Arts & Entertainment

Crewe club

Gay actor plays fey in long-running ‘Jersey Boys’

Published

14 years ago

November 17, 2011

Jonathan Hadley as Bob Crewe in ‘Jersey Boys.’ He says the long-running show has been a blessing. (Photo by Joan Marcus; courtesy Center Stage Marketing)

‘Jersey Boys’
Through Jan. 7
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
$36.50-$151.50
800-447-7400
nationaltheatre.org

After four years playing in the Tony Award-winning musical “Jersey Boys,” gay actor Jonathan Hadley shows no sign of slowing down.

“My entrance line is, ‘Watch your mouth Toto, you’re not in Newark anymore.’ How great is that?”

Based on audience reaction, it’s pretty great and so is Hadley’s performance as Bob Crewe the flamboyant manager of the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Hadley’s is a showy supporting part in a terrific production that follows the professional and personal fortunes of the group’s members over four decades (approximately1963-2003). A little limp-wristed and plenty camp, the Crewe character is an integral part of the dream machine that catapults four streetwise Italians boys from New Jersey to the stratosphere with songs like “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man” and “Stay.”

“Today we’d identify Bob Crewe as a gay man,” Hadley says. “He dated women but he had boyfriends. What’s extraordinary to me is that these tough straight guys totally click with this sort of Paul Lynde type. They accept him for who he is — a talented and brilliant producer, manager and lyricist.”

Without Crewe, there would not be the mega-success and long careers. In addition to managing the group, Crewe wrote great lyrics, Hadley says. For instance, late one night while admiring his sleeping boyfriend, he jotted down a little something titled “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” The song was a huge hit, arguably one of the biggest pop songs ever and unbeknownst to most, it’s basically a gay love song.

Hadley first played Crewe on Broadway, then in Vegas, and for three-and-a-half years he’s been on the road with the national tour.

“It an adjustment. At times [the cast] feels like carnies. But for me it’s been really interesting not only exploring the country but observing how the show plays in different regions. In the Northeast where there are a lot of Italian Americans, audiences totally get the humor. In the South, they sometimes get upset with the language — we’ve had to modify the script in some places. In the Midwest, they respond to the music. They were wild in Omaha. Wherever we are audiences always leap to their feet to applaud at the end.”

He says the music is a guaranteed pick me up.

“Touring can get tiring, but once you’re onstage and the music starts, you get on that train and ride for two-and-a-half hours. Also, it’s easier to remain engaged with ‘Jersey Boys’ because the book is so good. Every night we tell a story about people living their dreams, seeing them fall apart and putting them back together again.”

Hadley has no plans to give up the role anytime soon. On tour breaks back home in New York City, Hadley sometimes stops by Splash for a drink. Out-of-work actors with an eye on playing Crewe will ask if he’s ready to leave the show. He simply says “Not yet” and buys them a drink.

Growing up in Charlotte, N.C., as part of a theatrical family — more academic (instructors and heads of drama departments) than show biz — Hadley began acting in plays as a child. He did a lot of community theater before studying classically at North Carolina School of the Arts. After graduating, Hadley headed to Broadway and began working right away.

His first job was “Into the Woods,” the famous Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical.

“I thought, ‘Hey, I can get used to this, and I’ve been doing the New York thing ever since,” he says.

Although Hadley has never met Crewe in person (they’ve exchanged e-mails), he has studied his voice, photos and quotes.

“Crewe started out as a model in L.A., and despite wanting to become a star, he ended up behind the scenes,” Hadley says. “I’ve heard that he’s very pleased with ‘Jersey Boys’ because he’s finally a star. And I like that I play a part in that.”

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FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Theater

‘Inherit the Wind’ isn’t about science vs. religion, but the right to think

Holly Twyford on new role and importance of listening to different opinions

Published

18 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Patrick Folliard

Holly Twyford

‘Inherit the Wind’
Through April 5
Arena Stage
1101 Sixth St., S.W.
Tickets start at $73
Arenastage.org

When “Inherit the Wind” premiered on Broadway in 1955 with a cast of 50, its fictional setting of Hillsboro, an obscure country town described as the buckle on the Bible Belt, was filled with townspeople. And now at Arena Stage, director Ryan Guzzo Purcell has somehow crowded Arena’s large Fichandler space with just 10 actors, five principals and a delightful ensemble of five playing multiple roles.

Inspired by the real-life Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925, Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s fictionalized work pits intellectual freedom against McCarthyism via the imagined trial of Bertram Cates (Noah Plomgren), a Tennessee educator charged with teaching evolution. Drawn into the fracas are big shot lawyers, defense attorney Henry Drummond (Billy Eugene Jones), and conservative prosecutor, Matthew Harrison Brady (Dakin Matthew). On hand to cover the closely watched story is wisecracking city slicker and Baltimore reporter E.K. Horneck (played by nonbinary actor Alyssa Keegan).

