(Reuters) – One Direction, who? The Wanted, what? Their music is kids’ stuff. As a new wave of boy bands floods the market, there is one quartet winning fans with a modern twist on a retro sound they call “Amercan Radio Songbook.”

Under The Streetlamp steers clear of top 40 songs in favor of classic Motown hits, good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll, doo-wop and a Beatles tune or pop number thrown in for fun.

Its members, Michael Cunio, Shonn Wiley, Michael Ingersoll and Christopher Kale Jones, are all veterans of the stage, having starred in various productions of Broadway hit “Jersey Boys,” a musical history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

“We’re a ‘man band,’” Cunio told Reuters, with a laugh, drawing a contrast between pop sensations like One Direction and The Wanted with their screaming teenage fans and Under the Streetlamp, which relishes in bringing new life to classic hits.

“The generation that came before us grew up listening to this music and passed it along to us, and now we are stewards of this music to the next generation,” said Cunio.

The group, which launches its new U.S. tour in Los Angeles on May 1 with more than 25 stops before finishing in Indiana on July 14, came together in 2010 in Chicago.

They only recently broke onto the national stage with a live, hour-long TV concert that aired on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in March, and while they know it may be difficult to reach the top of today’s digital download charts, they still see an importance to their music that boy bands can’t match.

“We had already been doing music by (R&B great) Etta James and (The Monkees) Davy Jones and as we lose some of these icons, it’s even more of a privilege to carry on their music,” Ingersoll said.

For the members – all in their mid-thirties – the songs they sing stem from their parent’s generation, but that doesn’t keep the men from showing a real attachment to the classic tunes. And while the retro tends to attract older audiences, Under The Streetlamp makes an effort to engage younger generations in theater and arts programs, often inviting middle school and high school students to sit in on soundchecks.

“With the rise of programs like ‘Glee’ and ‘American Idol,’ it’s actually cool to sing again. And kids want to know, ‘how can I do that, how can I make a living in the arts?’” said Ingersoll. “We really love that dynamic of giving back to kids, and we’ve built an audience with younger people.”

Whatever the age of the audience, the vocal group aims to please and put on a positive show with music and dancing.

“The songs are the excuse for us to … have a good time on stage and hopefully share that experience with the audience,” said Cunio. “If you leave the show and you want to have a beer with us then we’ve done our job.”

“And we would like to have a beer with you, too – especially if it’s on you,” Ingersoll said with a laugh.

(Reporting by Lindsay Claiborn)

Thanks for tuning in to Access Hollywood Live! If you love the music of the American Radio Songbook as much as we do, and want more Under the Streetlamp, get your CD and DVD today! Our music is currently available exclusively through PBS. You can make a difference by making a pledge to your PBS Station today, and receive Under the Streetlamp CDs, DVDs, or Live Concert Tickets as your Thank You Gift!

We stopped by the Reuters Entertainment studio for an interview and mini-performance. Take a look!

“MICHAEL INGERSOLL HELPS LARSON’S 3-CHARACTER PIECE ROAR WITH COMPASSION”

“AS GREAT COMPOSER REMEMBERED, NEW STAR GOES ‘BOOM!’”

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

If you’re like us, you love the world of art and entertainment showcased on PBS’s Great Performances. Friends, we cannot recommend this week’s new episode highly enough! Check your local listings to catch an extraordinary documentary on the making of Tony Bennett’s Duet’s II album. The legendary Mr. Bennett elegantly continues to bring generations together with great music, and there’s no end in sight. He doesn’t believe in retiring. Not if you get to do what you love.

Streetlamp’s own Michael Ingersoll enjoyed the awesome privilege of meeting Tony Bennett just a few years ago. Both gentlemen appeared as musical guests on the 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards. Mr. Bennett, who was honored that night with an Emmy for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his television special Tony Bennett: An American Classic, sang a scintillating duet with Christina Aguilera. And Mr. Ingersoll, who was then playing to sold-out houses in the San Francisco production of Jersey Boys, performed a rocking Four Seasons medley in tribute to those other Jersey boys, HBO’s The Sopranos. Ingersoll was thrilled to be surrounded by the many show-busniess luminaries the ceremony attracts. But perhaps no encounter with an admired icon was more influential than the one with Mr. Bennett.

