A smile-inducing and foot-tapping retrospective concert performance. Adrian Marchuk and Jeff Madden’s charming appeal captivates, along with their cajoling bro conversation. They sing with honesty, dedication, and poignancy. Their often-witty banter made me laugh out loud a few times.
A musical concert that narrates the captivating story of two ordinary, good-looking Canadian guys who aspire to become performers. Adrian Marchuk and Jeff Madden’s ‘How We Got to Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies’ offers audiences the chance to follow these guys as they pursue what every performer dreams of: establishing thriving acting careers, finding happiness in their craft, and continuously growing as artists.
How We Got to Jersey is divided into two parts: Part One describes how Adrian and Jeff met and their rise to Canadian fame as the two Frankies at the then North York Centre for the Performing Arts. After being flown to New York many times for auditions and callbacks, Jeff was the Frankie performing six times a week, while Adrian performed twice a week. Part Two examines the aftermath of Jersey Boys‘ closing in North York in 2010. Adrian and Jeff then faced the harsh reality for an actor: ‘What’s next?’
A Tale of Two Frankies is a definite must-see. It’s a smile-inducing, foot-tapping retrospective concert performance of the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
With Mark Camiller’s exceptional music direction and arrangements, Adrian and Jeff not only showcase their vocal talent (their falsettos beautifully soar, especially in ‘Shari’) but also convey genuine emotion. ‘You’re Just Too Good to Be True’ is one example. Adrian delivers the song in Part One, while Jeff has his moment in Part Two.
Marchuk and Madden are personable gentlemen who enjoy performing and are very appreciative of their audiences.
The boys also do something in the show that I highly respect.
They’re candid with their lives.
The guys share how success and fame in the arts affected not only them but also their families and loved ones. One personal moment shared indeed touched their hearts. I could see tears well in Adrian and Jeff’s eyes from my seat as they told the story involving a cast member from the Toronto show. The guys also spoke about moments of tension and friction between them and acknowledged that it was the emotional and physical toll of the approximately 2-year run.
Adrian and Jeff each played Frankie in different parts of the world. Adrian was chosen to perform in the Las Vegas production for three weeks before he was sidelined due to severe bronchitis. Jeff was scheduled to play Frankie in the Australian production for one year. They then had an epiphany about what it means to be a performer and a family man. They both had to answer what they truly wanted for themselves and their careers.
Playing Frankie was the role of a lifetime. They would never change that opportunity. Both accept that Frankie will always be a part of who they are. They’ve made peace with it.
But the boys recognize something even more important—they’ve made audiences happy, and that matters most to them. While they keep performing, the boys also serve as teachers, instructors and educators, mentoring the next generation of aspiring young performers. Marchuk and Madden selflessly want to pass on what they have been gifted to other emerging artists.
Most importantly, Adrian and Jeff are family men. That’s tops in my book.
Closing Thought: I’m delighted I got the chance to see How We Got to Jersey at Port Hope’s Capitol, but it was bittersweet. I found myself having to catch my breath and pause.
In 2009, I saw the Toronto production of Jersey Boys.
That was also at the time my family found out my younger brother had terminal cancer and passed away in March of that year. Then, when Boys closed in 2010, that was the year I discovered I had cancer.
Fast forward to 2024. Tale was making the circuit rounds again. I interviewed both Jeff and Adrian via email about the show, and I was planning to see it. However, I couldn’t. A few weeks after the interview, my mother passed away.
It was a concert that I needed to see and wanted to see. Thanks, guys.
How We Got to Jersey: A Tale of Two Frankies continues making its way around the province.
Make sure to get to see it. To know when the show will be in your area soon, follow Jeff on FB: @JeffMadden and IG: @thatjeffmadden OR Adrian: www.adrianmarchuk.com.
Running time: approximately two hours and thirty minutes with one intermission.
HOW WE GOT TO JERSEY: A Tale of Two Frankies
Created and Performed by Adrian Marchuk and Jeff Madden
Music Direction and Arrangements by Mark Camilleri
