Frankie Valli’s Irish/Australian counterpart and star of smash hit jukebox musical ‘Jersey Boys’ spoke to Parra News ahead of the group’s reunion shows in western Sydney.
Bobby Fox detailed how he fought for the role of Frankie Valli, the impact of the show on Australian audiences, and how it feels to be reunited with his castmates for ‘Jersey Forever’.
“I went to New York for a research holiday to see a bunch of shows,” Fox reminisced to the days before ‘Jersey Boys’.
“When I saw ‘Jersey Boys’, I was blown away, and then it announced that it was going to be auditioning. So, I auditioned for it, and it was a bit of a disaster – my initial audition was terrible.
“Progressively, my auditions got better, and I landed the role of Frankie after about six months.”
‘Jersey Boys’ is the story of a band called Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, which formed in the 1960s.
“It documented the band members’ lives and careers from the perspectives of the four men in the group: Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Frankie Valli,” Fox described.
“‘Jersey Boys’ followed their careers, trials and tribulations and showed the story behind the music. It went on to become one of the biggest shows to have ever graced planet Earth.”
Now, ‘Jersey Forever’ – the concert version of the show – will be coming to Riverside Theatres and Coliseum Theatre 15 years after it premiered in Sydney.
“It’s a reunion of the original four boys – the original four stars of Jersey Boys that Sydney and Melbourne fell in love with,” Fox explained, talking about bandmates Stephen Mahy, Scott Johnson and Glaston Toft.
“I had never experienced anything like it; the way audiences gravitated towards the show and went crazy about us. And now it’s lingered on after 15 years, and people still talk about us as being synonymous with the show.”
Reliving those days through ‘Jersey Forever’ has been a step back in time for the performer.
“We’re dusting off the cobwebs and taking the best of what we had before and adding all of our development and evolution as performers and humans,” Fox exclaimed.
“It feels so right, so grounded, and so natural. When we perform together, it’s so electric and exciting. I love it; it feels so special.”
Audiences can feel that electricity too.
“They want to dance straight away!” Fox said.
“One of the things I like to do at the start of the show is let them know that they’re here to have a good time and that it’s OK to shout out and sing along.
“At the end, they’re always up on their feet clapping and waving along with us. The magic of ‘Jersey Boys’ has never really died.”
Relive or finally experience the iconic sound of Jersey Boys with ‘Jersey Forever’ at Riverside Theatres on November 7 or Coliseum Theatre on November 29.
Ally Hall joined the team 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She is a graduate of the University of South Australia.