Bob Gaudio, one of America's best songwriters and one of the men behind the 60s pop sensation the Four Seasons visited Toronto to celebrate the first anniversary of Jersey Boys in Canada.
Gaudio spoke to Toronto's Now magazine about the mega hit musical, below is a sneak peek at the interview.
What got you into the idea of pursuing the show?
"The first thing that got me interested in doing a show, not necessarily a Broadway show but something different, was watching The Deer Hunter and seeing what [director] Michael Cimino did with the song Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, setting it in the pool hall. I realized, "We don't just make pop music - this is something bigger than that."
To read the entire feature click here.
Dancap Productions Inc., producers of the award-winning hit musical JERSEY BOYS, celebrated the production's one year anniversary on August 20th at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. In honour of the anniversary, Dancap Productions is extending the current run of JERSEY BOYS through to November 29, 2009. Tickets are on sale now!
Anniversary events included a ceremonial cake and special guest appearances by Bob Gaudio and Rick Elice. "In the last year, more than 500,000 people have been through the newly revitalized main stage theatre of the Toronto Centre for the Arts to experience the joy of Jersey Boys. What pleases me most, though, is the number of multi-generational families who attend the show together, many returning time and time again" said Aubrey Dan, President of Dancap Productions Inc.
JERSEY BOYS is the story behind the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. It tells the story of how four 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 30.
JERSEY BOYS stars Michael Lomenda as Nick Massi, Jeff Madden as Frankie Valli, Daniel Robert Sullivan as Tommy DeVito, and Quinn VanAntwerp as Bob Gaudio.?The company also comprises: Gabriel Antonacci, Matthew Brown, Matt Cassidy, Jennifer Copping, Jade Elliott, Élodie Gillett, Bryan Hindle, Victoria Lamond, Aaron MacKenzie, Adrian Marchuk, W. Joseph Matheson, Timothy Sell, Alison Smyth, Grant Tilly and Shawn Wright.
Directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS 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.
JERSEY BOYS is the winner of the 2006 Best Musical Tony Award®, the 2006 Grammy Award® for Best Musical Show Album, and the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
The Toronto production of JERSEY BOYS is the winner of two 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Awards; Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Des McAnuff and Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Musical for Jeff Madden, as well as the Audience Choice Award.
Currently, there are seven productions of JERSEY BOYS: Toronto, New York, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, the US National Tour and Melbourne, Australia; breaking box office records on Broadway and across North America.
The Canadian production of JERSEY BOYS is produced by Dancap Productions Inc., Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group in association with Latitude Link and Rick Steiner.
The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was recently certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is now available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit. StubHub is The Official Fan to Fan Ticket Marketplace of JERSEY BOYS.
JERSEY BOYS TORONTO: Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street
On Sale Now for Performances through November 29, 2009
Tuesday-Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm
Tickets range from $25 - $110 and can be purchased in person at the box office of the Toronto Centre for the Arts, by calling 416.644.3665 or online at www.JerseyBoysToronto.com.
Limited same-day RUSH SEATS are available for $20 in person only at the Toronto Centre for the Arts box office for all performances on sale two hours prior to the performance only.
For groups of eight or more, call 416.644.3666 or toll free at 1.866.950.7469.
Photo Credit: Cheol Joon Baek
Videos