Jersey Boys New Zealand - The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – has opened in Auckland to rave reviews.
A who’s who of New Zealand showbiz, media and society turned out for the official opening of this smash-hit musical at Auckland’s Civic Theatre on Saturday 14 April. Walk the red carpet and hear what people had to say after the show in the following video.

JERSEY BOYS smashed the Civic’s previous box office record when it went on sale in November and it has continued to dominate the entertainment landscape in New Zealand. All seats are now on sale and the season must end on June 17.

Here are just a few of the reviews:

“Performances of the Four Seasons’ impressive parade of hits are as sharp as a switch-blade.”
NZ Herald
“To call JERSEY BOYS a successful musical is something of an understatement.” Sunday Star Times
“Oh what a night. JERSEY BOYS just left me spellbound. The story. The songs. Brilliant. It has to be on the to do list.” Brian Kelly, Coast FM
“Brilliant show, incredibly talented crew, great set, story and music a must see!” Marc Ellis, More FM
“Absolutely fantastic!! Haven’t seen a better show in NZ” Julie Christie, Eyeworks
“The show had it all. It was fast paced, easy to follow, brilliant characters, great songs and it was FUNNY! I wasn’t sure what to expect ‘cos the songs are a wee bit before my time but what a fantastic show. I can definitely see why Jersey Boys has won so many awards because from where I was sitting, the crowd definitely DID go wild.” Jason Reeves, Classic Hits
“Jersey Boys is Fantastic!! We danced and sang the “Night away”. A must see show. Don’t miss out NZ.” Beatrice Faumuina, Olympic sportswoman
“Outstanding. The music and the sound. Hit after Hit.” Peter Montgomery, Newstalk ZB
“Jersey Boys ticks all the boxes: a killer real life story, oodles of talent, and hits song guaranteed to make a welcome home in your head for weeks to come.” Theatrescenes

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The cast of JERSEY BOYS will perform both the New Zealand and the Australian National Anthems at the historic NRL match between the Auckland Warriors and the Manly Sea Eagles at Eden Park on Sunday 4 March. The game between the Warriors and the Sea Eagles is a rematch of last year's NRL Grand Final and will be the first game of the Warriors 2012 season. A massive crowd is expected at the historic home of Auckland sport.

It will be only the second time in the club's history that they've played at Eden Park which has hosted league only on auspicious occasions, including the '88 Rugby League World Cup final, the 2010 Kiwis v Kangaroos test match and the Warriors match against Parramatta last season.

JERSEY BOYS Producer Rodney Rigby says he's honoured that the cast has been asked to perform on such an occasion - an occasion that coincides with the start of rehearsals in Auckland by the full company in advance of JERSEY BOYS opening on 10 April.

Hope to see you there! Read more.

The cast of JERSEY BOYS will join the star studded line-up for Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park in the Auckland Domain this Saturday 10 December.

One of New Zealand's most popular, free outdoor Christmas extravaganzas, this year's show will also feature pop rock band The Earlybirds, recording stars Vince Harder and Massad, blonde bombshell Ainslie Allen, gospel singer Julia Grace and the stars of TV3's Sticky TV; Kanoa Lloyd, Walter Neilands, Gerald Seth and Monica Barton, with hosts Hilary Barry and Jeremy Corbett.

Don't miss the chance to see the talented JERSEY BOYS cast before the season opens in Auckland next year.

Full details for Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park can be found at www.christmasinthepark.co.nz

The Producers of JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons are thrilled to announce that Vince Harder will join the cast of this acclaimed production for the season in Auckland.

Vince Harder is the voice behind one of the biggest songs to come out of New Zealand in the last five years. His collaborative hit with P Money "Everything" soared to number one on the Kiwi charts in 2008 and then quickly jumped the ditch where it ascended the Australian airplay charts. The following year the single made its mark in Britain when it was named Record of the Week on the notable BBC Radio 1.

Vince was born and raised in West Auckland. He played the lead role as "Simba" in the Australian stage production of The Lion King. In 2005, he came 3rd in the Australian TV version of The X Factor. In 2009 he performed live gigs to more than 200,000 people and a show-stealing, headline performance at Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park concerts in Christchurch and Auckland. In 2011 Vince released "The Space Between Us". Included on the album are his three top twenty urban radio hits and a current single "I Want This Forever".

Vince will perform at Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park this year.

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JERSEY BOYS – winner of 54 major awards internationally including four Tony Awards® including Best Musical, winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Musical and winner of two Helpmann Awards®, including Best Musical, will begin on 10 April at the The Civic, Auckland. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 7 November at 9am.

