Marshall Brickman Discovers the Four Seasons
February 14th, 2006In the current edition of Broadway.com’s First Person, Jersey Boys’ co-author Marshall Brickman confesses how a newfound passion for the Four Seasons coupled with the collaborative nature of theater helped him put the story of that crooning quartet from the Garden State on the Great White Way.
Prior to launching his mega-successful screenwriting career, Brickman, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music, spent his post-college days in a folk group that sang in coffee houses and nightclubs. However, he never spent much time listening to the chart-topping sounds of the Four Seasons.
Early in 2004, his co-author Rick Elice handed Brickman a Four Seasons CD and said, “Just listen.†Brickman noted: “It was like discovering a great author you never knew existed.†After really spending the time listening to the Four Seasons’ compilations, Brickman began “to appreciate the originality, audacity and invention in the music. “
The concept of Jersey Boys evolved from conversations Brickman and Elice had with Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Frankie Valli, followed by an extended dialogue between the two authors and Director Des McAnuff.
As Brickman reflects on Jersey Boys’ success as he watches the four leads recreate the Four Seasons with uncanny accuracy and almost spooky authenticity, he also thinks about the music. As he states, “those songs which, like great folk art, remain embedded in the common consciousness and which have become part of the soundtrack of the American experience.â€
Is there an actual “book” written that the play was based on? I am looking for the book to read??
Comment by Mari Ellen — September 24, 2010 @ 3:11 pm