Lead Roles
Johnnie
A late teen transition to young adult cross between an Asher Angel and Liam Woodrum persona. He is a prodigy guitarist who is always testing the limits of his musicianship, which goes far beyond the older musicians performing in bands on the Jersey shore. He turns to his music to handle the inner grief he is feeling from the recent loss of his mother to cancer. An emotional tug of war takes its toll on Johnnie, and he allows his ego to affect the best thing that ever happened to him. In time, Johnnie finds inspiration from his evolving relationship with his childhood friend and next-door neighbor Nicole. His relationship with Nicole is a double-edged sword that challenges the camaraderie between his bandmates, who can see that Johnnie’s musical aspirations are becoming conflicted by his growing affection for Nicole.
NICOLE
A late teen transition to young adult cross between Joey King and Billie Eilish. She is the loyal and life long, next door neighbor of Johnnie, and even though she has a naturally attractive unique Irish American appearance she lacks confidence and self-esteem in her own perception of herself. There is a musically creative side to Nicole that she hides deep inside of herself that Johnnie knows is there and pushes her to share and release. She has taught herself how to play the guitar and enjoys writing her own personal songs that she is initially reluctant to share with Johnnie. As Johnnie’s band becomes more successful, she fears he will move on and leave her behind, like her father. Near the end, she becomes pregnant and has a serious falling out with Johnnie, who, blinded by his own aspirations, tells her to end the pregnancy.
SUPPORTING ROLES
SAMMY
Forty something cross between Mark Ruffalo and James McAvoy. A veteran music industry manager looking for his next, possibly last, shot at connecting himself to an emerging original band he can catapult to stardom. He is a twice divorced, recovering alcoholic, who never had a family of his own and spent the better part of the last twenty years of his life on the road. He also has a hidden temper connected to his all- business character that he can turn on and off like a switch, yelling, one minute, and then talking softly the next.
TOMMY
A late teen transition to young adult Brady Noon persona. He is a very confident, often cocky, prodigy keyboardist, who never runs out of positive energy. He started playing classical piano at the age of five and was doing recitals by ten. He is a higher IQ student, who skipped a grade, which has led to his having a slight complex about looking younger than everyone else in his grade. He is a tried-and-true friend to Johnnie. He is often able to talk his way out of any potential physical confrontation using his quick and natural wit.
Dave
A twenty something young adult and older brother to Danny with a Paul Mescal persona. Dave has been a drummer in bar bands for years, before hooking up with Tommy and Johnnie at a kegger party. He has a much leaner physique than the rest of the band that is complimented by tattoos, as well as a Tom Sellech-style Chevon Mustache. He is 100% sex, drugs, and Rock’n’Roll personified with an appetite for partying. Dave projects a “life in the fast lane” mystique with a “no retreat no surrender” approach to making something of his life.
Danny
A twenty something young adult and one-year younger brother to Dave. He is an accomplished self-taught bass player. He has a similar stature to his brother, although, unlike his brother, he is always clean shaven. He also is all about sex, drugs and Rock’n’Roll with an appetite for partying that is second only to his brother, who he looks up to as the patriarch in his life. He is a lady’s man and also projects a “life in the fast lane” mystique with a “no retreat no surrender” approach to making the most of his bachelor life.
Bobby
A flamboyant cross between Mick Jagger and David Bowie who has ambitions to use his lead singer frontman persona to launch a Hollywood acting career. He is a great singer with a serious vocal range who is often wrapping scarfs or towels around his neck to protect his throat. Although, he initially plays a lady’s man role, it is all for show and he confesses that it has all been an act, as he is gay and his closest long-time friend is really his lover and companion behind closed doors. Eventually, he leaves the band and heads West to pursue an acting career.
DJ
Another late teen transition to young adult who is a very knowledgeable sound & lighting geek that works during the day at the music store while moonlighting as a sound man for local bands. He has witnessed the transformation of both Tommy and Johnnie who had been hanging out in the music store for years. DJ plays a major supporting role in the band’s success by delivering a highly
professional and visual stage show for them. His dream is to start a national sound and lighting touring company that would contract their services with major label artists.
Joanne
An eighteen-year-old transition to young adult cross between Millie Bobby Brown and Mckenna Grace. She assumes roll of family matriarch after the passing of her mother from cancer and develops a closer bond to her younger brother Johnnie. She is musically inclined by way of playing piano. Her character evolves from an attractive, confident, mature for her age, High School senior to a fashion-conscious young adult in college who knows how to play the dating game in her entertaining quest for finding her continually changing version of Mr. Right. Ironically, she is a life-long best friend of Johnnie’s girlfriend’s older sister, Nicole, who lives next door. In the final episode, we see Joanne and her friend Colleen as mid forty-something parents who maintained a long-distance relationship over the last twenty plus years.
Colleen
An eighteen-year-old transition to young adult cross between Joey King and Sadie Sink. She has a naturally attractive Irish American appearance. She exudes self confidence and can be very spontaneous in taking control of almost any situation. Like her mother and younger sister, her working life is tied to waitressing at a diner, where she eventually meets her “knight in shining armor”, who is a young college graduate working on Wall Street. Her character is constantly giving her sister advice about just being friends and not getting into a serious relationship because she is so young and has a whole life to find someone. In the final episode, a twenty plus year reunion between Joanne and Colleen reveals a secret Colleen kept from Joanne to protect her sister.
Joey
A twenty-nine-year-old with a Joe Manganiello-sized persona who is a Vietnam veteran and still living at home with his mother. He is as rough and tough as they come and transitions from his uninspiring construction job to a soldier and union rep for his notorious uncle Vincenzo “Vinny” Valzone, who’s a Capo in a crime family, responsible for handling all the Jersey Shore turf. Joey has a classic Italian mother to son relationship with all the stereotypes wrapped together.
Abbey
Tommy’s fantasy high school wanna-be girlfriend who was valedictorian of their class and voted most likely to succeed. She has a combination of good looks and the brains to match with a very down-to-earth personality. She adds some smart dialogue to her scenes that always introduces much-needed humor to Tommy’s serious approach to running the band. When home from college Abbey works for her father, who owns a local hardware store in Red Bank. Abbey has learned a lot about common household repairs.
RECURRING ROLES
SUSAN (JOEY’S GIRLFRIEND/WIFE)
MRS. C (NICOLE & FRANNY’S MOTHER)
JIMMY VALZANO (JOHNNIE & JOANNE’S FATHER)
VINCENZO “VINNY” VALZANO (JOHNNIE & JOANNE’S UNCLE)