JERSEY BOYS – The story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons tells how four blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop sensations of all time. Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi joined forces to become The Four Seasons, writing their own hits and developing their unique sound to sell over 175 million records before they were 30.

Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, choreography by Sergio Trujillo and directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS opened in Melbourne in July 2009 and played for 13 months before transferring to Sydney's Theatre Royal opening in September 2010. Over one million people will have seen the show in Melbourne and Sydney. New Zealand is next to experience this wonderful story.

Currently there are five productions worldwide including Broadway, London, Las Vegas, two US National tours and now Auckland.

JERSEY BOYS features 20 Four Seasons hit songs including "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Rag Doll", "Oh What a Night" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You".

More than five years after its debut, the musical Jersey Boys continues to bring audiences around the world to their feet with the rags-to-riches tale of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. A global phenomenon, the record-breaking production has won awards for Best Musical on three continents, including the 2006 Tony® Award, while the platinum-selling Original Cast Recording album won a Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album in 2007. To celebrate the holidays, members of the award-winning Jersey Boys casts around the globe have come together to record a selection of Christmas classics in the style of The Four Seasons. This marks the first time that a Broadway show has released a holiday album.

The album was produced by Bob Gaudio, a founding member of The Four Seasons and the group's principal songwriter. The musical director and arranger for the project was Ron Melrose, who also arranged music for the Jersey Boys musical. The eclectic album features performances by six stars from the various Jersey Boys casts – Joseph Leo Bwarie (U.S. National Tour), Travis Cloer (Las Vegas), Rick Faugno (Las Vegas), Bobby Fox (Australia), Ryan Molloy (London) and Jarrod Spector (Broadway) – plus John Lloyd Young, who won the 2006 Tony Award for his portrayal of Valli in the original Broadway production. The album was engineered by Pete Karam, who won a Grammy for his work on the Original Cast Recording.

Many of the melodies and choral harmonies that catapulted the quartet from the streets of Newark into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are woven into classic holiday songs on SEASON'S GREETINGS: A JERSEY BOYS CHRISTMAS. Listen for hints of "Come On Marianne" and "Oh What A Night" in the album opener "Joy To The World/O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" plus traces of "Bye Bye Baby" in "Winter Wonderland."

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JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, which opened September, 2010 at Sydney's Theatre Royal will be one of the longest running musicals in the history of the venue, breaking the Theatre Royal's weekly Box Office records as the highest grossing in the theatre's history.

Since opening in Melbourne in July 2009 over one million people have seen this Broadway hit in both Melbourne and Sydney. The Sydney season will close on Sunday 18 December 2011 with JERSEY BOYS heading to New Zealand, opening in April 2012 at The Civic, Auckland.

"We are thrilled with the success of JERSEY BOYS in Sydney which clearly demonstrates the unique relationship between theatre and tourism in Sydney. Our collaboration with Destination NSW and our many partnerships have resulted in 15% of our audiences coming from interstate and international markets creating a substantial boost to the NSW economy."
- Rodney Rigby, newtheatricals

"It is with heartfelt gratitude that all of us in the JERSEY BOYS family would like to thank the city and people of Sydney for embracing our show. Though New Jersey is far from Sydney, the nightly standing ovations and the cheers from fans have made us feel right at home. We will remember your enthusiastic audiences and Aussie hospitality long after the final curtain on 18 December."
- Michael David, Dodger Theatricals

"There is no doubt Sydneysiders and a significant number of interstate and overseas visitors have embraced the Sydney production of JERSEY BOYS. The production has smashed weekly box office records as the highest grossing show in the Theatre Royal's history and has been a tremendous addition to the NSW Events Calendar."

"The NSW Government through Destination NSW has been working hard with musical theatre producers to position Sydney as the number one city for musicals in Australia and next year we look forward to the Sydney season of Rock of Ages and in 2013 the Australian premiere of the Broadway smash hit musical The Addams Family."
– George Souris MP, NSW Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts

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The Producers of JERSEY BOYS have just announced the release of 30,000 new tickets for sale until 6 November as Sydney audiences continue to flock to the multi-award winning musical. After the Sydney season JERSEY BOYS will head across the water to New Zealand, opening in April 2012 at The Civic, Auckland.

"truly thrilling moments . . explodes from the stage with verve, polish and conviction."

Sydney Morning Herald

"The result is music history . . a guaranteed toe-tapping, hand-clapping fun night at the theatre."

The Daily Telegraph

"Oh, what a night . . a theatrical triumph . . in a class of its own"

Sunday Herald Sun

"Entertainment with a capital E"

The Sunday Age

JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons opened in Melbourne in July 2009 and played for 13 months. The show continues to play to packed houses at Sydney's Theatre Royal after breaking box office records as the highest grossing show in the theatre's history. Over 1,000,000 have now seen the show in Melbourne and Sydney.