Prior to the evening’s glitz and glamour, those who will be performing on the live telecast attend an afternoon rehearsal of the show. Michael was waiting quietly in the auditorium while host Ryan Seacrest pre-taped a few transitional segments. Next to take the stage was Tony Bennett. Tony learned that his duet partner Christina Aguilera may or may not be appearing as scheduled, due to her current pregnancy. So he decided to prepare for anything to happen. The consummate professional calmly started working through his music, trying different phrasings and approaches. He stopped and started, right there in front of everyone present, exploring the music.

What amazed Michael about watching him prepare was the enormous since of risk of the performance. If so much was up in the air, why not pre-record something just to be sure? It’s no surprise that big stars lip sync on TV all the time, sometimes by their own insistence and sometimes by that of a producer. The then 80 year old Tony Bennett certainly had nothing to prove to anyone, so why take the risk to sing live?

Michael got his chance to ask Mr. Bennett directly. A few hours later, just before the the start of the show, the performers escaped the scrutiny of the red carpet for the privacy of the “green room” backstage. Surrounded with celebrities, Michael patiently waited his turn to approach Tony, who was then being chatted up by Al Gore. Michael was greeted warmly by the living legend, whose presence was centered and serene. After exchanging pleasantries, Michael asked about the impending performance. Why sing live? Why not take the safe way?  Tony insisted that he never would and never did fake it because he was an artist. He said that if you’re breathing, and in the moment, the audience can tell. They can feel it if you’re present and telling the story of the song. And they can feel it if you’re lying. People don’t want to be lied to. So just give it what you got. Be real. That what makes people happy.

His advice was simple and profound. You can watch both performances from that night right here:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Following the televised Emmy Award ceremony the participants immediately attend dinner at the exclusive Governor’s Ball. Here, in a gorgeous Art Deco banquet hall, stars mingle while their winning statuettes are crammed onto tables with surf and turf. The entertainment for this elegant event is second to none. When the lights hit the stage in the center of the room to reveal the surprise performer, there stood none other than the man of the hour, Mr. Tony Bennett. After working all day through rehearsals, red carpet, and ceremony, the 80 year old wasn’t ready to quit. Tony was gonna give a little private concert. After a collective gasp of disbelief, the wondering crowd erupted into cheers. Then the lucky attendees hushed themselves just as quickly so as not to miss a note. They all knew this was a moment to treasure. Remember the end of the movie Analyze This? When Tony appears in a cameo to romantically serenade the newlywed couple privately on their terrace? It felt like that. Mr. Bennett graced the crowd with three songs, including his signature “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” If you’ve ever seen him live, then you know. It was unforgettable.

Just in case you’d like to enjoy that old favorite now, here’s a classic clip of the classiest guy around. Enjoy!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Get your first look at Under the Streetlamp, America’s hottest new vocal group, coming to you from their very first PBS Special. The quartet delivers the classic hits of the American radio songbook with the irresistible rapport of a modern day Rat Pack. Take and look and you’ll see why retro never sounded so now.

As we near our PBS Broadcast premiere, we’re just bursting with anticipation. And it looks like some of you share our countdown fever! Fans are sounding-off on Ticketmaster and predicting big things for Under the Streetlamp.

Barb 0809 says: “As soon as PBS airs this concert, they will be loved nationwide. These four men are so talented and truly have star quality.”

Nalafan cheers: “These guys have worked so hard to get to where they are and their passion shows on stage! They truly love to have a good time and their music is infectious. They are embarking on the ride of their lives and are bound to live as true rock stars! Before long, they will be a household name!”

And Daisygirl1740 exclaims: “What a great show! Had us rockin’ in our seats! Their voices were beyond amazing & their stage presence was so entertaining! They are very versatile young men who will go very far. Their singing & acting abilities are wonderful. We would definitely see them again & certainly hope they return to our area!!”

We ‘re so grateful for you. Keep smiling, friends!

Read full reviews, or add your own at Ticketmaster!

