FRANKIE VALLI CELEBRATES 74TH BIRTHDAY WITH STARS AT JERSEY BOYS’ GALA PREMIERE
By total coincidence and completely unplanned the Vegas star-studded gala premiere of the new Jersey Boys musical fell on Frankie Valli’s 74th birthday and as he sang with the Four Seasons way back then “Oh What A Night.”
It was a royal evening of magic, memories and exclusive news stories!
• Actor Joe Pesci who originally united the group back in the 60’s was felled by flu seconds after starting to walk the red carpet and he returned to his suite unable to see the show itself.
• Surrounded by a $1.2 million collection of vintage cars loaned by The Venetian-Palazzo head honcho Bill Weidner, the four cast members of the show led 1600 first nighters in a “Happy Birthday” sing-along as a candle-laden cake was wheeled in for Frankie’s celebration.
• John O’Hurley who wraps his run at Wynn in the Monty Python’s Spamalot musical this summer plans to move to the Broadway version.
• Singer-actor Brent Barrett broke the news that he’s leaving the Vegas cast of Phantom of the Opera for a total switch of character to play on tour in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels this summer.
• Despite being in his mid 70’s not only is Frankie Valli committed to continue his concert tours but he’s always working on a new “major secret, very special and unique” five-year project with jingle queen Linda November and husband, arranger Artie Schreck.
“Everyone on the red carpet and at the 60’s gogo-dancing party in The Venetian Ballroom, was so positive about the success of Jersey Boys and the excitement it brings to Las Vegas and The Strip,” reported my friend Frank Lieberman. He filed this report specially for Luxe Life while I was out of the country on a four-day trip. Here are the jottings from my pal Frank’s notebook and tape recorder! Among the gala guests was Tommy DeVito, one of the original Four Seasons, who after the group went its separate ways in the 70’s moved here to Vegas where he has worked in the casino industry and for his pal, Joe Pesci ever since. Luxe Life will have his amazing confessions about the groups IRS problems and also with the Mafia tomorrow! (The fourth member of the group, Nick Massi died in 2000). Also attending was Las Vegas Sands tycoon Sheldon Adelson with his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, Monty Python star John Cleese, Strip headliners Rita Rudner, Wayne Brady and John O’Hurley, and rival Planet Hollywood Resort chief Robert Earl.
Without doubt the hero of the night was the star himself, Frankie Valli. He told Luxe Life: “The play has done so well in various parts of country. Now its finally come to Vegas and the response is really over the top. Thee guys are sensational. In my wildest dreams I never thought Jersey Boys would get past its La Jolla workshop in San Diego. We were there for six weeks, but it got extended and ended up there for four months. Then the talk began about Broadway, but we didn’t have a theater at first. You see the response from La Jolla to New York was unbelievable. It was a stroke of brilliance the way they put the story together. I don’t know if you realize, but for the first 43 minutes of this play, there is no music, there is no Four Seasons’ music.”
My friend Frank asked Frankie if he’d ever return here again to play Vegas: “I’m not sure though that I want to play Vegas again-performing solo is a whole other thing and my last two experiences weren’t the greatest. Vegas was always a tough place to play anyway. I am one of those type of performers who like to go to a place whether it be a Buffalo or Pittsburgh, where the people come to see you. Vegas was different environment. I liked working Vegas because it was a challenge. You really had to go to your audience in Vegas.”
Said musicians Linda and Artie, married for 11 years but partners for 45 years, “Frankie doesn’t have to do other people’s hits…his show is his hits. Its incredible to see your life on stage because you were there from the beginning behind the scenes.”
John O’Hurley and wife Lisa commented: “Our life never stops. Living with Family Feud and an airplane. Life is booked through 2010. Still involved with Spamalot and now it will end at Wynn we will probably go do it on Broadway starting in January (2009) then looking to open it up in Los Angeles the following year. I’ll stay with the show because its more than I’ve ever envisioned, one of the most extraordinary shows I’ve ever been in. I think it is funnier than Seinfeld and I think that for 90 minutes people get away from their troubles and it provides them a very funny experience. We are truly settled down here living in Vegas with the new baby It’s a great place to live and Vegas could not have been better. Before Jersey Boys I had never though about dark side of music from the groups of the 60’s. This is an absolute paradox.”
Brent Barrett who will leave his role as the Phantom of the Opera on June 6 told Frank: “After two years its long enough doing a show, after that does get old. The future’s got me busy though, on June 26 I have the summer concert at Kennedy Center and then Dirty Rotten Scoundrels summer theater playing John Lithgow role which is going to be 180 degrees from playing the Phantom and I can’t wait!
Comedienne Rita Rudner said: I saw Jersey Boys in New York and its great to see it in Vegas again. Wonderful music. Don’t’ have to think, you can enjoy it, yet it is intelligent and that’s why I loved it.
The Venetian headliner Wayne Brady added: “I loved the music, I’m a big fan of musical theater. I always wanted to do one of these shows, its right up my alley; I’d take a catalog and do the story. This is one amazing winner.”
Said John Cleese with daughter Camela: “I hadn’t seen Jersey Boys, but heard it was terrific. In fact I was told just three days ago by my therapist, who has seen it twice. I have a terrible lack of interest in most popular music. I just don’t listen to music as most people do. I recognized some of the songs from the clips that I’ve watched in my hotel room. It’s a sound I like very much, but I don’t know anything about the show at all. When I heard the name the first time I thought it was about Frank Sinatra.”
American Idol creator Nigel Lythgoe who is from Britain’s musical center of Liverpool said: “ I’ve seen it in New York and I loved it, totally loved the music and sense of humor. Very similar to Liverpool in that sense. I haven’t been able to have Frankie Valli as a guest on Idol because he’s very difficult to sing falsetto. The performer tonight has to look out for his voice because it is so strained to reach the falsetto. Once you’re on American Idol with a voice like that you would have to do it very single week. That’s tough to go up double octaves, too tough, so we’ve stayed away…I’ll take advice from the coaches with the success of Jersey Boys…It’s a bit like doing Neil Diamond…you know down there…hard on boy’s voices who simply can’t do it and we can’t expect to do it…I’ll take advice on it, but my feeling is we won’t be doing it anytime soon.”
Marshall Brickman who wrote the musical commented: “Such a surreal experience and the total success of show is mind-boggling. I almost didn’t do it but then I started listening to the records and they just caught me. The audience is the same New York and Vegas. In Manhattan the gamble is to try and cross Broadway, here the gamble is the slot machines, otherwise everything else is the same.” Director Des McAnuff added, “We have more bells and whistles here in Vegas with more LED sceeens because the theater was built for the show. This became the opportunity to do the perfect Jersey Boys, I love this company, ever since it began four years ago in my La Jolla playhouse I go around and take care of all the companies.” Producer Scott Zeiger of BASE said: “Even with the other productions running this will not interfere with Vegas. This is the icing on the cake. Audiences know the score and we’ve been selling out previews so it looks like we’re in here for a long run.”
The Palazzo owner Sheldon Adelson summed up best: “We will have big winner. I’m feeling fabulous about it.”
But Frankie Valli, who introduced his son to the first nighters himself had the last word: “This is the best troupe of all. It has been a spectacular night and I thank everybody for coming out and supporting our play and story.”