Christopher Kale Jones: best skin regimen. Which is work in total collaboration with one another. 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. "With Under the Streetlamp, the audience gets an inside look at who we are," Wiley said. Strong and smooth as ever in his chest voice, Chris is the quintessential crooner. No, seriously I made a mistake when I graduated college, and went to New York. It was up to Alan Freed or Wolfman Jack what you were listening to, and you werent just limited to heavy metal, or hip-hop, or top forty. Cunio: Is world domination an option? Most recently we have been collaborating with a gentleman named Dan Ponce. Why did Michael Ingersoll leave under the streetlamp? It is very heartwarming to see the wonderful ties that have been made through this one show, not to mention the talent. Michael: And frankly he was more successful before he met us. With this group, I helped produce 3 TV specials, one docu-series, and 4 albums (all available for streaming and download). You see true, unadulterated joy and enthusiasm on their faces. As part of the Let Your Light Shine! Catch ROCKIN' AROUND THE CLOCK on your local PBS station! Thanks to JB, The Four Seasons Music Is Celebrated! Christopher Kale Jones is from Hawaii, where he grew up listing to oldies radio and singing in award-winning choirs. He stuck with em until they hitwhich didnt take long! Why did Michael Ingersoll leave under the streetlamp? Jones, who grew up in Hawaii and earned a degree in theater at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., said Valli did say something that foreshadowed the formation of Under the. Shonn: I do. Delivering harmonic versions of hit rock 'n' roll songs, Under the Streetlamp highlights the vocal prowess of, from left, Brandon Wardell, Christopher Kale Jones . I couldnt do this interview for the Jersey Boys Blog without mentioning the Midtown Men, and other groups too, like Straight No Chaser and Human Nature. Cunio: Yeah, its one that I came up with. Theres one show for the ears and another one for the eyes. America's favorite retro vocal group is Rockin' Round The Clock to classic hits from the Ameri. "We call the song catalog the 'American Radio Songbook,'" Wiley said. Were not just a doo-wop band, were not just an oldies band. @JerseyBoysInfo #OhWhatARun. Chris: And Ive changed, by the way. Theatre Mania raves, "Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain." Christopher Kale Jones is an award-winning actor and touring recording artist. So Pat Williams our bass player is the only original one from the PBS special. We would congregate in the center of the stage, and we would sing some tunes and make some beautiful music. A real bonus in the show is your choreography. Glad you made it in on the ground floor to spend precious time with these future stars! Shonn does stuff from the 30s and 40s, and we did get our feet wet in the 70s and the 80s , but its all stuff that you found on the radio during a certain time period. I love watching clips of the Temptations, clips of the Jackson Five, clips of the Four Tops, footage from even earlier, just anything that can kind of inspire. Cunio: My personal opinion about all that is, theres room for everbody. With their unique style and modern "Rat Pack" persona, Under the Streetlamp bring the American Radio Songbook to a whole new level in their second television special for PBS. Great article.as always. Under the Streetlamp will perform on March 24 at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. Therell be a lot of new stuff coming within the next six months to a year. More on DARIN: Pieced together with charismatic storytelling that goes behind the veil of Bobby's fame and brash public life,Darinflows from the poignant to the celebratory, all while delivering hit after hit. Who are the members of under the streetlamp? Chris: Well, short term, were looking for new tunes all the time. Some of it Im sure its intentional seems a bit tongue in cheek, designed to elicit smiles, if not laughter. Shonn Wiley. Thats all. Like Joanne Doherty, our musical director, who I just mentioned. PBS favorite and Jersey Boys star Christopher Kale Jones celebrates the dazzling versatility of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bobby Darin. When I started the piece about stubbletwos band, I figured youd be doing all the talking with the guys just nodding politely, but your interjections were insightful and really gave these fellows a wonderful platform. I had a chance to talk to both of them, and they were very excited for us. Lots of activities were going on, whether it was dominoes or stickball, and musicians would congregate underneath the streetlamp, and they didnt have a lot of money for instruments, and so their voices became instruments, whether it was the percussive nature of the shoo-bee-doo-wahs, and then the lead singers and that, and I think Cunio sums it up