Out actor Holly Twyford, a four-time Helen Hayes Award winner who has appeared in more than 80 Washington area plays, is part of the ensemble. In jeans and boots, she memorably plays Meeker, the bailiff at the Hillsboro courthouse and the jailer responsible for holding Cates in the days leading to his trial.

Twyford also plays Sillers, a slack jawed earnest employee at the local feed store who’s called to serve on the jury. And more importantly she plays Brady’s quietly strong wife Sarah whom he affectionately calls “Mother.”

When Twyford makes her memorable first entrance as Meeker, she’s wiping shaving cream from her face with a hand towel. With shades of Mayberry R.F.D., the jail is run casually. Meeker says Cates isn’t the criminal type, and he’s not.

“There’s a joke among actors,” says Twyford. “When an actor gets his shoes, they know who their character is. And it’s sort of true. When you put on boots, heels, or flip flops, there’s a different feeling, and you walk differently.”

Similarly, shares Twyford, it goes for clothes too: “When Mother slips a pink coat dress over her cowboy boots, dons a little hat and ties her scarf, or Meeker puts on his work shirt, I know where I am. And all of that is thanks to a remarkable wardrobe crew.

“Additionally, some of the ensemble characters are played broadly which is helpful to the actors and super identifying for the audience too.”

During intermission, an audience member loudly described the production as “a proper play” filled with beautifully written passages. And it’s true. Twyford agrees, adding “That’s all true, and it’s also been was fun for us to be a part of the Arena legacy as well. Arena took ‘Inherit the Wind’ to the Soviet Union in the early ‘70s when the respective governments did a cultural exchange. At the time, the iron curtain was very much in place, and they traveled with a play about a man with his own thoughts.”

When the ensemble was cast, actors didn’t know which tracts exactly they were going to play. “What came together was a cast, diverse in different ways. Some directors, including myself when I direct, are interested in assembling a cast that’s a good group. No time for egos. It’s more about who will make the best group to help me tell this story.”

At one point during rehearsal, ensemble members began to help one another with minor onstage costume changes, like jackets and hats: “We just started doing it and Ryan [Guzzo Purcell] picked up on it, saying things really began to come alive when we helped each other, so we went with that.”

“For me, it was reminiscent of ‘The Laramie Project’ [Ford’s Theatre in 2013] when we played five different parts and we’d help each other with a vest or jacket in a similar way. It worked so well then too,” says Twyford.

“Inherit the Wind” isn’t about science versus religion. It’s about the right to think, playwright Jerome Lawrrence has been quoted as saying. And it’s a quote that makes the play that much more relevant today.

Twford remembers a chat in a hair salon: “I was getting my hair cut and the woman next to me shared that she was tired of message plays. Understandably there are theater makers who believe that message plays are the point, while others think it’s all about entertainment. I feel like ‘Inherit the Wind’ sits in a nice place in the middle.”

She adds “the work is a creative way of showing different opinions and that, I think, is what we should be paying attention to right now. Clearly, it’s not right or wrong to express what you think.”

Out & About

‘How We Survived’ panel set for March 25

‘Living History’ discussion to be held at Spark Social

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Local activist Earline Budd will serve on a panel discussion titled, ‘Part One, Living History: How We Survived.’ (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

Friends of Dorothy Cafe will host “Part One, Living History: How We Survived,” will take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Spark Social House.

This event will be moderated by Abby Stuckrath, host of the “Queering the District” podcast. Panelists include: Earline Budd, activist, trans rights advocate; TJ Flavell of Go Gay DC; DC LGBTQ+ Center Board Member David Bissette; and Alexa Rodriguez, founder and executive director, Trans-Latinx DMV.

This event is part of a four-part storytelling series called “Living History,” which centers LGBTQ elders, activists, artists, and icons sharing their lived experiences and reflections with younger generations. The conversations explore themes like resilience, community organizing, chosen family, and the lessons earlier generations hope today’s LGBTQ+ and ally communities will carry forward.

Calendar

Calendar: March 21-26

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Saturday, March 21

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Sunday, March 22

LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, March 23

Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

Queer Book Club will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The Queer Book Club meets on the fourth Monday of the month to discuss queer books by queer authors. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Tuesday, March 24

Coming Out Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a safe space to share experiences about coming out and discuss topics as it relates to doing so — by sharing struggles and victories the group allows those newly coming out and who have been out for a while to learn from others. For more details, visit the group’s Facebook.

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit www.genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.

Wednesday, March 25

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.thedccenter.org/careers.

Thursday, March 26

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breath work and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.