Jersey Boys, the Broadway hit about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, will come to Victoria for the first time in May and June for an eight-show run at the Royal Theatre.
The 2005 musical wrapped its critically acclaimed Broadway run in 2017, yet continues to be a popular touring production. Jersey Boys will be taken off the road for good in July, however, which means the dates in Victoria will be the only opportunities for local audiences to see the story of singers Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi on stage.
鈥淭his is the full, fleshed-out show,鈥� said producer Henry Kolenko of Broadway in Victoria. 鈥淭his is not a tribute group. This is the Broadway production with a cast of 20 and live band on stage.鈥�
Jersey Boys will open May 28 and play through June 2. Tickets go on sale onMarch 15 at 10 a.m. through the Royal Theatre box office. The shows are expected to draw huge crowds, given the enduring appeal of Valli and Co., who were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
The band鈥檚 hits include Rag Doll, Big Girls Don鈥檛 Cry, Walk Like a Man and December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).
鈥淭hese four guys had 175 million records sold before they turned 30 and several No. 1 hits,鈥� Kolenko said.
鈥淏ut I think a lot of people don鈥檛 realize the complicated storylines of their lives, and how they found a way out of a life of being down and out in New Jersey. It鈥檚 just a fantastic story.鈥�
The touring version of Jersey Boys is based on the Broadway original, with a book by Marshall Brickman (an Oscar winner for co-writing Annie Hall) and Rick Elice. The writing, which earned a Tony Award nomination, is a big part of the appeal.
Jersey Boys was one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history, and won four Tony Awards in 2006, including Best Musical. Brickman and Elice also co-wrote the screenplay to the 2014 Clint Eastwood film of the same name.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just the music, although that is a very significant part of the show,鈥� Kolenko said. 鈥淧eople will enjoy hearing how the music played a role in the lives of these four incredible guys.鈥�
Kolenko has brought a range of Broadway productions and jukebox musicals to Victoria in recent years, including Mamma Mia!, Stomp, Chicago and The King and I. He is currently in New York scouting future shows. Among the people he met this week was Des McAnuff, the original director of Jersey Boys, who is currently at the helm of Ain鈥檛 Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.
For more information on the production, visit JerseyBoysTour.com or BroadwayInVictoria.com.
