Jersey Boys: The Four Seasons introduced

Media Release
Issued on 21 February 2012

Dodger Theatricals Rodney Rigby Dainty Group
Joseph J. Grano Tamara and Kevin Kinsella Pelican Group Michael Watt
in association with Latitude Link Rick Steiner
present
JERSEY BOYS

The Four Seasons introduced to the NZ media

Performances from 10 April

“Oh, what a night . . a theatrical triumph . . in a class of its own” –
Sunday Herald Sun

JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, is soon to open at the Civic Theatre, Auckland, with performances from 10 April, for a strictly limited season.

The cast to play The Four Seasons were today introduced to the New Zealand media. They are -

DION BILIOS is Frankie Valli
Dion has been involved in stage and performance since the age of four, training in all aspects of performing arts. His stage credits include the roles of Gavroche in Les Miserable, Sammy in Jolson and Captain in Oliver. In 2008, he toured with the Australian production of Altar Boyz, where he performed the role of Mark and has most recently been part of the award winning Australian production of Mary Poppins. Dion has also featured in numerous television commercials and series including his role as “Bud” in the AFI Award winning film Soft Fruit. He has also had the chance to work with many of Australia’s finest Choreographers including Kelley Abbey, Matt Lee, Leah Howard, Cameron Mitchell, William A Forsythe and The Squared Division.

DECLAN EGAN is Bob Gaudio
Declan is thrilled to be making his professional theatre debut as Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys. In 2010 he graduated from the Diploma of Music Theatre course at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). Declan also graduated from the Talent Development Project in 2011 and performed in the TDP-Start Me up Concert at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Since graduating Declan has performed with the corporate act Boys in the Band with SMA productions. Prior to NIDA, Declan studied Voice at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music and performed in the 2010 season of Encore at the Sydney Opera House.

ANTHONY HARKIN is Tommy De Vito
Anthony Harkin graduated from the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts in 1999 and has since gone on to a successful career in Theatre and Television. Anthony’s recent theatre credits include Rock of Ages (Newtheatricals), Avenue Q (Arts Asia), Shane Warne the Musical and Wind in the Willows (Australian Shakespeare Company). Other theatre credits include the A Month in the Country (Sydney Theatre Company), The Last Five Years (Echelon Productions), Cabaret (IMG), and The Internationalist (The Practical Theatre Company). Anthony also toured Australia nationally with Miss Saigon. Television and Film credits include The Alice, Network Seven’s All Saints and Mark Lee’s feature film The Bet. Anthony recently directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Sydney’s Centennial Park for WildRumpuS Productions.

GLASTON TOFT is Nick Massi
Glaston graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2005. Prior to WAAPA, he studied Classical Voice at the Queensland Conservatorium and trained in Commercial Dance and Music Theatre at DLDC Studios. In 2008, he performed in TML Enterprises’ production of SHOUT- the Legend of the Wild One (Peewee understudy- the Delltones’ iconic frontman). Glaston then commenced the national tour of Opera Australia’s My Fair Lady (The Cockney & Servant Quartets). His other performance highlights include Little Me and Camelot for The Production Company.

Broadway’s gritty smash hit musical, JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, is the story of 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 – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 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”.

On sale NOW Visit www.JerseyBoysNZ.co.nz

Groups Groups of 10+ Save. Groups 20+ Save more
call The Edge Group Bookings on 09 357 3360

Performances from Tuesday 10 April 2012

Performance Times* Tuesday at 6.30pm
*subject to change Wednesday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday matinee at 2.00pm
Sunday at 1.00pm and 6.00pm

www.JerseyBoysNZ.co.nz

CREATIVES

MARSHALL BRICKMAN (Book). Films (author or co-author): Sleeper, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Manhattan Murder Mystery, For the Boys, Intersection; (as writer/ director): Simon, Lovesick, The Manhattan Project, Sister Mary Explains It All. Television: “The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson” (head writer), “The Dick Cavett Show” (head writer/co-producer). Before turning to writing and directing, Mr. Brickman performed with the folk group the Tarriers; then, with John and Michelle Phillips, formed the pre-Mamas and Papas group the New Journeymen. He has published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Playboy and other periodicals and was the 2006 recipient of the Writers Guild of America’s Ian McClellan Hunter Award for Lifetime Achievement. Jersey Boys, his first venture into musical theatre, won four Tonys including Best Musical. The Addams Family, his second Broadway venture (with co-author Rick Elice) is currently playing on National Tour. His major in college was physics with a minor in music.

