March 1, 2008

Jersey Boys–Icing on the Cake for Valli and Gaudio

March 1st, 2008

There’s terrific press coverage of the arrival of Jersey Boys to the West End! Nick Curtis of the Evening Standard has a highly interesting interview with Frankie Valli, 74, and Bob Gaudio, 66, respectively the voice and the songwriter of the Four Seasons! Valli and Gaudio talk about their tough early days, their successes, their partnership that was founded on a handshake, and more. Here’s a preview:

Frankie was born Francis Castelluccio on 3 May 1934, in the impoverished public housing projects of New Jersey.

He wanted to be a singer from the age of six, after seeing Sinatra, but almost fell into organized crime. “I was doing breaking and entering, attempted burglaries,” he tells me. “Then I got arrested, and when my parents came and got me, they didn’t recognize me, because I had been beaten so badly by the police. It was the first time I had seen my father cry. I made up my mind I had to do something with my life.”

Frankie joined up in 1952 with two other small-time neighbourhood wiseguys, Nick Massi and Tommy De Vito, to form the Variety Trio.

Many years later–Jersey Boys premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in 2004 and is still coining it on Broadway four years on. Not that Frankie and Bob need the money: apart from owning their back catalogue, Frankie still performs and Bob still writes and they still share their earnings. “Jersey Boys has been the icing on the cake,” says Frankie. “A lot of icing,” says Bob. “Very sweet.”

2 Comments »

  1. we were at jersey boys on friday 29/2/08 probably the best show i have ever seen very polished performance all 4 lead characters please bring the show to manchester then i can go every night. we also had 2 friends with us who were not 4 seasons fans and they were gobsmacked bring it on

    john

    Comment by john & christine atherton — March 2, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

  2. Looking for a way to send a note to Bob Guardio. I am a friend of a Marian Buckman who Bob knew back in Dec. 1962 at the Boom Boom Room at the Fontainbleu in Miami. Seems like this was where the song, “Oh What A Night” came from. Coming to see the 2:00 performance on March 15. She certainly would like to say hello and give hime her good wishes. Any suggestion from anyone…please contact the above e-mail address. Thanks

    Comment by marty dove — March 6, 2008 @ 3:24 pm

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