probably a few others, pretty much appeal to similar audiences I would think. If the Backstreet Boys, for lack of a better comparison, hadnt been successful there would have been no room for a band like Nsync. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. Yep. Its a great tune. It was a time between World War II and when Kennedy was assassinated, when there was a lot of hope, and a sense of coolness and style, and thats not lost on us. ", The fourth member of the quartet is Brandon Wardell, who has been with the group for three years. 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. Funny thing is that his three brothers followed the same convention, so they were a houseful of Cunios. Jones tenderly recounts Darins story of a life lived in the spotlight and lost too soon. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. Cunio: It changed the entire dynamic of the evening. Hes put on a few decades and maybe a few pounds, and he may have a bit less hair, but the way hes reacting to the music clapping and singing along hes fifteen again for that couple of hours. I started reading, assuming Id finish on my next cross-Atlantic flight, but I couldnt stop until I finished the last word! Under the Streetlamp was founded by Michael Ingersoll, who starred as Nick Massiof the Four Seasonsin Jersey Boys. & stubbs) By stubbleyou, Jersey Boys Blog Special Correspondent Our West Coast correspondent stubbleyou talks with the members of "Under The Streetlamp" about their . Michael: Were really excited about that relationship because clearly hes an individual who knows how to arrange a tune. Music that began its life on corners under streetlights will return to the stage of Mayo Civic Center when the vocal group Under the Streetlamp is back for a Riverside Live! Christopher Kale Jones: best skin regimen. Were constantly competing to be better performers and better at what we do within our organization. FINAL THOUGHTS Their 10-year anniversary celebration has begun and is sweeping the nation. Its incredibly important to us to thank them, and the powers that be. Along the way Cunio and Shonn joined the Chicago cast as Bob and Tommy, respectively, and the rest is history. Somebody who clearly knows what they are doing is doing a good job of bringing you all this attention. That was my first clue that this wasnt going to be an easy conversation to stay in charge of. Under the Streetlamp is buoyed by the talents of Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley several of whom formerly performed in the hot musical Jersey Boys. Why is this set of gigs being called your first tour? But who was I to stifle such youthful exuberance? 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 Weve been telling people a lot about the origin of doo-wop and where it came from it was created in urban settings like the Bronx, like Baltimore, Detroit, Washington DC these large cities where a lot of people lived in these very cramped homes, and they would find themselves coming out into the streets in the summertimes. But their energy and their reactions, especially in the PBS special they are every bit as much the stars as we are, and thats as it should be. THE TOUR Jones is also known nationwide as a founding member of retro-rock sensation Under the Streetlamp, seen in millions of homes on PBS. We were able to do a gig once where we had a couple seats free, so we invited some students to come in and see it, and their reactions actually pumped up the older crowd. 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. Strong and smooth as ever in his chest voice, Chris is the quintessential crooner. . Listen to the LIVE album recorded January 6th and 7th at Chicago's very own Mercury Theater. And were it not for that experience, the four of us would never have come together to create something entirely separate and entirely new, and have the great fortune to see that thing that the four of us have created go on to have a life of its own. Truly a cultural phenomenon,this show allowed me to appear on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and eventually led to my co-creating the PBS vocal group, Under The Streetlamp. Ingersoll is heard gravitating toward early rock and roll as well as staking out the anything rockabilly corner, having spent a number of years in Memphis. Its like, okay I need to have a plan, I need to know exactly what Im shooting for, if Im not on Broadway in five years I will have failed, and I need to go do something else that Im good at. Im tap dancing! Clap for me mommy! Its incredible. UNDER THE STREETLAMP is a group Chris founded with his friends in 2012. 