Jersey Boys, Featuring Story and Songs of Four Seasons, Looks to Fall B'way Bow

Dodger Theatricals, currently represented on Broadway by Good Vibrations, is planning to bring another musical with a preexisting catalog of songs to the Great White Way. Broadway.com has learned that casting has begun for a fall Gotham mounting of Jersey Boys, based on the life story of The Four Seasons.

Featuring the Four Seasons' hit songs "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Rag Doll" and "Oh What a Night," among others, Jersey Boys is the story of how four blue-collar boys played by J. Robert Spencer, David Noroña, Daniel Reichard and Christian Hoff from the wrong side of the tracks became the biggest doo-wop sensation of all time. Jersey Boys features a book by Academy and Emmy Award winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and music and lyrics by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. Sergio Trujillo serves as choreographer, Ron Melrose is the musical director and orchestrations are by Steve Orich.

Jersey Boys, directed by Des McAnuff, received a mixed to positive critical reception during its fall run at the La Jolla Playhouse. In his review of the piece, Variety's Joel Hirschhorn wrote: "Although many tunes showcased in this Broadway-aimed production don't achieve maximum impact--due to frustratingly abrupt cutoffs--and the Marshall Brickman/Rick Elice book sometimes sets aside gritty realism for corny humor, Jersey Boys is consistently enjoyable, a fleshed-out biopic."

The musical became the biggest box office draw at the La Jolla Playhouse since the theater hosted Rent in 1997. At the regional theater, the show starred J. Robert Spencer, David Noroña, Daniel Reichard and Christian Hoff as The Four Seasons. No casting has been announced for the New York mounting.

Dodger Theatricals has long been attached to Jersey Boys, but no timetable was ever set for its transfer.

A production spokesperson said that plans for a New York production of Jersey Boys could not be confirmed.