Valli, Gaudio, Brickman & Elice Drop Suit Against ‘The Boys In Concert’
September 25th, 2010Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Marshall Brickman, and Rick Elice will drop attempts to ban four former cast members of JERSEY BOYS from performing The Four Seasons songs on tour – on condition the group changes its name.
According to The New York Post, The Boys in Concert now have 30 days to come up with a new name that doesn’t “trade off of” the Broadway hit to avoid going to court.
Visit BroadwayWorld.com for the full story.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I am glad they settled this. There is plenty of music out there for everyone.
Thank you guys!!!!
Comment by Lenora Antunes — September 26, 2010 @ 4:21 pm
Ditto to all of the above Lenora…
If changing a name will fix everything, that is wonderful for all concerned. The plaintiffs must have had some very strong feelings in order to file such a law suit. However, from the outside looking in…what I saw when the news first broke of a group called “The Boys in Concert” was just the opposite of the charges. My first reaction was disappointment that it was show of 60′s music, rather than all Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons songs….especially knowing that there are many tribute bands out there performing strictly Frankie Valli. Just like the Rat Pack groups, the Beatles tributes…etc… To me “The Boys in Concert” appeared to be a low profile, side job that 6 former members of Jersey Boys put together doing something they love, playing mostly small venues such as small casinos and private events. The name “The Boys in Concert” seemed to also represent an era. (Wikipedia: A boy band (or boyband), in pop, rock, hip hop and R&B music, is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of about 3-6 male performers. Despite the term “band”, boy band members usually do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on stage, although exceptions do exist.) I thought it was clever! Not only do “The Boys” perform Frankie Valli music, but many artists from the 60′s…including several songs from the Beach Boys. When I finally was fortunate enough to see The Boys in Concert, I knew that all the work that was put into this group was done with the utmost respect for their former employers. I never once thought I was being tricked into thinking this was part of the Jersey Boys production. It was truly a tribute to the 60′s, performed by some of the most talented guys I have ever seen.
Right now it may seem that none of the above even matters… But two things still remain. The first is that all the publicity has portrayed Christian, Bobby, Daniel, and Michael in a very negative light. Only the few who have seen the show know the truth, compared to the millions whom the media has reached. And second, we all know how many “juke-box” musicals have flopped. There are a lot of things that must come together to make a show work. Of course the creation is huge, but only the beginning. There are many, many things that could go wrong…or right. In this case, everything seemed to have gone right and the people in charge of casting where brilliant. This OBC is a big part of the success of Jersey Boys. With the upcoming 5 Year Anniversary celebration approaching, I just don’t want them forgotten. They really deserve to be a part of the festivities. I remember seeing Christian receiving his Tony, being so humble and his colleagues standing in the audience applauding him….including Frankie. Wonderful times! That was not too long ago. The anniversary is over a month away…I still have hopes of a total reconciliation.
Comment by Carolyn — September 27, 2010 @ 6:56 pm
Wow, Carolyn, you’re so eloquent, I hate to try and follow you! So mostly I’ll just agree with you. I, too, have read negative comments about “the boys” being greedy, trying to make money off of Frankie, etc. And it really irritates me. This is so not the way they are. They are trying to earn a living in a tough profession, doing what they do best – entertaining. And so obviously loving what they do.
I also agree that although Jersey Boys is one of those rare combinations of great story, great music, great choreography – the original casting was integral in making this show the huge success that it is. Not only in the actors portrayals of the characters, but in the character they each showed in their rise to stardom. All you have to do is read back on this blog to realize the fever started with THEM. Their stage presence, their chemistry, their relationships with fans. It was all part of the package. And I’m very grateful to them, for had they not been who they are, I would not be the JB fan that I am now.
Comment by Catherine — September 28, 2010 @ 9:06 am
How can I follow either of you…Carolyn or Catherine? Your comments are so on the mark. I will second Carolyn’s comment re the OBC being part of the 5th anniversary festivities and Catherine’s about the stage presence, chemistry and relationships with fans.
I am sure I’m not alone in bringing friends and colleagues to see the show, which I still do. I knew that not only will they love the show (and none of my guests have disagreed) but that they would be warmly received by members of the cast and leave with pictures and autographs. Even though I might have liked some variety, I didn’t want to take a chance on a show my guests may not enjoy or not be well received at the stage door. In fact, I’m seeing the show once more on Tuesday night.
Yes, this Blog has brought us all together but the OBC was the genesis of it all.
Comment by Howard — September 29, 2010 @ 1:01 pm