Mark Ballas debuts in Jersey Boys on Broadway tonight

"Dancing with the Stars" standout Mark Ballas joins the cast and assumes the leading role of Frankie Valli at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre tonight, making him the final man to play Frankie on Broadway. Dominic Scaglione Jr. played his final performance in the role on 16 October, whilst Mauricio Pérez continues on as the alternate Frankie Valli at select performances.

Mark Ballas has competed on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" for the past 18 seasons, earning an Emmy nomination in 2011. His UK theatre credits include 'Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story,' 'Copacabana,' 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' and 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.'

As previously announced, producers of the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys posted a Broadway closing notice, revealing the show's final performance at Broadway's August Wilson Theatre on 15 January 2017.

Jersey Boys began previews on 4 October 2005 and officially opened on 6 November. Upon closing, the production will have played a total of 4,642 performances.

The principal cast of Jersey Boys currently includes Mark Ballas (Frankie Valli), Nicolas Dromard (Tommy DeVito), Drew Seeley (Bod Gaudio) and Matt Bogart (Nick Massi) (with Mauricio Pérez as the alternate Franke Valli).

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.

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); "It's basically a nostalgic evening—but a thoroughly enjoyable one." (NYTG)

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.

- by Tom Millward