Drumroll, please… We’ve just finished the post-filming technical production for the PBS special! And here’s the scoop you’ve been waiting for: Album and DVD will be released in February 2012 alongside the launch of the PBS broadcast. National tour info to follow! We wish to shout from the rooftops our sincere gratitude to the magnificent artists who have collaborated with us to create this remarkable televised concert event. Particular praise is owed to Music Director JoAnn Daugherty, Creative Consultant Caitlin Carter, Production Designer Todd Clark, slick sound engineer Steve Rodby, and the video dream team at HMS Media: Matt Hoffman and Scott Silberstein.

(Cool behind the scenes photo by Jeff Cunio.)

Imagine a group of guys who like to sing together so much they can’t resist gathering under a streetlamp in their urban neighborhood to give an impromptu concert. That is the kind of image Michael Ingersoll had in mind when he gathered some of his “Jersey Boys” co-stars and formed his quartet, Under the Streetlamp.

“It’s evocative of the era (1950s and ’60s),” Ingersoll said. “People would be sitting on their porches and stoops because there wasn’t any air conditioning. Doo-wop was an emerging art form, a working class medium. I just liked that image.”

And the image fits Ingersoll and two of his co-stars in the Chicago cast of “Jersey Boys,” who enjoyed harmonizing together so much that they spent their Sunday and Monday nights off performing at fundraisers.

They were forbidden to perform music from the show, so they harmonized on other songs of the era, such as Beach Boys and Rat Pack favorites.

“We realized there’s a lot of enthusiasm out there for this genre, the American songbook,” Ingersoll said. “We began creating a project that would be self-sustaining.”

By the time “Jersey Boys” closed in Chicago in January, Ingersoll had portrayed Nick Massi of The Four Seasons for 1,300 performances. He was working with Shonn Wiley, a native of Adrian, who played Bob Gaudio, and Michael Cunio, who portrayed Tommy DeVito.

“Just because the show closed, we didn’t want to stop singing together,” Ingersoll said. He recruited a fourth member, Christopher Kale Jones, who played Frankie Valli in the national tour of “Jersey Boys.”

The new group has put together a show of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Drifters, The Monkees and other quartets of the era.

“All of our music is written and arranged for us,” Ingersoll said. “We put our own spin on it.”

The show is more of a relaxed concert than a musical revue, he said, with the members teasing each other and talking directly to the audience.

“We take our music seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously,” he said. “We talk about our lives and go with what the audience gives us. Everything is spontaneous.

“It’s best when somebody screws up because it’s for sure the rest of us are going to let him have it.”

Wiley is the band’s choreographer, plotting the synchronized movement that was popular with musical groups of the era as well as a few surprise moves.

“We try to do a few things people don’t expect,” Ingersoll said.

The group recently recorded a concert that will be broadcast nationwide on PBS in February. They plan to release an album and DVD after the broadcast and launch a national tour.

“The audience in Grand Rapids will get a sneak peek,” Ingersoll said.

Michael got in the mood for the holidays a little earlier than usual this year. He was overjoyed to reunite with Jersey Boys friends and family to record vocals for the smashing new holiday collection: Seasons Greetings-A Jersey Boys Christmas. With wonderfully creative arrangements from Music Director Ron Melrose, magnificent vocal performances by Jersey Boys cast members from around the world, and expert leadership from Grammy Winning Producer Bob Gaudio, the album is sure to delight. Michael is filled with gratitude to have worked with these artists. Available now on iTunes and Amazon.

 

No, it’s not the name of the latest Broadway musical.

Under the Streetlamp is a quartet of thirtysomething singer-actors who are making a big splash on the music-theater scene — including the taping of their Aug. 20 concert in Merrillville, Ind., for an upcoming PBS special. Consisting of founder-creator Michael Ingersoll, Michael Cunio, Shonn Wiley and Christopher Kale Jones, the vocal group shares a stage musical history: all have previously starred in “Jersey Boys,” here in Chicago and/or on national tours of the show. You can catch their Rat Pack-style act when they headline the Star Plaza for the aforementioned television special, or via their first DVD/CD release due later this year.

Ingersoll, who cut his acting chops in a slew of Chicago and regional theater productions, spoke to the Sun-Times about the musical group he launched nearly three years ago.

Question: What’s it like to star in your own PBS special?

Michael Ingersoll: Incredible. This is what we’ve been building up to for a few years now — a project that’s solely ours.

Q: You’ve had several incarnations of the show/group the last three years. How did you know this was THE team?

