Jersey Boys' Brickman and Elice Featured on 'Theater Talk,' Dec. 23

PBS' "TheaterTalk" will feature an exclusive interview with Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, co-writers of the book of the hit Broadway musical, Jersey Boys this Friday, December 23 at 12:30am on WNET-TV (Channel 13).

"Hosts Michael Riedel and Susan Haskins will chat with Brickman and Elice about their experiences writing the dramatic backstory of pop legends Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; the highs, the lows and those rumors about connections to organized crime," state press notes.

Jersey Boys opened on Sunday, November 6th at the August Wilson Theatre to some of the best reviews of the season. The show stars Christian Hoff (The Who's Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar national tour) as Tommy DeVito, Daniel Reichard (Forbidden Broadway: 20th Anniversary Celebration, Radiant Baby at the Public Theatre) as Bob Gaudio, J. Robert Spencer (Side Show, Lucky Duck at the Old Globe) as Nick Massi and John Lloyd Young (The Drawer Boy at Paper Mill Playhouse) as Frankie Valli. Tituss Burgess, Steve Gouveia, Peter Gregus, Donnie Kehr, Michael Longoria, Mark Lotito, Jennifer Naimo, Dominic Nolfi, Erica Piccininni and Sara Schmidt are also in the cast.

Directed by Des McAnuff (The Who's Tommy, Big River), Jersey Boys was a smash hit at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego last year (where as the most successful show in the history of the theatre, it extended three times). The show "chronicles the lives of a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide � all before they were thirty. Jersey Boys features their hit songs 'Sherry,' 'Big Girls Don't Cry,' 'Rag Doll,' 'Oh What a Night' and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off of You,' among others," according to production notes.

The show features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, as well as songs with music by Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe. Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella are the show's producers, and Klara Zieglerova (sets), Jess Goldstein (costumes), Howell Binkley (lighting), Michael Clark (projections) comprise the design team. Jersey Boys features musical direction by Ron Melrose and orchestrations by Steve Orich.

Tickets to Jersey Boys are available by calling Telecharge.com at (212) 239-6200, (800) 432-7250 outside the NY metro area, online at Telecharge.com, and at the August Wilson Theatre box office (245 West 52nd Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue). Group sales tickets available by calling (877) 5-Dodger / (877) 536-3437. Visit the Jersey Boys website at www.JerseyBoysBroadway.com.