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Frankie Valli recently visited with the cast and crew of “Jersey Boys,” coming soon to the Orleans.
Monday, Jan. 22, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Smash jukebox musical “Jersey Boys,” which famously tells the story and features the music of The Four Seasons, had one of the most successful runs on the Las Vegas Strip of any Broadway show from 2008 to 2016 (at both the Venetian and Paris resorts).
Now, thanks to Ivory Star Productions and the Orleans, it’s back on the Vegas stage, opening for previews Friday with a grand opening coming next month at the 850-seat Orleans Showroom. Although this venue might be smaller than the other venues “Jersey Boys” has called home, the production promises to be as big as ever.
“Back in 2016 when it was announced it was going to leave, I just knew the show had not outlived its welcome here in Las Vegas. It definitely still has a home and a place here,” said John Bentham, CEO of Ivory Star and lead producer of the new “Jersey Boys.” “I’ve been working for the past eight years to find a home for it, and all good things come to those who wait. The showroom at the Orleans is a perfect fit and we’re happy to be here.”
His company and the Boyd Gaming casino resort on West Tropicana Avenue already have a solid relationship that includes the comedy dinner show “Marriage Can Be Murder” — which will mark 25 years of performances in Las Vegas this year — as well as Adam London’s “Laughternoon” and “Late Night Magic” at the Venue at the Orleans, a relatively new entertainment space. Back when “Jersey Boys” closed on the Strip, Ivory Star was operating some of these shows at the D casino on Fremont Street.
Bentham was determined to stage a full-scale version of “Jersey Boys,” which premiered on Broadway in 2005 and was adapted into a film directed by Clint Eastwood and released in 2014.
“The music is so universal, the story is really intertwined in the music, and everybody can relate to it in some form or fashion,” he said. “That’s why we decided to bring back the full band. Other versions of the touring show over the last decade brought the band down to a six-piece, but we brought back the 10-piece band, and we brought back the full cast of 17. We’re really trying to bring it back to as close as possible to the Broadway version.”
That effort also includes installing a new soundsystem and lighting rig in the Orleans Showroom to complement the custom staging, and this edition of “Jersey Boys” also collaborates with many of the associate technicians and crew from the original Broadway production. “Everybody from the director to the choreography, lighting, audio, costumes, they’ve all been associated with the show for decades, and I think that helps lend credibility to the quality of show we’re putting on at the Orleans,” Bentham added.
And talk about credibility: None other than Frankie Valli himself dropped in on rehearsals on January 11 to visit with the cast and crew, take photos and share some of his personal experiences with the show. Valli is performing a residency show of sorts at the Westgate International Theater this year.
“That was really special for our cast to be a part of, for them to have this full-circle moment with one of the men the show is about,” Bentham said.
“Jersey Boys” hits the stage at 7:30 p.m. nightly except Tuesdays starting January 26, with Saturday matinees at 3:30 p.m., at the Orleans Showroom. Tickets and information are available at jerseyboys.vegas.