MI: A lot of it had to do with serendipity. Some of the guys I had performed with before had moved on to other projects. Michael [Cunio] and Shonn had been performing with me for about a year in “Jersey Boys.” And Christopher, I performed with him on the first national tour of that show for about a year. We knew we had chemistry with one another. We transitioned from being Broadway actors to being in a band. [Laughs] I guess we went from one incredibly unstable profession to another.

Q: What can folks expect from Under the Streetlamp?

MI: The show is what I would call the American Radio Songbook from the ’40s to the ’60s. But all the songs we do have been specially orchestrated for us, for our voices, for our harmonies. We’re doing songs by the Beatles, the Drifters, the Beach Boys, Etta James, Sam Cooke, Elvis and, of course, the Four Seasons. We take the music very seriously but not ourselves, so there’s this rich, lighthearted banter, very much in the same vein as the Rat Pack.

Q: How difficult is it to sing these classic doo-wop and rock four-part harmonies?

MI: Fortunately, when we met, our jobs centered around our ability to sing that type of music, and now we’ve really developed our own style of harmony. Our goal was to make music that if you heard us on the radio you’d go, “Oh, that’s Under the Streetlamp.”

Q: How do you downplay those who would say it’s just an offshoot of “Jersey Boys”?

MI: We’re very careful to let people know that, yes, we all met during “Jersey Boys,” but please don’t confuse what we’re doing now with that part of our lives. What we do now has nothing to do with “Jersey Boys.” This is not an extension of that. It’s a departure. We haven’t borrowed anything that doesn’t belong to us.

Read the Playbill Press Release.

The importance of community sharing, investing in social good, and conscience capitalism has grown in the last few years with many organizations realizing the value of giving back to their community. Following the recent economic downturn, many entrepreneurs have shifted their thoughts from what is best for “me,” to synergistic business models that work with the community and focus on what is best for “us.” A great example of this forward-thinking outreach is the philanthropic contributions of the new hit show, “Under the Streetlamp.”

Founded by Michael Ingersoll, who starred as Nick Massi of the Four Seasons in “Jersey Boys,” Ingersoll conceived a unique solo concert that was developed in collaboration with a Chicagoland not-for-profit performing arts center. The event grew in demand, selling out dozens of performances to overwhelming response, and Ingersoll’s connection to his warm Chicagoland audiences became the catalyst for an exciting new enterprise. Stories of his success, combined with special guest appearances from his “Jersey Friends” made for an undeniably hot ticket. Soon it became apparent that the next step was to develop a brand new concert that featured all four boys like no one had seen them before, and shortly after the Chicago company of Jersey Boys closed its record breaking run after thrilling over 1.3 million patrons, “Under The Streetlamp” was born.

“Playing Nick Massi has been a life changing experience,” recalls Ingersoll. “The audience was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic…There’s nothing better than being part of something that’s on fire.” Fulfilling the demand of audiences, Ingersoll is thrilled to bring the recent leading cast members of “Jersey Boys” with an elite jazz orchestra comprised of world-class musicians to the Paramount Theatre for his show, “Under the Streetlamp.”

The new show, also starring Michael Cunio, Christopher Kale Jones, and Shonn Wiley, offers audiences the rare opportunity to get to know these four rising stars of stage and screen as they relate hilarious and touching stories of a their lives in show business. “It’s not about flash or sets,” says Ingersoll. “The guys wear their hearts on their sleeves. The irony is that the four of us met playing a band and essentially, became a band.”

The incredible rock and roll show featuring hits by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Drifts also works to creatively join forces with performing arts venues and not-for-profit organizations to raise funds for causes ranging from arts in education to fighting cancer and AIDS. “Having an audience is a privilege,” says Ingersoll. “We use the show as a platform to help the community.”

Ingersoll furthers, “Giving back is every bit as important as the music itself.” “Under the Streetlamp” has definitely been giving back, just recently surpassing the two million dollar mark in raised charitable contributions. They have also partnered with organizations such as the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Community outreach is central to their mission and they are always searching for the next opportunity to help make a difference.

The upcoming performance of “Under the Streetlamp” at the Paramount Theatre on March 19 is partnering with the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry and will raise funding for the organization.