Jersey Boys Tour Extends in S.F.; New Cast Announced

Due to ticket demand, San Francisco's hit musical Jersey Boys has extended at the Curran Theatre (445 Geary Street) through September 30.  The original San Francisco cast has moved on to a scheduled national tour, and a new cast is now onstage at the Curran Theatre.  Winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical, Jersey Boys is presented as part of the 2006-2007 Best of Broadway season, brought to you by Citibank , under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

The musical is written by Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.

The new cast features Drew Gehling as Bob Gaudio, Steve Gouveia as Nick Massi, Jeremy Kushnier as Tommy DeVito and Jarrod Spector as Frankie Valli.  Fans of San Francisco's ongoing engagement of Jersey Boys will know Jarrod Spector, who appeared as Frankie Valli with the original San Francisco company of jersey boys. The ensemble comprises Lyndsey Cole, John Michael Coppola, John Michael Dias, Mike Erickson, Steven M. Goldsmith, John Hickman, Lauren Marshall, Wade McCollum, Rashad Naylor, Jenny Lee Ramos, Jake Speck, Kara Tremel, Ryan Quinn West with Eddie Driscoll and Craig Laurie.

Gehling's (Bob Gaudio) past credits include shows and workshops Off-Broadway, at the Paper Mill Playhouse, the Roundabout Theatre Company, the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and a residence at Dartmouth with the New York Theatre Workshop.  Favorite credits include The Flamingo Kid (Workshop), Moby Dick (NYTW), Hello, Dolly! (Paper Mill Playhouse), Candide, Assassins, Myths and Hymns, Richard III, The Duchess of Malfi, and Nightingale (a new musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater).   He has appeared in a number of films.

Gouveia (Nick Massi) is one of the original cast members of the Broadway production of Jersey Boys, having been with the show ever since its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2004.  Regional credits include: The Collected Works of Billy the Kid directed by Des McAnuff, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues, Cabaret, Pageant, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Hair.  As a musician, he has performed with members of The Doors, MannfrEd Mann, Icehouse, The CBS Orchestra, The Verve Pipe, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and many others.

As a singer/songwriter, Kushnier (Tommy DeVito) has released two independent CDs, which are available on his, website at www.jeremykushnier.com. On Broadway, he originated the role of Ren in Footloose (and received the Helen Hayes award and Outer Critics Award Nominee), and appeared in Rent. Tours include Rent, Aida, and The Who's Tommy. Regional credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, The Full Monty, Bright Lights, Big City, and The Rhythm Club. He has also appeared on film and TV. 

Having attended Princeton University and trained at the Atlantic Theater Conservatory, Spector (Frankie Valli) is thrilled to have finally surpassed the success he enjoyed as a six-year-old on Star Search. Broadway credits include Les Misérables (Gavroche); National Tours include Jersey Boys (Frankie Valli), Les Miz, Twist (Pistol); Off-Broadway work includes Hamlet (Hamlet), Our Country's Good (Sideway), and The Viy (Gorobets).

The show is produced by Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group , in association with Latitude Link and Rick Steiner.

Jersey Boys opened at the Curran Theatre to rave reviews on December 1, 2006, and continues to be one of the hottest shows ever to play San Francisco.  The musical, according to production notes, "is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, and how this group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time.  They wrote their own songs, invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty."  Jersey Boys features such Four Seasons hits as "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man," "Oh, What a Night" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

Tickets range in price from $30 to $99 and can be purchased online at www.shnsf.com, through Ticketmaster by calling (415) 512-7770, at ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers and the Curran Theatre Box Office (445 Geary between Taylor and Mason, Mon Noon  – 6pm, Tue – Sat Noon – 8:30pm, Sun Noon – 4pm) or Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th St., Mon-Sat 10am – 6pm). For groups of 20 or more, call Group Sales at (415) 551-2020.  To learn more about Jersey Boys and other SHN shows, please visit www.shnsf.com.

Photo of Jarrod Spector, Drew Gehling, Jeremy Kushnier and Steve Gouveia by Joan Marcus