RICK ELICE (Book). Jersey Boys, Rick’s first Broadway credit, won the Tony, Olivier, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Grammy awards for Best Musical. From 1982-1999, as creative director at Serino Coyne Inc., he produced ad campaigns for some 300 Broadway shows, from A Chorus Line to The Lion King. From 1999-2009, he served as creative consultant for The Walt Disney Studio. In 2003, he appeared Off-Broadway in Elaine May’s comedy, Adult Entertainment. With Marshall Brickman and Andrew Lippa, he wrote The Addams Family, now on National Tour. End of credits. Rick saw his first Broadway show when he was three. His mother said he was very well-behaved. From that day, he dreamed of working in the theatre. From the age of 19, he has. Heartfelt thanks to those he’s been lucky enough to know, whose work makes him grateful for the day he was born: Sondheim, Stoppard, Bennett, Prince, Fosse, Robbins, Nichols, Tune, Nunn, Laurents, Stone, Kushner, Taymor, Papp, Schumacher, Schneider, Coyne, Brickman and Rees. Rick thinks about them a lot. He never thought about Jersey much. He does now.

BOB GAUDIO (Composer) wrote his first hit, “Who Wears Short Shorts,” at 15, for the Royal Teens, and then went on to become a founding member of the Four Seasons and the band’s principal songwriter. He also produced the hit “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” for Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand (Grammy nomination, Record of the Year) as well as six albums for Diamond, including The Jazz Singer. Other producing credits include albums for Frank Sinatra, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and the soundtrack for the film of Little Shop of Horrors. Several songs co-written with Bob Crewe have been cover hits for such artists as the Tremeloes (“Silence Is Golden”), the Walker Brothers (“The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore”) and Lauryn Hill (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”). With his wife, Judy Parker, Gaudio produced and co-wrote the Who Loves You album for the Four Seasons and one of Billboard’s longest charted singles (54 weeks), “Oh, What a Night.” A high point in his career came in 1990 when, as a member of the original Four Seasons, Gaudio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1995, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which hailed him as “a quintessential musicmaker.” To this day, Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli still maintain their partnership… on a handshake.

BOB CREWE (Lyricist). “New York was pregnant in the fifties,” says Bob Crewe, “gestating with possibilities.” Crewe and music partner Frank Slay became independent writer-producers when the category hadn’t yet been invented. In 1957 they wrote and produced “Silhouettes” for The Rays, skyrocketing to #1. Suddenly, producers in demand, they launched Freddie Cannon’s “Tallahassee Lassie” and Billy & Lillie’s “Lah Dee Da.” Crewe’s 1960’s solo unprecedented producing success with The Four Seasons birthed a new sound, striking a major chord in American Pop. “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Candy Girl,” “Ronnie” – all smashes! When lead Frankie Valli demanded a solo turn, Crewe & Bob Gaudio wrote and Crewe produced “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” which eventually became the century’s fifth most-played song. Crewe ran hot with artists from Vicki Carr, Oliver, Lesley Gore to Mitch Ryder, cowriting with Charles Fox the soundtrack for Jane Fonda’s film, Barbarella. Then his own Bob Crewe Generation exploded with Music To Watch Girls By. In 1972 Bob was in L.A., where he revived Frankie Valli with “My Eyes Adored You” by Crewe & Kenny Nolan. They also co-wrote Patti LaBelle’s “Lady Marmalade” (#1, July ‘75) – to re-hit again from the soundtrack of Moulin Rouge (#1, June ‘01).

DES McANUFF (Director) is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He is director emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, where during his tenure as artistic director he directed more than 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals. Broadway: Guys and Dolls (2009), Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention (2007); Jersey Boys (2006, four Tonys including Best Musical, now also in, London, Las Vegas, 2 National Tours, and soon to open in Auckland); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (2004, Tony Award); Dracula the Musical (2004); How to Succeed (1995); The Who’s Tommy (director/co-author with Pete Townshend, 1993 Tony Best Director; 1997 London Olivier Best Director/Best Musical); A Walk in the Woods (1988); Big River (1985, seven Tonys including Best Director, Best Musical). Stratford: Romeo and Juliet and Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra starring Christopher Plummer. Film: Cousin Bette, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (director), Iron Giant (producer), Quills (executive producer). Upcoming: adapting Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots for stage with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips and Aaron Sorkin.

