Frankie Valli Cancels Thailand Concert; Cites 'Political Unrest'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, legendary doo-wop singer Frankie Valli has canceled a scheduled appearance in Thailand due to political unrest in the area. Concert promoter BEC-Tero Entertainment PCL said that Wednesday's performance would not take place, "due to the current political situation and its associated difficulties, and for the safety and well-being of customers."

Billed as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the concert was to take place near the sight of recent violent protests, where participants are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Nine deaths have bee reported since November as well as two explosions which wounded 28 people in Bangkok on Sunday.

Valli commented, "I am truly disappointed that I can't perform for my fans in Thailand on Jan. 22. But your safety and security are more important and really matter to me. My thoughts are with you all. I promise I will come back to perform in Thailand soon."

Valli's life story is the subject of Broadway's Jersey Boys. On January 14, the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best musical surpassed Grease with 3,389 performances, becoming the 14th longest-running show in Broadway history.

The show has been seen by over 18 million people worldwide (as of July, 2013) and is currently playing in New York; Las Vegas; London; in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour, The Netherlands and Seoul, South Korea.

The current Broadway company stars Matt Bogart (Nick Massi), Drew Gehling (Bob Gaudio) and Richard H. Blake (Tommy DeVito) and Dominic Scaglione, Jr. (Frankie Valli) with Peter Gregus and Mark Lotito, and Miles Aubrey, Erik Bates, Candi Boyd, Jared Bradshaw, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Ken Dow, Russell Fischer, John Edwards, Katie O¹Toole, Mauricio Perez, Joe Payne, Nathan Scherich, Sara Schmidtand Katie Webber.

Written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics byBob Crewe, and is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff and choreographed bySergio Trujillo, the musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio,Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, about 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. The show features all their hits including 'Sherry,' 'Big Girls Don¹t Cry,' 'Oh What A Night,' 'Walk Like A Man,' 'Can¹t Take My Eyes Off You' and 'Working My Way Back To You.'

JERSEY BOYS is the recipient of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 2009 Olivier Award for Best Musical. The Original Broadway Cast Recording, produced by Bob Gaudio, received the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The Broadway production also won the 2006 Outer Critics Circle & Drama League Awards for Best Musical. The London production also won the 2009 UK People¹s Choice and What¹s on Stage Awards for Best New Musical. The Toronto production is the winner of three Dora Awards, including the Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production. The Australian production is 2010 recipient of the Helpmann Award for Australia¹s Best Musical and seven Victorian Green Room Awards.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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