'Jersey Boys' SF Holiday Cast with Faugno & Rannells

Casting has been announced for the special holiday encore engagement of Jersey Boys, set to play San Francisco's Curran Theatre from November 20-December 30, 2007.  The cast of Jersey Boys will be lead by Rick Faugno (Frankie Valli), San Franciscan Jeff Leibow (Nick Massi), Bryan McElroy (Tommy DeVito) and Andrew Rannells (Bob Gaudio) as The Four Seasons with Jonathan Hadley and Ken Krugman.

Fans of the San Francisco engagement of Jersey Boys may remember Rick Faugno, who played Joey in the original San Francisco cast, and went on to play Frankie Valli in that company. Jersey Boys is presented as a Special Engagement of the 2007-2008 Best of Broadway season, brought to you by Citibank, under the direction of Carole Shorenstein Hays.

The cast will also include Mike Backes, Natalie Bradshaw, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Joyce Chittick, Graham Fenton, Julia Krohn, Jason Martinez, Kristofer McNeeley, Jonathan Gerard Rodriguez, Brad Russell, Kevin Russell, John Salvatore, Michael James Scott, Lauren Tartaglia and Colin Trahan.

One of the hottest shows ever to play San Francisco, Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, opened to rave reviews at the Curran Theatre on December 10, 2006, and due to overwhelming ticket demand, a second company began there on May 4, 2007. The show finished its extended, 44-week, record-breaking run on September 30.  Jersey Boys also recently completed a sold-out run in Los Angeles and is now playing in cities across the U.S. on a National Tour. The Chicago Company opened to critical acclaim on October 14, and has recently announced an extension through July 13, 2008.

Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys won four 2006 Tony  Awards including Best Musical and continues to break box office records at the August Wilson Theatre since opening in November 2005.  Jersey Boys is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

"Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi.  This is the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks 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," explain press notes.

The Jersey Boys design and production team comprises Klara Zieglerova (Scenic Design), Jess Goldstein (Costume Design), Howell Binkley (winner of the 2006 Tony Award for his Lighting Design of Jersey Boys), Steve Canyon Kennedy (Sound Design), Michael Clark (Projections Design), Charles LaPointe (Wig and Hair Design), Steve Orich (Orchestrations) and Ron Melrose (Music Direction, Vocal Arrangements & Incidental Music).

Tickets for Jersey Boys range in price from $30 to $99 and can be purchased online at shnsf.com, through Ticketmaster by calling (415) 512-7770, at www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers and the Curran Theatre Box Office (445 Geary between Taylor and Mason, Mon - Fri, Noon  – 6pm) or Orpheum Theatre Box Office (1192 Market at 8th St., Mon-Sat 10am – 6pm). For groups of 20 or more, call Group Sales at (415) 551-2020.  To learn more about Jersey Boys and other SHN shows, please visit www.shnsf.com

Show times: Tuesdays – Saturdays at 8PM; Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 2PM. Added Performances: Sunday evenings, November 25, December 2 and December 30 at 7:30PM. No Performance: Wednesday evening, November 21 at 8PM (matinee ONLY) or Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving).

l-r: Jeff Leibow, Andrew Rannells, Rick Faugno and Bryan McElroy
Photo by Joan Marcus

Rick Faugno (Frankie Valli) started in the National Tour of Jersey Boys as Joey/Frankie Understudy, became Alternate Frankie in that company and now, he's getting the chance to call the role his own. He began performing on Broadway at age 12 in The Will Rogers Follies. Other Broadway credits: Conversations With My Father, Fosse, Wonderful Townand Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Jeff Leibow (Nick Massi) is ecstatic to be joining the Jersey Boys family, especially in his hometown. Regional credits include: Jamie in The Last 5 Years (San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Nomination), Barry in Putting It Together (San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Nomination), Michael in Smokey Joe's Café, Man 1 in I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Radames in Aida, and the world premieres of Memphis (directed by Gabriel Barre) and Kept (directed by Scott Schwartz).

Bryan McElroy (Tommy DeVito) is honored to be involved in Jersey Boys. A Chicago native, his past credits include: First National Tour: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy). Off Broadway: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Man #1)

Andrew Rannells (Bob Gaudio) Broadway: Link Larkin in Hairspray. Regional: Chris in Miss Saigon, Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Billy in The 60's Project, Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Andrew has provided voices for characters in numerous animated series and commercials.