Michael Watson to play Frankie Valli in The Jersey Boys

Michael Watson will play the role of Frankie Valli in The Jersey Boys starting from today. The role had been played for six years (up to 9 March 2014) by Ryan Molloy. The show has also announced that it will be extending to 15 Feb 2015 and tickets for the new dates will be going on sale from 5 May 2014.

Michael Watson, who was born in Essex, has previously appeared on the London stage in We Will Rock You, Imagine This, Sister Act and Shrek the Musical.  Watson will be joined by existing cast members, including Edd Post (Bob Gaudio), Jon Boydon (Tommy DeVito) and Matt Nalton (Nick Massi).

The show is written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe.

The London production is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team: Directed by Des McAnuff , designed by Klara Zieglerova, lighting by Howell Binkley, choreography by Sergio Trujillo, costumes by Jess Goldstein, sound by Steve Canyon Kennedy and projections design by Michael Clark. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music direction and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.

The Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons - Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi - and how this group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American and International 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. Their songs include 'Sherry', 'Walk Like A Man', 'December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)', 'Big Girls Don't Cry', 'My Eyes Adored You', 'Let's Hang On (To What We've Got)'.

Jersey Boys opened at the Prince Edward Theatre 18 Mar 2008, following previews from 28 Feb 2008 and closed there on 9 Mar 2014. The show re-opened a few days later, at the Piccadilly Theatre on 14 Mar, where it is currently taking bookings to 25 Oct 2014.