WASHINGTON 鈥斅燞e played Frankie Valli in the smash聽musical “Jersey Boys.”
Now, actor-singer Joseph Bwarie聽hits Bethesda, Maryland’s聽聽at聽8 p.m.聽on聽Sunday.
“I have a new album that’s coming out called and I’m really excited about that because it’s more my normal voice,” Bwarie tells 海角精品黑料, scrapping the falsetto.
“People say it’s like big band music reminiscent of that style of Michael Bubl茅 and Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr.”
If聽Bwarie looks familiar, it’s because you saw him at National Theatre in D.C. during two U.S. national tours of聽“Jersey Boys” in 2009 and 2011. He聽also opened聽the show in Las Vegas and has appeared on Broadway, where the Tony-winning musical is celebrating聽its 10th anniversary.
“My time with the show has sort of sprawled across the U.S.,” Bwarie says.
In total, Bwarie has appeared in more than聽1,700 performances, garnering critical acclaim along the way. The Boston Globe wrote,聽鈥淗e soars, without seeming effort, into the upper reaches of the human voice,鈥� while The Washington Post wrote聽that he “sings like an Earth Angel.'”
The role was a perfect fit, as Bwarie loved the music of The Four Seasons growing up.
“Growing up in Southern California, the oldies station … was what my dad had on in the car. So we knew who the Four Seasons were, we’d sing along with them, so it wasn’t unfamiliar territory.聽But the聽story of the guys was what was interesting and new when I first joined the show聽in 2007.”
Bwarie聽eventually聽spoke with the real-life Valli, but the two didn’t discuss the role.
“He’s only told me about the meatball recipe he has. He hasn’t told me how to sing,” Bwarie jokes. “I think there’s a mutual respect for all performers that you don’t really critique someone who’s playing you. … At first, there’s that apprehensive moment, but then you realize he’s just a guy from New Jersey, and I’m just a guy from Sherman Oaks, California.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwRQBvchPVs
They may both be “just guys” from their respective hometowns, but Bwarie will be performing arrangements by the same producer, Charles Calello, who arranged for the original Four Seasons.
The nine-piece band will聽combine music from聽multiple decades of the American songbook.
“We’ve got a real swingin’ band and it’s a really fun night of just really solid music. It’s not a lot of flash, it’s just really really great orchestrations, and I get out there in the audience a little bit.”
Bwarie says it’s refreshing to be聽himself on stage.
“When I’m in ‘Jersey Boys,’ I’m definitely doing a character. … When I’m doing my show, it’s looser and we can go off on tangents … and we can inject a surprise number in the middle of the set.”
This will actually be Bwarie’s first concert since the release of the “Good Stuff” album, meaning D.C. audiences are getting in on the ground floor.
“There’s a lot of surprises,” he聽says. “Some songs that are not on any album that I’ve recorded.”
He’s also got a Christmas album on the horizon, marking two album releases within a few months.
“Boom, boom, boom,” Bwarie says, to which 海角精品黑料’s Bruce Alan quips,聽“Way to go, Joe.”
“That should be my third album,” Bwarie jokes, “‘Way to Go, Joe.'”
Doors open 90 minutes before the show.聽Tickets cost $35-$45.聽Click for ticket information.
