Six days a week, he graces the Toronto Centre for the Arts’ stage, singing his heart out in the hit musical Jersey Boys. “I’m just pouring everything I’ve got into making this show last as long as it can, because it’s a dream job,” says singer and actor Jeff Madden, who plays the show’s lead, Frankie Valli.
But the multi-talented performer, who’s also a company member of the Shaw Festival, counts on his 11-year-old Acura Integra to get him from his Oakville home to the North York theatre on time each day.
“It’s a sleek and sophisticated little car,” he says of the two-door vehicle he bought in 2001 when he was a 25-year-old bachelor.
Although he’s now a married father of two young girls, and knows he should trade the Acura in for a family-friendly sedan, like the Acura TL, he can’t bear to part with his coupe. “It’s really flexible,” he says. “As an actor, you have to move around a lot. I could load it up with a ton of stuff and drive wherever I needed to go for work.”
There’s also the nostalgia of past road trips taken in the four-cylinder Acura. “I drove out to Kentucky a while ago to do some research on a play I was doing,” he recalls. “That was pretty wild. We went down in December just before Christmas and as soon as we crossed into the Kentucky border, it started snowing. It was beautiful but crazy because it’s so hilly.”
Although it’s not the most appropriate family car, the Acura serves Madden well on his daily commute. After leaving home each day at 5:45 p.m., he turns on his radio, warms up and sings along during his hour-long ride to the theatre. “The show is so challenging to sing,” he admits. “I’ve got to really take care of my voice.”
– Heather Buchan is a Toronto-based journalist whohas worked at several magazines, including Hello! Canada, where she cut her teeth in the world of celebrities.