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. You are obviously getting a lot of exposure through the PBS special that has aired on dozens of television stations around the country. Very personable and fun. We take the music very, very seriously. Unique light-activated membrane acts like a traffic signal for gas. Trivia (1) He was awarded the 2008 Back Stage Garland Award for Performance in a Musical for "Jersey Boys" at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, California . awareness to incidents of domestic violence. Turns out its the covering that has worn off and needs to be replaced. Additionally, I've been privileged to appear in concert at such historical and eclectic venues as the Greek Theater and L.A. Live in LA, Wolf Trap in DC, and B.B. Streetlight LED bulbs would normally appear a little blue, so the manufacturer coats the bulb to turn the blue light into the bright white that comes to mind when you think of an LED. Catch ROCKIN' AROUND THE CLOCK on your local PBS station. And aside from that, you know, theres room for everybody. Cunio: My personal opinion about all that is, theres room for everbody. Thanks again, Stubbs, for the terrific coverage. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. Stubbs, did you apply to Guinness to overtake War and Peace for the longest verbiage in literary history?? Theyre now adults; they are now going to the theater, and its definitely something that means a lot to them. Stream the latest seasons and episodes, watch trailers, and more for Under the Streetlamp at TV Guide. You could have the Beatles and Johnny Cash and Etta James all in one listen, and sure, you probably favored one more than the other, but you were exposed to it all, and it was a shared experience. Lets talk a little about the concert that has appeared on PBS stations across the country as part of their membership drives, and that youll be doing live throughout the tour. America's favorite retro vocal group is Rockin' Round The Clock to classic hits from the Ameri. Shonn: Actually yes. He stuck with em until they hitwhich didnt take long! Thats awesome. christopherkalejones.com / Twitter: @ChrisKaleJones / Insta: @chriskalejones, 2023 ARTISTS LOUNGE LIVEAn Entity of Ingersoll Music Company. Michael: And you can see from the video of the concert that Joanne Doherty is playing piano on it, and shes now the musical director of the second national tour of JB. 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. Nsync? Christopher Kale Jones is known for Chicago Med (2015), The Good Time Girls (2017) and Under the Streetlamp (2011). I guess the time finally did come for Ingersoll to start his own group. Menu. Chris: Absolutely. Michael probably can, still displaying the elocution of the Shakesperean actor that he was before there was a Jersey Boys. Chris: The only thing I would add to that, is you know, I made a mistake when I graduated . Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. . I thought Id open with a question or two about their name. Christopher Kale Jones. But heres another clue for you all the second set opener begins with the band playing some background music, basically reminding people to get back to their seats. 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. But the thing we like about Under The Streetlamp is, we consider it the humblest of spotlights. (Shonn sings the only Monkees tune in the show.) Shonn: Right. Under the Streetlamp Michael Cunio, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones and Shonn Wiley have been featured on Broadway, in film and television, and showcased on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Emmy Awards and The Oprah Winfrey Show during their Jersey Boys tenure. 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. Christopher Kale Jones appeared as Frankie Valli of the Four Seasons in the Tony Award-winning sensation Jersey Boys, originating the role for the 1st National Tour and playing to sold-out crowds . Shonn: Weve taken an opportunity in our show to specifically pay tribute to Frankie, Bob, Tommy, and Nick, like you see in the special. Not only did I love the show one friend who saw it with me the first time said he looked over at me during the show and it was as if I was injecting heroin into my arm but I was also very impressed and surprised afterwards at what a nice guy Chris was. . I was at the opening of the second national tour of Jersey Boys and Tara Rubin was there shes the casting director of the show, and Merri Sugarman, who works with her. Vaudeville Man. Yeah, that Shonn Wiley..who knew? . (Laughter all around). I see a great future for UTSL and cant wait to see them in person. Latest News See All. , One day about seven years ago, stubbletwo came home from school all excited. Edit Close If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. In addition, Christopher Kale Jones, a member of Under the Streetlamp since 2010, left the group at the end of last year. Hey Dad Im in a band!. Cunio: We had intended, when this thing started, for it to just be a side gig, until we found our next job, whether that was in the theater, on television, or whatever it may have been. Members of Under the Streetlamp (left to right: Christopher Kale Jones, Shonn Wiley, Brandon Wardell and Michael Ingersoll) will perform at 3 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Michael: Im going to just answer that question and say no, not a damned thing. When I was young Id listen to the radio, as Karen Carpenter so wistfully sang, and when I was young we didnt ask each other, Are you into rock and roll? or Do you like pop music? We would say, Do you listen to the radio? It was all about the radio. Shonn Wiley. So it means were doing something right. 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