JERSEY BOYS - the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is finally coming to New Zealand. The Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, today announced that the world-wide smash hit production of JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will open at The Civic in Auckland in April 2012. JERSEY BOYS opened in Melbourne in July 2009 and played for 13 months before transferring to Sydney's Theatre Royal, opening in September 2010. Over 1,000,000 people will have seen the show in Melbourne and Sydney by the end of the year. It then comes direct to Auckland.

Register at JerseyBoysNZ.co.nz

This year's Dry July kicks off today with JERSEY BOYS swearing on their mocktails and ginger beers to stop drinking from July 1 to July 31. The 4 boys Bobby Fox (Frankie), Glaston Toft (Nick), Stephen Mahy (Bob) and Ben Mingay (Tommy) are all participating this year.

JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons celebrates two years in Australia on Thursday 7 July. JERSEY BOYS opened in July 2009 in Melbourne and played for 13 months before transferring to Sydney's Theatre Royal opening in September last year. 900,000 people have now seen the show in Australia.

The Australian production has brought millions of dollars into the Victorian and NSW economies through tourism related revenue, with over 15,300 visitors from overseas and over 150,000 Australians travelling interstate to see the production in Sydney and Melbourne.

We've got two brand new video interviews with the (real!) Frankie Valli, recorded when he visited Sydney last week. In them he explains how strange it is to watch your life played out on stage, how he's driven by his love for the audience, and - of course - how incredible the Australian cast of JERSEY BOYS is: "I couldn't believe it could be that good! The Australian cast is as strong - if not stronger - than any cast I've ever seen!"

[ FRANKIE VIDEO INTERVIEW PART 1 ]
[ FRANKIE VIDEO INTERVIEW PART 2 ]

Frankie Valli arrived in Australia last week for his exclusive tour date in Canberra. No visit would be complete, however, without a trip to see the award-winning Australian cast of JERSEY BOYS! Frankie dropped in to see the show at Sydney's Theatre Royal on Thursday 17th March, and popped backstage to congratulate the cast on their excellent performance. He also found time to chat to ABC National Radio, before heading to Canberra to perform at the Enlighten music event.

[ WATCH THE ABC INTERVIEW ]

The one and only FRANKIE VALLI arrives in Sydney this week on his way to Canberra to perform exclusively on Saturday 19 March at Enlighten – a major new annual event that will showcase Canberra in a whole new light set against the stunning backdrop of Lake Burley Griffin.

While in Sydney this week Frankie Valli will drop into the Theatre Royal to see the smash hit musical JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and say hello to the award-winning cast.

A true American pop music icon – Frankie Valli's incredible career as a solo artist and with the Four Seasons produced 19 top ten hits and sold over 175 million records worldwide. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and named longevity champ of the rock era by Billboard Magazine. Possessed of one of the most distinctive voices in all of Rock and Roll, Frankie Valli continues to dazzle. Inspired by fellow New Jersey native, Frank Sinatra, and such jazz influences as the Hi-Lo's and the Four Freshman, Frankie Valli always knew he wanted to perform. "We used to sing around the Newark area where I grew up." Valli recalls. "I'd always wanted to be a singer, ever since my mother took me to see Sinatra at the Paramount Theatre in New York as a kid. I decided then and there that's what I was going to do…be a successful singer."

At the Sydney Theatre Awards this evening, an event packed with representatives of the live theatre industry, JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons won the most coveted musical theatre award – Best Musical. In addition Bobby Fox, who plays Frankie Valli, won Best Actor in a Musical.

The Sydney Theatre Awards are presented annually by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney.

"The Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical to JERSEY BOYS acknowledges the wonderful collaboration between everyone associated with the production across the entire range of disciplines and the artistic excellence that makes JERSEY BOYS so special for audiences and for all of us associated with this wonderful production. The entire company of JERSEY BOYS is thrilled that Bobby Fox has been recognised by Sydney's premier critics for his extraordinary performance of Frankie Valli" – Rodney Rigby, Newtheatricals, Producer of JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

Chris Green of Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, Producer said "We are absolutely elated how Sydney audiences have embraced the Australian production of JERSEY BOYS and delighted to have been further acknowledged by receiving these Awards."

Jersey Boys is already the recipient of two Helpmann Awards being Best Musical and Best Music Direction of a Musical, four Tony Awards® including Best Musical, winner of the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and winner of seven Victorian Green Room Awards.

After 4½ sell-out months in Sydney, and 14 months in Melbourne seen by nearly 600,000 patrons and playing 453 sold out performances, JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons continues to play to huge acclaim and standing ovations.