Sad Breaking News: Jersey Boys to End Record-Breaking Run on Broadway January 15, 2017!
September 6th, 2016SAY IT ISN’T SO! The producers of the Tony, Grammy & Olivier Award-Winning Best Musical Jersey Boys announced today that the Broadway production will end its record-breaking, 11-year run on Sunday, January 15, 2017 after 4,642 performances at the August Wilson Theatre.
All of the major Broadway and entertainment websites have posted the breaking news over the last two hours. Here’s more info from Broadway.com:
Big guys don’t cry. It’s the end of an era: Jersey Boys will shutter on Broadway on January 15, 2017. The musical began performances on October 4, 2005 and officially opened on November 6 at the August Wilson Theatre. At time of closing, the production will have played 4,642 performances.
Dancing with the Stars’ Mark Ballas will be the final actor to take on the iconic role of Frankie Valli and is set to make his Broadway debut in the show on October 18; he will remain with the production until the end of its run. Mauricio Pérez will continue to play the role at certain performances during the week, while Dominic Scaglione Jr. is scheduled to appear as Frankie for the final time on October 16.
Ballas is a two-time champion and nine-time finalist of Dancing with the Stars; he earned a 2011 Emmy nod for his work on the show. U.K. stage credits include Buddy—The Buddy Holly Story, Copacabana, Jesus Christ Superstar and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
Jersey Boys tells the story of how Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons went from being unknown New Jersey kids to international pop superstars. The show features over 30 hit songs, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
The Great White Way production also currently stars Richard H. Blake as Tommy DeVito, Quinn VanAntwerp as Bob Gaudio and Matt Bogart as Nick Massi.
Will you be working your way back to Broadway one (or more?) more time to say Bye, Bye Baby to the greatest show EVER on Broadway?!
I’ll have to gather my thoughts later to reflect on what Jersey Boys means to me, but right now I just want to encourage everyone to go see it at least one more time. And I want to thank Susie and Dale for this blog and for being a large part of keeping this community of followers together and keeping the show on Broadway for so long. Y’all are the best!
Lulu Thompson
Comment by Lulu Thompson — September 6, 2016 @ 6:25 pm
Oh, what a party! I hope we’re invited!!!!
Comment by Gary — September 6, 2016 @ 6:45 pm
Awww, Lulu, Look at me…I’m tearing up! None of this could have happened without YOU…a JBB supporter from day one, my friend!
Comment by JB Blogger — September 6, 2016 @ 7:28 pm
Susie and Dale have done a wonderful thing for us all these years. Thank you!!!!!! I hope that, maybe out of sheer habit, they will keep the blog going after Jan. 15. After all, the National Tour is still booked at least through July 9 in Charlotte, and there’s still London! I’ve seen the show 143 times in various venues, and I’ve made it my mission to see the show an even 150 times by January 15. Seven more times? That’s nothing!
Comment by Charles Alexander — September 6, 2016 @ 8:50 pm
They say “all good things must come to an end” and I add ” but all great things live on forever”. This show was a dream come true & “Valli-dation” for those of us who always felt the group’s music had been undervalued critically; Brickman and Elice are heroes, as were the many great cast members who thrilled us with amazing performances.Let’s hope we’ll see this popping up in High School productions soon, and who knows, maybe one day a revival.Thanks for the great blog!
Comment by Crez — September 7, 2016 @ 12:19 pm
P.S. I also have to put Des and Serge in the “Heroes” circle their visualization of the “legend” of the Seasons could not have been of a higher caliber. Bravo!!
Comment by Crez — September 7, 2016 @ 12:57 pm
I’m super sad… Last night ticketmaster was down and now they are sold out!
Comment by Liz skorski — September 7, 2016 @ 9:57 pm
I have seen JB approximately 139 times less than Charles Alexander, but I enjoyed it immensely no matter who the cast members were. I hate to see it leave the Broadway scene. One question: what will Sara Schmidt and Mark Lotito do starting January 16?
Comment by George O'Brien — September 8, 2016 @ 8:41 pm
What is the reason for ending now? Will the Show still go on in other locations after this one closes?
Have seen this Show multiple times. Really would like to see Mark Ballas play the role of Frankie.
Thanks to all past and present cast members for giving Everyone the opportunity to know Frankie Valli’s story and to hear his music presented in such a great way.
Frankie Valli and his music will be with us forever. Good luck to all of you when you leave this production!
Audrey G.
Comment by Audrey G. — September 9, 2016 @ 9:11 am
Audrey G.
The Touring “JB” show will be in Scranton from January 17th –January 22nd in case anyone is interested in coming to Scranton.
The “JB” Touring show web site states that they will be on the road through at least July of 2017 …
Comment by Jerry — September 10, 2016 @ 11:42 am
Who would have ever predicted when we were young that this Broadway Musical would happen at all, let alone this long? The glass is 99.9% full. That’s the way you have to look at it.
Comment by Ted — September 14, 2016 @ 11:23 am