On November 6th 2005, the 1987 Central York High School graduate introduced himself to Broadway as one of the lead actors in "Jersey Boys," a musical production about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.  Spencer plays Nick Massi, the Four Season's bass vocalist who left the band in 1965.

Spencer calls this role, this play and this hectic Broadway lifestyle the peak of his career -- a career that has more miles on it than the cross-country footprints his family left before they moved to York.

Spencer's passion for the performing arts wasn't inspired by Broadway legends such as Nathan Lane or Neil Simon.  Rather, it was the epic drum soloing of progressive rock band Rush.

"'Tom Sawyer' came on the radio and when that drum solo hit, I was like, 'Wow,'" Spencer said.  "The song was being played the whole day, and I said, 'Mom I wanna play drums.' I guarantee you I wouldn't be on the path I'm on today if it wasn't for my parents  [buying me a drum kit]."

At Central High, Spencer acted in several productions and participated in band and chorus.  Mark Zortman, director of the performing arts department at Central York School District, said Spencer's singing, acting and charisma made him a well-rounded performer.

"Talent wise, he was impressive," Zortman said.

At Shenandoah Conservatory, a music-focused branch of Shenandoah University in Virginia, Spencer said his band had a decent shot at being signed, but the band fizzled with the expected pressures of going national.

"Long story short, we had huge interest, but some guys got cold feet," Spencer said, citing his band's breakup as the moment he decided to take the reins to his future.  "I can't live the rest of my life having other people make decisions for me."

In late 1993, he cut his hair, shaved his beard, and began singing and dancing for cruise ships to save money for his Broadway aspirations.  A year later, he was in New York, auditioning for every play he could when not waiting tables.  He waited in the cold outside studio doors and gave resumes and photos to everyone in the theater business to get his name out.

After three months of rejections, Spencer landed the role of Rum Tum Tugger in an off-Broadway production of "Cats."  The gig spent a year and a half on the road, and when he returned to New York, he got his first Broadway part in "Side Show," a short-lived 1997 musical about Siamese twins' shot at stage fame.

In the next eight years, Spencer didn't have a place to call home.  He spent time in L.A. writing and producing independent short and feature movies, wrote and recorded music, and acted in touring musicals such as "Tommy," "Finian's Rainbow" and "Heartland."

In early 2005, Spencer heard of "Jersey Boys" through his agent.  He auditioned for the role of Tommy DeVito but landed the role of Massi.  The musical's producers test drove the production for three months at the La Jolla Playhouse, a 500-seat theater a few miles north of San Diego.

Its success brought it back to New York, where it debuted at the August Wilson Theater.

"It's been a ride of patience and persistence.  Every time I got a gig, it was because of persistence, persistence, persistence," Spencer said. "I always knew in all the years of struggling, there is no way that God would dangle a carrot in front of my face my entire life."

Spence described "Jersey Boys" as VH1's "Behind the Music" on stage.  In addition to highlighting the Four Seasons' string of hits, the musical chronicles each members' demons: gambling debts, Mafia ties, time in the slammer and alcohol problems to name a few.

"It's such a deep, dark story.  My character was in and out of jail 16 years of his life," Spencer said.  "All four of us tell out side of the story set to a different season of the year."

Before its official opening, "Jersey Boys" rehearsed six days a week for a month in front of live crowds to work out the kinks/

"Every night, great laughs and great applause," he said.  "Before the lights go out, you can see people shoot out of their seats.  It's going to run as long as 'Cats' and 'Les Miserables,'" Spencer said.  "I'm serious."

(Text by Mike Caggeso for the York Daily Record)