He doesn't play a Four Season, but Peter Gregus gets one of the biggest laughs in Jersey Boys after Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito complains that “Walk Like a Man” doesn't make sense as a song title. In character as flamboyant record producer Bob Crewe, Gregus retorts, “Look, Miss Congeniality—it's a metaphor. This is an anthem for every guy who's ever been twisted around a girl's little finger.” In addition to his scene-stealing work as Crewe, Gregus juggles several other small roles and serves as Jersey Boys' dance and fight captain. His program bio wittily pokes fun at his own theatrical resume which, in addition to Contact and A Christmas Carol and national tours of A Chorus Line and Bye Bye Birdie, includes stints as an Elf at Macy's and Dean Martin's head ! at Radio City Music Hall. Broadway.com asked the Bronx-born actor to describe his experience in one of Broadway's biggest smash hits.
When I was researching the role of Bob Crewe in Jersey Boys, I discovered that the Four Seasons often called him the 5th Season. Not only did he write and produce most of their hits, he helped orchestrate the songs and also sang backup. Oddly enough, in playing this role, I find I have taken on those same characteristics in my own life. I not only play Bob Crewe but four other speaking roles, and I have to dance hip-hop in the opening sequence. Add to that my duties as dance and fight captain, and I've got quite a full plate. It makes for a very busy week! Here's a typical day in the life of the 5th Season:
8am to 12:30pm: Me time. In a nutshell, this is the only time of day I get to address my personal life. After I see my partner off to work, my dog “Atta Girl” and I go to the park. While Atta is getting her workout, I make phone calls and read a little of The New York Times. I try to fit in a voice class somewhere around 11. Most mornings are hectic, but I try my best to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time.
12:30pm to 1pm: Time to drop off Atta at doggy day care or her other daddy's office. She likes the office. She's V.P. in charge of First Impressions there. As you can tell, I'm a little obsessed with my dog.
5pm to 7pm: With rehearsal over, I'm off to the gym before the evening performance. Having been a dancer most of my life, I find it a shock to my body not to get a cardio workout every day. Needless to say, it's also a shock to my waistline. I do a little bike, a little treadmill, a little weights—I don't go too crazy, as I still have a performance coming up. After the workout, I usually grab a quick snack. When I was doing Contact at Lincoln Center, I would feel horrible during the entire performance if I didn't eat by 5 pm. Can you imagine all that jumping around?! It's not too bad with this show.
7pm to 7:30pm: The all important warmup! Although I'm not one of the major vocalists in the show, I do my fair share of talking. Bob Crewe tends to speak loud and quickly.
7:30pm to 8pm: Half hour. I spend the first 15 minutes running up and down five flights of stairs, giving dance notes to the cast. Then I slap on my mic and just a touch of eyeliner, and it's show time.
8pm to 10:30pm: Double duty. Since I'm in the show and also dance captain, I have to use both sides of my brain. Luckily, I'm not in most of the production numbers, so I can take notes from the wings or by watching the monitors backstage. Other times I'm right in the mix of the performance, so I have little scratch pads all over backstage to jot things down after I come off. This cast is pretty good at maintaining themselves. But, like all humans, we get into our habits. At almost the two-year mark, I just have to say, “Remember that note I gave you about the…” and they usually go, “Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, I'll fix it.” And most times they do. I do have a word of advice to current/future dance captains: If actors are off their mark and you want to get them back on, just tell them they're out of their light. They'll get back into place in a New York minute.
10:30pm to 12am: Post-show. Having a partner who's on the opposite schedule is rough on a relationship, so I try my best to get home soon after the show. I also have a few extracurricular activities, like Broadway Bares. For the past three years, I've been associate director for the event. Director Denis Jones and I start brainstorming concepts around September. It's important for me to maintain a creative outlet outside the show.
So that's my day. It's crazy like this on Thursdays, Fridays and sometimes Tuesdays, plus two shows on Wednesday and Saturday. But there are a few things that keep me buoyed up—not least of all being a part of such a fabulous ensemble in a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. See you at the August Wilson Theatre.
