Jersey Boys: Joseph Leo Bwarie plays Frankie Valli

Joseph Leo Bwarie plays the role of 'Frankie Valli' from 28 Jan 2014 in the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical, Jersey Boys.

Bwarie, who was playing 'Frankie Valli' in the Broadway production at Wednesday and Saturday matinees, will now star in the lead role six times a week, assuming the role from Dominic Scaglione Jr, who played his final performance on 26 Jan 2014.

Bwarie, who made his Broadway debut in the show last year, has played the role of 'Frankie Valli' nearly 1,700 performances (including Las Vegas, the 1st national tour and Broadway).

Nick Cosgrove replaces Bwarie in playing 'Frankie Valli' at the Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Cosgrove makes his Broadway debut direct from the national tour.

The current Broadway cast of Jersey Boys is currently led by Matt Bogart (Nick Massi), Drew Gehling (Bob Gaudio), Peter Gregus (Bob Crewe), Richard H. Blake (Tommy DeVito), Mark Lotito (Gyp DeCarlo) and *Joseph Leo Bwarie (Frankie Valli).
Nick Cosgrove plays 'Frankie Valli' at Wed and Sat matinees.

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 on Broadway at the August Wilson Theatre on the 6 Nov 2005, following previews from the 4 Oct and is currently booking through to 17 Aug 2014.

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.