‘The Rascals’ Close on Broadway May 5, National Tour Hits May 24

“The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream” will close its Broadway run this Sunday, but will waste no time before embarking on a national tour next month.

The show, which is presented by E Street Band member and “The Sopranos” star Steven Van Zandt, honors Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members The Rascals, which also recorded as the Young Rascals. The group had a string of pop hits between 1966 and 1969. The Broadway show and subsequent touring production is something of a unique theater experience.

“Neither a jukebox musical nor a straightforward concert along the lines of last fall’s ‘Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons on Broadway,’ ‘Dream’ shifts from live performances to video clips, shown on a single large screen behind the band,” is how USA Today described the musical.

The tour will kick off with an engagement May 24-27 in Hollywood, Fla., and will run at least through a July 6 date at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, N.J. Other dates are expected to be announced soon.

Here’s the official billing of the musical:

A hybrid of a rock ‘n’ roll concert and a Broadway show, “The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream” marks the first time The Rascals, America’s classic blue-eyed soul band, have played together since 1970. Original band members Felix Cavaliere (keyboard & vocals), Eddie Brigati (vocals), Dino Danelli (drums) and Gene Cornish (guitar) will present a complete concert performance including songs that captured the spirit of America in the 1960s — their smash hits “Good Lovin’,” “Lonely Too Long,” “It’s a Beautiful Morning,” “How Can I Be Sure and “Groovin’.” The production will also feature the history of the iconic group told through archival footage, narration, and dramatic film segments viewed on the latest LED screen technology.

The production had one preview at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on April 15 with the official opening coming the following night. The show is produced by Steven Van Zandt and Maureen Van Zandt, and the former also directed the production along with Marc Brickman.