SERGIO TRUJILLO (Choreographer). Broadway: Memphis (OCC Award, Astaire and Drama Desk Award noms.); Jersey Boys (Olivier, Drama Desk, Dora, OCC Award noms.); The Addams Family; Next to Normal; All Shook Up; and Guys and Dolls (Astaire Award nom.). Off-Broadway: Saved, Romeo & Juliet, The Capeman, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Kismet, Salome. Regional: The Wiz, Zhivago, Mambo Kings, The Marriage of Figaro, Chita and All That Jazz. International: Disney’s Tarzan, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Peggy Sue Got Married (West End). TV: “Broadway: The American Musical” (PBS), “Triple Sensation” (CBC), and So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Sergio is the recipient of four Dora Award Nominations and an Ovation Award for Empire. Upcoming Broadway: Leap of Faith.

RON MELROSE (Music Supervision, Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music). Music direction: Scarlet Pimpernel and Imaginary Friends, Radio City’s Sinatra. Dance/vocal arranging: Sweet Smell of Success, Jekyll & Hyde, Perfectly Frank, The Act, Marilyn: An American Fable, Woman of the Year, Cabaret. Composing: Superdimensional Microbabes (anime-based chamber musical); Fourtune (Off-Broadway); The Silver Swan (National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship); three theatrical CDs (The Missing Peace, Early One Morning, Songs I Won’t Be Singing); two Harvard Hasty Pudding shows (Tots in Tinseltown, Bewitched Bayou); a gospel-based Requiem; and additional songs for church choir, various cabaret artists and “Saturday Night Live.” Education: Harvard (philosophy), Westminster (choral conducting). Now Californian. Thanks and love to Alexandra.

DODGER THEATRICALS

DODGER THEATRICALS (Producer). A producing partnership made up of Michael David, Edward Strong, Rocco Landesman and Des McAnuff. Originated at BAM in 1978, migrated to NY Shakespeare Festival, then off and on Broadway, where they’ve shared in a host of Tony and Obie Awards. On Broadway: Currently Jersey Boys; also The Farnsworth Invention, 42nd Street, Urinetown, Dracula, Good Vibrations, Into the Woods (Original and ‘02), The Music Man, Blast!, Titanic, Wrong Mountain, Footloose, Mandy Patinkin in Concert, High Society, 1776, …Forum, The King and I, The Who’s Tommy, Ralph Fiennes’ Hamlet, Guys and Dolls, Once Upon a Mattress, How to Succeed in Business..., Jelly’s Last Jam, The Secret Garden, Prelude to a Kiss, Gospel at Colonus, Big River, Pump Boys and Dinettes. Off Broadway: Drumstruck, Symphonie Fantastique, Bare, Barbra’s Wedding, Duet, Savion Glover Downtown.

The Dodgers are the original producers of Jersey Boys on Broadway, and Jersey Boys productions in Australia, London, Toronto, Las Vegas and on tour in North America.

RODNEY RIGBY
Newtheatricals is a producing group founded by Rodney Rigby in 2004. Recent: Broadway: Catch Me If You Can, Lend Me A Tenor, Australia: Rock of Ages, Boeing Boeing, Mum's the Word 2: Teenagers, Burt Bacharach and the Sydney Symphony, Grumpy Old Women LIVE, The Woman In Black, Jamie Oliver LIVE, Bryn Terfel – In Recital, David Campbell – Wild with Style, Anthony Warlow – Under the Stars, Stuff Happens, Leader Of The Pack, Lesley Garrett and Anthony Warlow – The Magic Of The Music, Via Dolorosa (written and performed by David Hare) and La Fura dels Baus XXX. Next: The Addams Family.

DAINTY GROUP
Dainty Group has been recognised by the highly acclaimed SportBusiness International Magazine as one of world’s 20 most influential live entertainment promoters and was recently ranked by Billboard Magazine as the 5th largest promoter in the world. The team at Dainty Group produces world class concerts, theatrical productions, sports entertainment events, comedy performances, special events and touring exhibitions. Since 2000, Dainty Group has entertained nearly 8 million Australians with concerts including Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, George Michael, The Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Prince, Neil Diamond, Guns N Roses, k.d. lang, David Bowie, Michael Bublé, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Nickelback, Iron Maiden, Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and Il Divo. Dainty has also produced major theatrical productions including Mamma Mia!, Saturday Night Fever London, The Rocky Horror Show and Hairspray the Musical and is currently a co-producer of Jersey Boys. Dainty Group has a long history of producing some of the biggest comedy performances including Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays and Jerry Seinfeld and co-produces Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear Live in Australia. Dainty Group is also the producer of major sports entertainment events including WWE and the Crusty Demons - the world’s leading freestyle motocross brand.

ENDS

© Scoop Media