Jersey Boys: Ryan Jesse to play Bob Gaudio

Newcomer Ryan Jesse will make his Broadway debut when he steps into the role of 'Bob Gaudi' on 12 Oct 2010 in the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys.

Jesse assumes the role from Sebastian Arcelus, who will play his final performance on 10 Oct 2010. Arcelus his departing the show to prepare for his starring role in the new musical Elf, opening on Broadway on 14 Nov 2010.

The musical, now in its 4th year, opened on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre on the 6 Nov 2005, following previews from the 4 Oct and is currently booking through to 2 Jan 2011.

Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi, about a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.

The musical opened to excellent reviews: "still dynamically alive in music while, as a drama, it catches the very texture, almost the actual smell, of its time." (New York Post); There's no point in beating around the bush — I had a great time." (New York Daily News); "A hot new Broadway show." (Star-Ledger); "It's basically a nostalgic evening—but a thoroughly enjoyable one." (newyorktheatreguide.com)

Winner of the 2006 Best Musical Tony Award about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jersey Boys is written by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with Orchestrations by Steve Orich and Music Direction, Vocal Arrangements and Incidental Music by Ron Melrose.

The cast of Jersey Boys is currently led by Sebastian Arcelus (Bob Gaudio), Matt Bogart (Nick Massi), Dominic Nolfi (Tommy DeVito) and Jarrod Spector (Frankie Valli) as The Four Seasons; with Peter Gregus and Mark Lotito.

The cast also includes Miles Aubrey, Erik Bates, Bridget Berger, Scott J. Campbell, Kris Coleman, Ken Dow, Russell Fischer, John Hickman, Katie O'Toole, Joe Payne, Jessica Rush, Dominic Scaglione Jr., Sara Schmidt and Taylor Sternberg.

Jersey Boys is produced on Broadway by Dodger Theatricals, Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, in association with Latitude Link and Rick Steiner/Oshen/Staton/Bell/Mayerson Group.

Ryan Jess

Originally published on

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