Michael Longoria to Replace Young as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys 11/27

Michael Longoria, who currently plays Frankie Valli for two performances a week in Jersey Boys, will take on the role full-time starting on November 27. He replaces John Lloyd Young, a 2006 Tony Award winner for his performance. There is no official word on when Young's final performance will be, although his personal blog lists November 21 as his end date.

Longoria has been with the Jersey Boys company since the start, having created the role of Joey a.k.a. Joe Pesci when the show opened on November 6, 2005. He has been a understudy for the role of Frankie Valli for two years, and has been playing the vocally demanding part for two shows a week Wednesday and Saturday matinees over the past year. Longoria made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of Hairspray and has also been seen regionally in Peter Pan and Wendy, Avenue X, West Side Story and A Chorus Line.

An actor will be named shortly to replace Longoria as Valli for the Wednesday and Saturday matinees.

The 2006 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Jersey Boys will continue to star Tony winner Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito, Daniel Reichard as Bob Gaudio and J. Robert Spencer as Nick Massi. Reichard will leave the production on January 6, 2008.