Daniel Reichard, Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and Michael Longoria - the quartet of remarkable performers known collectively as The Midtown Men - are perhaps best known for their musical evocations of the best guy groups of the 1950s and 1960s, thanks to their previous starmaking turns in Broadway's Jersey Boys and their current concert tour, bringing their special brand of repartee, music and friendship to audiences all over North America. So, it might come as a surprise to their legions of fans that next up on the set list will be their "interpretation," if you will, of the very best of the girl groups.
Girl groups? Seriously? You bet, says Daniel Reichard, the charming, talented and multi-faceted actor/singer who originated the role of Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys and this week found time in his fast-paced schedule to talk about The Midtown Men's amazing success and their upcoming performances at several mid-South venues, including Huntingdon's Dixie Carter Performing Arts Center (on Saturday, August 27) and at the Bologna Performing Arts Center in Cleveland, Mississippi (on Sunday, August 28), both of which follow a three-show stand in Fayetteville, Arkansas, this weekend.
"Right now, we're piecing together a girl medley...we were listening to music and got to thinking 'wouldn't it be fun if the Midtown Men did a medley of great girl songs?'" Reichard explains. "What if we do a girl group medley and do it in the style we do everything else? So, piece-by-piece we're putting together a medley."
If it's anything at all like the response The Midtown Men get to other songs in their act, you can rest assured audiences will be on their feet at the conclusion of said medley. The Midtown Men's popularity with audiences across the United States and Canada has made them sought-after headliners at casinos, concert halls and state fairs.
Reichard, who made his New York City debut in Forbidden Broadway after completing his studies at the University of Michigan, is perhaps best known for his portrayal of chief songwriter, original Four Seasons and Nashville resident Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys, a role he originated both on Broadway and in the La Jolla Playhouse premiere. He followed Jersey Boys with a critically acclaimed performance as Candide in Leonard Bernstein's Candide at the New York City Opera.
Reichard's signature style and notable talent (the guy's got the goods and knows how to deliver a song, there's no doubt about that) paved the way to starring roles in New York, including artist and social activist Keith Haring in Radiant Baby; Man in The Thing About Men, whose cast album he also appears on; and Emmet in the world premiere of the musical version of Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas at the Goodspeed Opera House.
As a concert singer, Reichard has headlined sold-out engagements at New York City's Joe's Pub, Metropolitan Room and Ars Nova, with other concert appearances that include Symphony Space, The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, BB Kings, Town Hall, Firebird and the Cutting Room, as well as appearances with the Arkansas and Grand Rapids Symphonies. He also starred as Frankie in the 2009 film version of the Forever Plaid.
So, how did these four superbly talented, yet highly individualistic (Reichard's idol growing up was - and probably still remains - Steve Martin), men develop The Midtown Men into a touring concert act and, perhaps more intriguingly, how do they work together to create a show? These are the questions enquiring minds want to know - well, to start with, at least...
