John Michael Coppola to Present JERSEY BOYS Tribute Show, 11/3
By: Kelsey Denette
Former JERSEY BOYS cast member, John Michael Coppola, will be returning to the material that brought him to Chicago with the debut of a new JERSEY BOYS tribute performance to benefit the Chicago JCC. The one night only event takes place on Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago, IL. Dancing to the TVK Orchestra will follow the special tribute performance.
Featuring song selections from the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons canon, Coppola will be featured in the tribute with TVKs premiere vocalist and instrumentalists including, Gayle Bisesi, Charles Hammond Jr., Neil Laferty, Paul Langford, Rich Trelease, Steve Vining and Tom Van Kanegan. Backed by a five-piece band with three background vocalists, Coppola chronicles the Four Seasons song book with anecdotes about their rise to fame along with some history behind the hits and how they were created. Songs featured in the tribute include Oh, What a Night (December ’63), Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like A Man, Rag Doll and other Four Seasons favorites.
John Michael Coppola’s most notable success was his appearance in the Chicago and Las Vegas companies of the Tony Award winning musical, JERSEY BOYS, where he understudied and performed the role of Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons. For the past 17 years he has appeared in some of the top regional theatres in the US and Europe in productions such as She Loves Me, 42nd Street, Flight Of The Lawnchair Man, Hot Shoe Shuffle, Forbidden Broadway and Singin' In The Rain. In addition to his time in JERSEY BOYS, Coppola’s Chicago stage credits include the world premiere of the musical For The Boys, The Original Grease, and Annie Get Your Gun. In 2011, he received the David Award, presented by the Italian Sons & Daughters of America, given to 'an individual of Italian heritage displaying professional leadership in the field of Entertainment.' He regularly performs his solo concert, A JERSEY VOICE: Sinatra to Springsteen...and Everyone in Between, at venues throughout the United States. For more information on John Michael Coppola, please visit www.johnmichaelcoppola.com.
The TVK Orchestra is a family of exceptional music professionals, integral members of Chicago’s rich and diverse musical community. TVK’s musicians perform, record and tour with world-renowned artists and grace the stages of the CSO, Lyric Opera and varied music clubs in Chicago. Its members have also record extensively for TV, radio, and film and teach at Chicago’s best colleges and universities. Four of TVK Orchestra’s regular musicians played nightly in the pit band for the entire three year run of the Chicago production of JERSEY BOYS.
“With John Michael Coppola as the headliner of this new tribute and TVK’s musicians experience with the material of these ‘Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers’, there is an authenticity that we bring to the music that is unmatched by any other special event band in Chicago.” said Tom Van Kanegan, owner and operator of TVK. “Not only are we the only corporate, wedding and special events band in all of Chicago featuring a tribute like this, but also the only one with artists from Chicago’s smash hit production! After many months of preparation, we’re please to finally bring this type of offering to our clients.” For more information on the TVK Orchestra, please visit www.tvkmusic.com
Proceeds from JCC’s Fundraiser will benefit the JCC of Chicago. Tickets and information can be found by visiting http://donations.gojcc.org/benefit/.
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