'Jersey Boys' Hardcover Companion Book Released Oct.16

"Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons" - by Broadway Books released October 16, 2007; Hardcover ($40) - is the lavishly illustrated companion to the Tony Award Winning Musical (touring nationally) from the team behind the companion books to Wicked and Disney's The Lion King.  This official handbook to the smash Broadway hit brings to life the exuberance of the show while telling the little-known, remarkable true story of the blue collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks.  These enormously talented boys from New Jersey became, with a little help from friend Joe Pesci, The Four Seasons-one of the biggest pop music sensations of all time!

"Everyone knows their songs. Few know their story. Named for a bowling alley that refused to book them, The Four Seasons-Frankie, Tommy, Bob, and Nick-were high school dropouts who emerged from New Jersey to become true American Idols. With a shiny doo-wop sound highlighted by lead singer Frankie Valli's stratospheric falsetto, they wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds, and sold 175 million records worldwide-all before they were thirty," state press notes.

Jersey Boys, Broadway's 2006 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical and 2007 Grammy Award Winner for Best Musical Show Album, is the electrifying tale of the Seasons' rise: of the moment when they realized their sound; their breakout with "Sherry;" their career launching appearance on American Bandstand; and of riding the rocket of success against the irresistible pull of the Jersey mob and the old neighborhood. Like the show itself, this gorgeous, full-color companion book captures the magic and the original excitement of the band's life and times through:

- All-new interviews with the original members
- The show's unabridged libretto
- Interviews with the show's cast, writers, and director
- Over 200 photos from the band members' personal collections and other rarely seen memorabilia. 

For anyone who's ever sung along or danced to "Oh, What a Night!," "Walk Like a Man," or "Big Girls Don't Cry," and for those just discovering the timeless sound of The Four Seasons, Jersey Boys is the ultimate keepsake.

Jersey Boys is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff.  The musical, which won a total of four Tony Awards and continues to set new weekly box office records at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway, is written by Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

The design and production team for Jersey Boys includes Klara Zieglerova (scenic design), Jess Goldstein (costume design), Howell Binkley (winner of the 2006 Tony Award for his lighting design of "Jersey Boys"), Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Clark (projections design), Charles LaPointe (wig and hair design), Steve Orich (orchestrations) and Ron Melrose (music direction, vocal arrangements and incidental music).

Jersey Boys premiered at LaJolla Playhouse, October 17, 2004, where the musical played a record-breaking run prior to the Broadway production. JERSEY BOYS opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005 and continues to set new weekly box office records, remaining among the five top grossing shows in New York.  One of the hottest shows ever to play San Francisco, Jersey Boys opened to rave reviews at the Curran Theatre on December 1, 2006, where it closed on September 30, 2007. By popular demand, the show returns to the Bay Area of a limited engagement November 20 through December 20, 2007. The show recently completed a sold-out run in Los Angeles and is now playing in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour.

David Cote (Author) is the theater and chief drama critic for Time Out New York. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Opera News, and Maxim.  In 2005, he wrote "Wicked: The Grimmerie," the lavish companion book to the hit Broadway musical Wicked.

JERSEY BOYS: THE STORY OF Frankie Valli & THE FOUR SEASONS
Written by David Cote, Illustrated by Joan Marcus
Published by Broadway Books
The Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group
Released: October 16th, 2007
$40.00; 176 Pages; ISBN: 978-0-7679-2758-1
www.broadwaybooks.com  and www.JerseyBoysInfo.Com