“Jersey Boys” actor on playing Frankie Valli

By Jeweliana Register

The show that goes beyond what the public saw for decades is coming to the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami April 4-9. The behind-the-scenes musical “Jersey Boys” has been touring the U.S. performing hits from The Four Seasons while portraying both the positives and negatives of the group’s story.

Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, who plays Frankie Valli in the show, expanded upon the show and explained exactly what makes “Jersey Boys” so special.

“It’s such an amazing show. The story starts somewhere around 1947 and goes until they reach the pinnacle of their success when they are entered into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame around 1990. It’s pretty much the rise and demise of the Four Seasons and how they came about. It’s their entire backstory and how they became one of the most successful rock ‘n roll bands in history,” Jarquin-Moreland explained. “It’s really one of the most well-written if not the best written script in musical theatre history in my opinion. It is so well-written. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice did a great job with the script and the music is incredible. All of the songs are done in concert-style with the exception of two, those are ‘Fallen Angel’ and ‘My Eyes Adore You.’ It’s just such a great, great piece of art.”

Miguel Jarquin-Moreland also expanded upon his character in the show, Frankie Valli. He describes Frankie Valli as the youngest guy in the group. The story begins when he was just 15 years old and living in the projects. Jarquin-Moreland explained the relationship between Frankie and the other guys in the group, along with how Frankie’s character develops throughout the course of the show.

“Frankie Valli is interesting because in the earlier years of life, he was a little timid and always looking up to Tommy. Tommy DeVito was like his big brother, he really took Frankie under his wing. He kind of was always the younger brother, he never had a full say or confidence, he didn’t really run the show. He always knew that he had a gift in terms of his voice, but it wasn’t until they really started becoming successful that he really started to build up his confidence and separate himself from Tommy DeVito and their dynamic,” Jarquin-Moreland explained. “Essentially, it really shows the relationship between Frankie and Tommy kind of dissipating once Bob entered the group, Frankie and Bob had the relationship that Tommy always wanted to have with Frankie, and he was a little jealous of Bob because Bob and Frankie were writing songs, because Bob was a songwriter, and they were making business deals even though Tommy started the group. There’s a lot of jealousy with Tommy but essentially you see Frankie become a man of his own and grow on his own, and really become a confident adult.”

In addition to Frankie Valli’s relationship with Tommy and the dissipation of it, the story also shows other obstacles that Frankie Valli must overcome and events that he must cope with.

“You see some mistakes he makes early on in life and you really get to see Frankie grow. You see him at 15 years old in 1947, all the way into his 40s when ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ hits,” Jarquin-Moreland said. “It shows some of the problems he has as an adult in his personal life and everything in between. You see his problems with women, with his first marriage and how he met his first wife, Mary Delgado, and it really shows a lot of colors. There’s so much material to work with as an actor, it’s a gift.”

The show takes the audience on a journey through all four seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter, with each season narrated by one of the members of the group. The story reveals the emotions of each character and gives them a chance to tell the story from their eyes. Miguel Jarquin-Moreland also described the show as having something that everyone can relate to and explains how authentic the script is.

“I think this piece is so different because it stays true and authentic to the language and the environment of how these guys grew up. They don’t sugarcoat anything. They don’t shy away from something because they don’t want to paint someone in a bad light, no, they put it all on stage, all the dark stuff, like how two of the guys in the group did time, how we struggled for eight years playing nightclubs in New Jersey and New York, covering songs. It really showcases the struggle and eventually the payoff of hard work in the United States. It’s very rare that you have the opportunity to be able to do what they did in another country,” Jarquin-Moreland explained. “It’s relatable to everyone. In terms of the Jukebox musical format, a lot of other shows have tried this format, kind of documentary style, it may not work as well because there is not a lot of meat so to speak to work with. Because there is so much backstory to work with in terms of the way these guys really came up in the world, they grew up in the projects in New Jersey. I think because so many people can relate to the classic ‘rags to riches’ story. It sets it apart from a lot of other Broadway musicals. Everything is done in a very real format.”

For more information on the show and ticket sales, visit jerseyboysinfo.com.

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