the best which is . Well it still is, primarily. Comment by Linda/Tiggerbelle May 26, 2012 @ 1:58 pm. So many years later, that hasnt changed; what has changed is that the breadth of his talent has widened, if thats even possible. So Chris was the last piece of the puzzle, so to speak. And its difficult to even describe our gratitude for such a thing. Christopher Kale Jones. With irresistible rapport, Under the Streetlamp offers audiences the opportunity to get to know the former lead cast members of Jersey Boys, and critically acclaimed stars of stage and screen, Eric Gutman, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley. Flashback Video: Jersey Boys Opened on Broadway 12 Years AgoNovember 6, 2005! We do Bob Seger, The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Dion and the Belmonts; pretty much anything from the 1950s to the 1980s.". So I put this concert together, and at the very end of it, I invited the other three guys who were performing with me (in Jersey Boys) in downtown Chicago at the time, and the audience reaction was so intense when the other three guys joined us, they were so happy and so surprised. The quartet will bring its soaring harmonies to Merrillville's Star Plaza Theatre . He contributes some of the pre-rock tunes in the show, and hes a natural with anything from Vaudeville to Clarksville and all stops in between. He said theres every reason that you could one day transition into doing that. Chris: Absolutely. TV Shows. Is Shonn Wiley still with under the streetlamp? Would love to see them perform together. Chris Jones and I, we started out the first national JB tour together, and when the show closed, I called Chris and I said, are you available to come in and do some of these dates that we have, even after JB has closed, and he said yeah. Cunio: The first choreography that we put together for the show was in a kitchen, and it was literally, step touch to the right, step touch to the left, it was super simple. Listen to the LIVE album recorded January 6th and 7th at Chicago's very own Mercury Theater. (I know, Im showing my age with that one). Cunio: Yeah, you should try working with the guy. I remember reading about you on the Internet as the group was evolving it seemed that you had a few other members before you settled on the four of you, and that there were even times when you had more than four. The Good Time Girls (2017) and Under the Streetlamp (2011). Larsen has performed on Broadway in "Good Vibrations" and "Billy Elliot." I give Ingy a lot of credit here. So weve been really fortunate in that way. Jersey Boys Broadway Returns to Millionaires Club for Week Ending 5/20/12. And also, I think Sergio (Trujillo, JBs choregrapher) is kind of a genius as far as what he did with JB. Michael: The concept of starting with one voice, and adding another one, and introducing each member of the band was ours, but she was the one that turned that into a musical reality. Shonn s performing roots go way back, having started dancing at the age of five. What Does a Purple Porch Light Mean? Catch ROCKIN' AROUND THE CLOCK on your local PBS station! He also gets a chance to show off the some fancy footwork that demonstrates why hes the choreographer for the group. Jones won hearts nationwide starring as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys (San Francisco, Los Angeles, First National Tour). From Jan and Dean to the King, and Queen. And I remember him talking specifically about that experience, about how there was a time where it was just one FM radio station and you were really in the hands of a deejay. 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. 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: That opening the slow intro is that something you yourselves created? I work very hard. Its a great tune. 06/26/2014. Michael: Yeah , thats exactly what it was. The show was nothing short of spectacular. Christopher Kale Jones: best skin regimen. That was the nest from which we sort of came, and were free to leave and begin this wonderful journey. Its for them, and without them we wouldnt be up there. His rendition of recently-departed Etta James At Last from 1960 is a showstopper. The Three Desires. Most of the musical taste that I have, I have appropriated from him, not shockingly. You will typically see more of them in October which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Jones tenderly recounts Darins story of a life lived in the spotlight and lost too soon. Fans said it is easier on the eyes while driving or just enjoyed seeing something a little different. LED lights normally have a blue / violet color. 