Valli & The Seasons: Still Big Men in Chicagoland!
April 6th, 2007Philip Potempa of NWITimes.com has an interesting article about the upcoming Frankie Valli concert at the Chicago Theatre on April 21. The article also focuses on the Windy City arrival of the Tony Award-winning Jersey Boys, which is still six months away.
As President, CEO and Talent Buyer for the Star Plaza Theatre in Merrillville, Charlie Blum has spent the last 20 years listening to what he describes as “the industry rule”: If you book shows for your own personal taste, you’ll go broke. However, Frankie Valli is proof that every rule is meant to be broken. Blum says he always has been quick to admit he’s spent his life as a fan of Valli and The Four Seasons. The last time he booked Valli, it was for an October 1997 sold-out show at Star Plaza Theatre. Ten years later, Blum is bringing Valli back with another show to promote and this time he’s staging the concert using an even bigger venue. Blum is the promoter behind Valli’s April 21 concert at the legendary Chicago Theatre.
Blum also realizes timing is everything. That’s why he was at Monday’s press event at LaSalle Bank Theatre, along with Valli who was in Chicago to meet with press and VIPs about the arrival of the Broadway hit Jersey Boys for its Chicago debut Oct. 6. However, Blum, Valli and the Broadway in Chicago backers already know the importance of early promotion for Broadway’s hot Tony Award-winning musical that unfolds the life of Valli and his Four Seasons. The Broadway in Chicago reps announced Monday that the first three months of the run, which was originally scheduled to go until Jan. 6, are already nearly sold out. So it was perfect timing for an announcement this week that a new block of tickets go on sale at Noon Monday for an additional 14 weeks of performances Jan. 6 to April 13, 2008.
Potempo provides details of Monday’s press event that was not only attended by Valli, but also fellow Four Seasons’ original member Bob Gaudio, and JB co-author Rick Elice, who wrote the book with Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman.
Valli said he never expected Jersey Boys to connect with so many audiences around the country. He said,
We really began as a group that primarily had mostly a strong Midwest and East Coast appeal. We never reached audiences on the West Coast like we are now with Jersey Boys.
Valli also emphasized how the group’s two earliest record labels were even based in Chicago and it was radio air play from disc jockeys like Dick Biondi that helped Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons rise to fame.
Both Gaudio and Valli also say it’s been an unusual experience for both men to witness the candor used for telling the story of the group’s roller coaster of professional and personal challenges. Reflecting on those days, Valli stated,
The things we swept under the carpet early on, are now shown on stage. These were all the things that we worried at the time would hurt our career. Now, we realize these are just things that are a part of our growth and history as performers.
