May 29, 2007

Jersey Boys–A Very Emotional Ride!

May 29th, 2007

Paul Hodgins of The Orange County Register spoke to director Des McAnuff and pop icon Frankie Valli about why Jersey Boys is a hit. This blockbuster is a straightforward bio-play about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with the blessing of Valli and the group’s songwriting genius, Bob Gaudio, it’s been an audience pleaser since opening night.

Jersey Boys went on to wow Broadway in 2005 and win four Tony Awards. Nearly three years after its creation, the show is in the news again. A national tour kicks off this week at the Ahmanson Theatre, and it will make its Las Vegas debut early next year at a brand new casino, the Palazzo.

Here’s a preview of what Valli and McAnuff had to say:

Valli, though, had no idea how big the show would be. “I could see that this was a first-rate team and that everybody was enthusiastic. But I’m still amazed that it’s done so well. It’s unbelievable.”

“What really surprises people is the sheer power of the story,” McAnuff said. “It’s a very emotional ride.”

Though Valli was surprised by the success of Jersey Boys, he has a theory about why it struck such a chord:

We were always a blue-collar group. All of our songs had the same messages: ‘Go away, I’m no good for you, I’m not the right guy, I’m from the wrong side of the tracks.’ I think a lot of people feel that way. They see themselves in our songs. They can relate.

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