R. Mark Desjardins
11-09-2013, 03:51 PM
7478George Solomon, who we are familiar with because of his connection to Hip-o Select, is currently touring in a four-person revue, "Oh What A Night! A Musical Tribute To Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons." This revue, launched in Las Vegas in 2008, has been touring ever since, often with multiple productions on the road simultaneously.
Solomon himself will be working as a "Valli boy" himself when his show plays at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada this coming Wednesday. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, he pointed out that he decided to avoid attempting a biopic like Jersey Boys, and to steer clear of impersonations. The show features a lot of comedy and is completely family-freindly.
During the course of the interview with reporter Mark Leiren-Young, Solomon reflects on his first meeting with Berry Gordy, when the Motown label owner and Sammy Davis Jr. attended another one of his stage shows. "I would have been happy to walk Berry Gordy's dog," Solomon said with a laugh. He also recalled "Smokey was cutting an album, so at all the rehearsals all the people who were doing duets with him I would sing with them. So I got to do duets with Smokey, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Boy George, Ray Charles and Linda Ronstadt."
"I thought Diana Ross was magnificent. You hear diva stories, but I just found her to be very hard-working and very warm." One of the only big stars Solomon hasn't met - yet - is Valli, who is now 79 years old.
For those not able to attend this Canadian performance, Solomon has other stops planned for the U.S. Midwest.
Solomon himself will be working as a "Valli boy" himself when his show plays at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada this coming Wednesday. In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, he pointed out that he decided to avoid attempting a biopic like Jersey Boys, and to steer clear of impersonations. The show features a lot of comedy and is completely family-freindly.
During the course of the interview with reporter Mark Leiren-Young, Solomon reflects on his first meeting with Berry Gordy, when the Motown label owner and Sammy Davis Jr. attended another one of his stage shows. "I would have been happy to walk Berry Gordy's dog," Solomon said with a laugh. He also recalled "Smokey was cutting an album, so at all the rehearsals all the people who were doing duets with him I would sing with them. So I got to do duets with Smokey, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Boy George, Ray Charles and Linda Ronstadt."
"I thought Diana Ross was magnificent. You hear diva stories, but I just found her to be very hard-working and very warm." One of the only big stars Solomon hasn't met - yet - is Valli, who is now 79 years old.
For those not able to attend this Canadian performance, Solomon has other stops planned for the U.S. Midwest.