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? Shonn: I just want to get filthy rich. While his current pursuits keep him in Chicago, the group continues to tour around the US. You have permission to edit this article. Behind the Streetlamp A Conversation with Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Michael Cunio, and Shonn Wiley. Arlington Heights, IL, Theatre Mania raves, Jones has the audience swooning until the final curtain. Christopher Kale Jones is an award-winning actor and touring recording artist. Dead GIs and Germanshe expected thatbut why did cows have to . From Doris Day to Marvin Gaye. Larsen also starred as Elder Price in the national tour of "The Book of Mormon. Cunio: By joining this group (laughter). Comment by Becky May 25, 2012 @ 11:46 am. What does a purple light in a window mean? Michael: No one is more surprised than we are that this is now our main job. VARIETY says "His Soulful delivery resembles Bobby Darin"& SF Examiner says "His knockout voicebrings down the house.". More on DARIN: Pieced together with charismatic storytelling that goes behind the veil of Bobby's fame and brash public life,Darinflows from the poignant to the celebratory, all while delivering hit after hit. And in addition to that, at a lot of these gigs weve flown in to perform, weve been able to partner with some high schools, so we could go and have actual talkbacks with students who want to be performers in some way, whether it be in acting, or singing, or becoming a musician, and well get these groups of kids to come out, and well just talk to them, and tell them about our experiences. VARIETY says "His Soulful delivery resembles Bobby Darin"& SF Examiner says "His knockout voicebrings down the house.". christopherkalejones.com / Twitter: @ChrisKaleJones / Insta: @chriskalejones, 2023 ARTISTS LOUNGE LIVEAn Entity of Ingersoll Music Company. But no, they did not sing together despite having a perfectly good name for a quartet). First national tour cast, 2006: Erich Bergen, Christopher Kale Jones, Deven May and Michael Ingersoll. 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. . Jones is also known nationwide as a founding member of retro-rock sensation Under the Streetlamp, seen in millions of homes on PBS. Vaudeville Man. Yeah, that Shonn Wiley..who knew? The world wasnt ready for Queen yet). With irresistible charm and rapport, Under the Streetlamp offers audiences the opportunity to get to know four critically acclaimed stars of stage and screen, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale . 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. And we clearly found as we started forming this group that one of the very strong reasons as to why we decided to continue singing together, was because it really was the best. Where can I find episodes of Tom and Jerry. Stubbs: So Im going to be surprised with a new tune at the beginning of the second act at your concert? I was having more fun as the audience was having more fun, seeing the quartet come together. awareness to incidents of domestic violence. 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. 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. You covered everything Stubbs! Ingersoll left Under the Streelamp in March 2017 to pursue producing opportunities, according to Wiley. Stubbs: Speaking of which, do you find that younger folks are enjoying your music as well? Let me wind up with this: As you embark on this next exciting phase of your professional lives, are there any thoughts that come to mind as you look back on your JB experiences that youd like to share with the Jersey Boys Blog? Happy Birthday to Musical Genius Bob Gaudio! Concerts: Beyond the Sea: Christopher Kale Jones Sings Bobby Darin, Lean On Me: The Brotherhood of Rock 'n Roll, and Jingle Bell Rock. I guess the time finally did come for Ingersoll to start his own group. The greater Chicagoland area did not want the show to close. Latest News See All. Edit Close (Shonn sings the only Monkees tune in the show.) But who was I to stifle such youthful exuberance? Stubbs: Your mentors comments really match my recollection of what it was like back then too. Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, Information: 630-896-6666; www.paramountaurora.com. With irresistible charm and rapport, Under the Streetlamp offers audiences the opportunity to get to know four critically acclaimed stars of stage and screen, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones, Brandon Wardell and Shonn Wiley. And talk to Frankie Valli for about an hour and a half. You will see why I now call UTSL the hardest working group in show business. And as a bonus, the guys hung out afterwards for photos and to sign CDs and DVDs which were on sale, on site. Often appearing in matching suits, the quartet continues to honor the great musical period between the '50s and the '70s . 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. The members of Under the Streetlamp Michael Cunio, Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones and Shonn Wiley have been featured on Broadway, in film and on television, and were showcased . 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