June 08, 2021
© Harrison Hill/USA TODAY via Imag
New Jersey native Nick Jonas will star as Frankie Valli in the upcoming made-for-TV adaptation of the Tony award-winning musical, 'Jersey Boys.'
Frankie Valli has confirmed that New Jersey native Nick Jonas will portray him in an upcoming TV adaptation of the musical "Jersey Boys."
The Four Seasons singer announced on Monday's broadcast of "The Today Show" that he and Jonas talked about the role and he's "very excited."
The upcoming project will skip theaters and head directly to a streaming service, Nj.com reported. The full details of the adaptation are still under wraps.
Jonas, 28, is known for incorporating falsetto notes into his songs, which he'll need for Valli's signature sound in Four Seasons classics like "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man" and "Sherry."
The former Disney star was born in Dallas, but was raised in Northern New Jersey in Wyckoff and Little Falls.
"Jersey Boys" opened on Broadway in 2005 and closed in 2017. John Lloyd Young won a Tony Award for his performance as Valli.
This isn't the first adaptation of the Tony-winning musical. In 2014, Clint Eastwood directed a film adaptation starring Young.
"When it went to Broadway I never would’ve dreamed in a million years that it would’ve lasted 10 or 11 years the way it did," Valli said. "And it’s always exciting because something new is always going on. 'Jersey Boys' has been on cruise ships, it’s been in almost every country that you can possibly think of. And now it’s being filmed for television and Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers is playing Frankie, so I’m really excited about that."
The project is slated to be filmed "somewhere in Cleveland," and Valli will produce the film alongside Graham King, who worked on "Bohemian Rhapsody," as well as his fellow Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio.
The Jonas Brothers split up in 2013, but later reunited in 2019 with the hit album "Happiness Begins." Nick Jonas has released two solo albums, one during their separation and one last March.
Jonas has tackled some acting roles as well, including "Chaos Walking," "Midway," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "Goat."
He's also served as a coach on The Voice and made appearances on Saturday Night Live as both the host and musical guest.
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