Real Jersey Boy Frankie Valli Brings Show to Broadway
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“Jersey Boys” is still a hit on Broadway, but soon it will see some competition from its own inspiration.
Capitalizing on the renewed attention the musical has brought to his music with the Four Seasons, the real Frankie Valli will make his Broadway debut in October.
Valli will perform seven concerts with the Four Seasons from October 19 through October 27 at the Broadway Theatre. The 78-year-old will be performing songs from throughout the group’s career, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Oh, What a Night” and more. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the band.
“I’ve performed around the world in every size theater imaginable, but it has always been my dream to play Broadway,” Valli said in a statement.
“Jersey Boys” tells the unlikely story of the Four Season rise from a group of blue collars boys from New Jersey to pop stars across the nation. The production features many songs originally performed by the group.
The runaway hit opened on Broadway in November 2005, and was nominated for eight Tony Awards. The production won three of those awards, including Best Musical. A London version of the show won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and numerous touring versions have been launched around the world.
In other “Jersey Boys” news, it was announced just a week ago that actor, writer and director Jon Favreau has signed on to direct an upcoming film adaptation of the musical. Filming is not scheduled to start until next year, and it will likely premiere sometime in 2014.
The screenplay for the film adaptation is written by John Logan, known for writing “Gladiator,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Hugo.” He also won a Tony Award for his play “Red,” which is about visual artist Mark Rothko.