Four Seasons–Bigger Than Ever Thanks to Jersey Boys!
June 8th, 2006According to a Reuters article today, Bob Gaudio, songwriting partner of Frankie Valli and one of the original Four Seasons, says he’s beginning to think Jersey Boys, a Broadway musical about the band, may be even more successful than the band itself.
In a telephone interview, Gaudio’s business partner, legendary Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli stated,
“I never looked at this as being a jukebox musical. This is more about the life and times of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, how it got started and what it’s all about. “
Now it’s a hot favorite for best musical at the Tony Awards on Sunday, though it may have to overcome some prejudices about so-called “jukebox musicals,” which some in the business consider an inferior form to shows with original scores such as its main rival for the top prize, The Drowsy Chaperone.
Jersey Boys’ story is a dramatic one — involving jail time, failed marriages, the death of Valli’s daughter due to drugs and battles with record companies to get their hits made. It’s also a story that is relatively unknown to many. During a recent interview lunch just off Broadway, Gaudio reflected on the supergroup’s story,
“Even with our success, we never got the publicity, not like the Beatles certainly or even the Beach Boys. Part of it was a certain awareness that this might not be good for our careers. And nobody really gave a crap. We were not glamour boys, we didn’t have a teeny-bopper audience … so we didn’t get the kind of coverage other groups did. And even if we did, this wouldn’t be the kind of story you want to share.”
The article gives Four Seasons’ fans more exciting news! Gaudio and Valli are returning to the studio in June to record an album together for the first time in more than a decade, and Gaudio said both the cast album of Jersey Boys and the band’s original records were selling strongly — adding to a tally that already tops 100 million records sold.
