Could you be the Frankie Valli of Hawke’s Bay?

Napier Operatic Society hope Jersey Boys fever will take over Hawke’s Bay singers and actors as they hunt for their perfect Frankie Valli.

Jersey Boys is set to hit the Napier Municipal Theatre Stage in October next year and the Napier Operatic Society is calling for anyone interested in auditioning to attend an information evening at the Tabard Theatre on December 11 at 7pm.

From the mean streets of Jersey to American Bandstand, the musical tells the story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks who became the biggest doo-wop sensation of all time: The Four Seasons.

Jersey Boys is a musical that debuted in 2004 and ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017. Now the Napier Operatic Society will bring the music-filled production to the Hawke’s Bay audience.

Sonya Aifai, production manager for the Napier Operatic Society, said: “This is a show that is timeless with well-known music, humour, sorrow and a story that covers the roller-coaster lives of Frankie and The Four Seasons.”

Hawke’s Bay’s Jersey Boys will be directed by Peter Meikle.

Supported by musical director Peter Tihema, the show will be directed by Peter Meikle, who recently directed The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in Blenheim and other productions of Les Misérables, West Side Story and more.

Meikle described the production as an extraordinary opportunity for a group of young Hawke’s Bay singers and actors to be cast in a compelling story of four young men and the age in which they grew up, developed, evolved and reacted.

To bring the Jersey Boys production to life, the Napier Operatic Society is looking for the perfect Hawke’s Bay Frankie Valli.

For those interested in auditioning for one of the leading roles, Meikle said the four young men plus their understudies need to be able to fulfil the creative brief totally.

“They must become and assimilate the Four Seasons and Frankie must be utterly believable. It creates a special demand on the individual to be able to sublimate their own egos and ambitions and ‘become’ a recognised pop icon with a distinct sound.”

The show is set to be a big hit for musical lovers, with songs from Big Girls Don’t Cry to Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.

The information evening will be held at the Tabard Theatre, Coronation St, Napier, on December 11 at 7pm.

Jersey Boys tickets are on sale soon through Ticketek and the Napier Municipal Theatre.