Two Feathers Productions are set to begin their ten-show run of ‘Jersey Boys’ at the Gaiety Theatre next week.
Jersey Boys is a musical biography of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - the rise, the tough times, the personal clashes and the ultimate triumph of a group of friends whose music became a ‘symbolic soundtrack for a generation’.
The show weaves together the group’s rise to fame, accompanied by an endless catalogue of hits.
Each member of the Four Seasons directly addresses the audience, narrating the story and with each representing a season of their career.
Set in the vibrant 1960s, four young men from New Jersey - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Tommy DeVito - find a magic sound that propels them from singing under streetlights to singing in spotlights and on stages all over the world.
Era-defining songs of the time include ‘Sherry’, ‘Big Girls Don't Cry’ and ‘Walk Like a Man’. The quartet finds itself at the top of the charts, however, personal and professional problems threaten to tear the group apart.
A spokesperson from Two Feathers Productions said: ‘The heart of the show is how an allegiance to a code of honour learned in the streets of their native Belleville gets four unlikely stars through a multitude of challenges such as gambling debts, mafia threats and family disasters.
‘Jersey Boys gives audiences a glimpse at the real people behind a sound that has endured for almost 50 years.’
This re-imagined production is co-directed and choreographed by West End directors Tara Overfield-Wilkinson (whose credits include Mrs Doubtfire, Spongbob Squarepants and Come From Away) and Mark Hilton (Newsies and School Of Rock), with musical direction by David Holland.
The show also features an all-local cast of faces well-known to the Gaiety stage, including Joe Hillard as Frankie Valli, Charlie Williams as Tommy DeVito, Jack Divers as Bob Gaudio and Thomas Iain Dixon as Nick Massi.
The spokesperson continued: ‘The quartet boast an impressive vocal range, impeccable harmonies, and convincing character portrayals including the distinctive vocal styles of each band member. Joe Hillard performs a perfect replica of the signature falsetto and charismatic stage presence of Frankie Valli.’
The Isle of Man amateur premiere of the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier award-winning musical will begin on Friday, July 12 and run until Saturday, July 20, with there being ten shows in total over the eight days.