He plays a dual role in Jersey Boys, the award-winning Broadway musical now captivating Cape Town audiences after a string of electrifying performances in Singapore and Johannesburg. Having auditioned first for a part, and winning the role of lyricist Bob Crewe, Duane was also offered that of resident choreographer. "I've been very privileged to work on some great shows - like Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Rent, Cats and Jesus Christ Superstar - but nothing quite as cleverly constructed as Jersey Boys. It's got so much integrity, so much heart," said Duane.
He said that this show, featuring an all-South African cast, is of the same standard you'll see abroad, and some well-travelled fans say it's even better. (After seeing the opening night, I'll second that!) This is the ninth production in the Jersey Boys history and for SA producer Hazel Feldman to get the green light from the directors to stage it on a local cast, it had to be no less than perfect. It meant sending a New York casting director to find the right people and two-time Tony Award winner and Jersey Boys Broadway director Des McAnuff trained them with an international, New York-based global Jersey Boys creative team.
The true story of the rise and fall of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, who together sold 175 million records before they were 30, is relatively unknown. But Valli said that their story would have had no value if they weren't prepared to "go out there and lay it on the line". They had to make the tough decision of how much of their lives they were prepared to expose.
Grant Almirall (and Jaco van Rensburg as alternate) as Frankie Valli, Daniel Buys as Tommy DeVito, Kenneth Meyer as Bob Gaudio and Emmanuel Castis as Nick Massi produce an unforgettable performance, in a production that cannot be faulted.
As resident choreographer, Duane's responsibility is to monitor and maintain the precise execution of the movements specified by Canadian associate choreographer Danny Austin. The results are clear. Meticulous attention to detail underpins the production's success - technically and creatively. In addition to performing eight shows a week, there are also three rehearsals a week to ensure that people are doing "the right thing at the right time with the right intention" and, of course, the understudies have to be rehearsed too. "We spent six or seven weeks in the studio refining, fixing, cleaning and tweaking everything from the spacing to the way it looks. It has to be perfect," said Duane.
Original choreographer Sergio Trujillo talks about the challenge he faced when devising steps that worked for the group - because in all the footage he saw, they barely moved at all. In another interview he describes his job as not just creating traditional choreography, but also working out the characters' entrances and exits, and how to move the stage furniture around for scene changes. He's quoted as saying: "There may not be a great deal of what people think of as 'dancing' in Jersey Boys, but it is a very completely, very tightly choreographed show."
The role of Bob Crewe is one of the few roles in the show that can be played in conjunction with being resident choreographer. "It's a great role," said Duane. "Next to Mark Cohen in Rent, this has been my most featured role. It's something I relish, being primarily an acting role and a comic one at that. The writing is so good - I literally deliver the lines as they've been written and as I've been directed, and I get the desired response."
As for the hits like Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like A Man, Beggin', Oh What A Night or Who Loves You?, Duane rightly affirms that they're part of our collective consciousness. Valli's solo hit, which Crewe and Gaudio wrote and Crewe produced, Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, became this century's fifth-most-played song.
He said: "I don't think you leave the theatre not feeling fulfilled in some way. You come in maybe remembering the songs, but you leave remembering the story. It's so compelling, so well written and so well performed."
Bookings are through Computicket. Call 0861 915 8000, go to www.computicket.com or your nearest Computicket outlet, or call Artscape Dial-A-Seat on +27 (0)21 421 7695. Shows are Tuesday to Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 6pm. Prices range from R100 to R390. Ask about discounts for scholars, students, group bookings and senior citizens. The show is not recommended for children under 12.
