Des McAnuff (700 Sundays, The Who's Tommy) returns to direct after staging the debut at La Jolla Playhouse. Previews started at the August Wilson Theatre Oct. 4.
Jersey Boys features music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and a book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice. The new musical is billed as "The story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time," according to the production notes. "They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide — all before they were 30."
Starring as the pop quartet arer Christian Hoff (as Tommy DeVito), Daniel Reichard (as Bob Gaudio), J. Robert Spencer (as Nick Massi) and John Lloyd Young (as Frankie Valli). The cast also features Tituss Burgess, Heather Ferguson, Steve Gouveia, Peter Gregus, Donnie Kehr, John Leone, Michael Longoria, Mark Lotito, Jennifer Naimo, Dominic Nolfi, Erica Piccininni and Sara Schmidt.
The original cast album of Broadway's Jersey Boys was released on Nov. 1. Recorded Aug. 28 at New York City's Right Track Studio, the CD will feature such Four Seasons hits as "Sherry," "December ’63 (Oh What A Night)," "Who Loves You?," "Big Girls Don’t Cry," "Walk Like A Man," "Workin’ My Way Back To You," "Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You," "My Boyfriend’s Back," "Earth Angel," "Sunday Kind Of Love," "Short Shorts," "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love" and "Rag Doll," among others.
Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Pelican Group, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella produce the run on Broadway. Jersey Boys made its world premiere in California's La Jolla Playhouse beginning Oct. 5, 2004 and extended three times through Jan. 16, 2005. Young (The Drawer Boy, The Chosen - Paper Mill) joins original La Jolla stars Hoff (The Who's Tommy), Reichard (Radiant Baby, The Thing About Men) and Spencer (Side Show, Lucky Duck) who reprise their roles.
Sergio Trujillo serves as choreographer, Ron Melrose handles musical direction, vocal arrangements and incidental music with orchestrations provided by Steve Orich. John Miller serves as music coordinator, Steve Rankin as fight director and Steven Gabis is dialect coach.
The design team of Jersey Boys features Klara Zieglerova (scenic), Jess Goldstein (costume), Howell Binkley (lighting), Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound), Michael Clark (projection) and Charles LaPointe (wig and hair).
Tickets to Jersey Boys at the Virginia Theatre, 245 W. 52nd Street, go on sale beginning Sept. 11, and will be available by calling (212) 239-6200 or (800) 432-7250. The box office opens Sept. 12. For more information, visit www.JerseyBoysBroadway.com.
