They include John Lloyd Young as “Frankie Valli” (who won the Tony Award for “Best Actor In A Musical” for originating the role of “Frankie” on Broadway and, recently, reprised his portrayal for the show’s West End production in London), Erich Bergen as “Bob Gaudio” (who originated that role on the show’s 1st U.S. National Tour and, again, for the Las Vegas production), and Michael Lomenda (who played the role of “Nick Massi” in the Toronto and 1st U.S. National Touring Companies). Only Vincent Piazza (from the popular television series, “The Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire”) as “Tommy DeVito” is new to the role he plays in the “Jersey Boys” movie.
The film also features Renee Marino (as Frankie’s wife, “Mary Delgado”), Donnie Kehr (as loan shark, “Norm Waxman”), Erica Piccininni (as reporter and love interest, “Lorraine”), and several other smaller roles that are all being played by actors pulled from various U.S. companies of the “Jersey Boys” stage production. When recently questioned about casting so many performers fromthe stage version in the movie, Mr. Eastwood defended his decision by noting that these actors each have “1000-1200 performances under their belt” and brought a wealth of experience and knowledge of their roles to the film. Whether or not Mr. Eastwood’s gamble has paid off remains to be seen, but this much is certain – “Jersey Boys” on stage and on the big screen will continue to electrify audiences for years to come and will thrill the old fans as well as generate new fans of theband whose improbable story has inspired it. For Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, and the countless artists and technicians who have dedicated their time and talents to bringing this improbable, inspiring, and undeniably entertaining story to stages and cinemas around the world, “Jersey Boys” is an unequivocal success that is almost “just too good to be true”!
(Guest contributing writer, Douglas Crawford, is an American Broadway actor, singer, writer, and director. Performing credits include originating the role of “Quasimodo” in the English Premiere Company of “Notre Dame de Paris” and originating the role of “Pop” in the North American Premiere Company of “We Will Rock You”. For the last 7 years, Douglas has performed nearly all of the leading roles in “Jersey Boys” on Broadway, and in the show’s Chicago and 1st National Touring Companies. He is, currently, a member of the Las Vegas Company of “Jersey Boys” and won the Broadway World Award for “Best Featured Actor In A Musical” for his work in that production.)
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