Frankie Valli tribute show set to visit Sudbury

If you're a fan of such Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons classics as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don't Cry,” and “Walk like a Man,” you're in luck.

The Oh What a Night! Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons tribute show is set to visit Laurentian University's Fraser Auditorium on March 7.

Rick Wojnowski, who appears in the show, said it's an energetic, “feel-good” show featuring non-stop dancing and singing.

“If you don't get to the theatre smiling, you'll definitely leave the show smiling,” he said.

Oh What a Night!, written by Motown producer and creative consultant George Solomon, isn't exactly a typical musical. The four men who appear in the show don't play parts, and take turns singing Valli's hits.

There are actually multiple troupes who perform the show all over the world, said Wojnowski. The act is currently touring eastern Canada.

“At any given moment, 'Oh What a Night!' can be performing in five different places at the same time,” he said.

While you'd think the show — which after all features music from the 1960s and 1970s — would mostly appeal to the Baby Boomer demographic, that's not the case, Wojnowski said.

Kids attending the family friendly show often beg their parents to buy the CD afterwards, he said.

“We have 10-year-olds that love the show, and their grandma is dancing in the aisle during the show,” he said. “It crosses a lot of generations.”

The performers stick closely to the original recordings, Wojnowski said.

“Audiences come and they want to hear 'Walk like a Man,'” he said. “They don't want to hear some jazzed up version of it. No, they want to be able to sing along.”

Wojnowski said his favourite song in the show is “My Eyes Adored You,” as it reminds of him of a girl he liked in Grade 2, as that's when the song was popular.

A definite fan favourite is the title track to the movie “Grease!” which Valli penned as a solo artist.

“It's an exciting number,” he said.

Tickets to the show, which cost $47.25 each, are available at the Sudbury Theatre Centre Box Office at 705-674-8381, ext. 21 or www.sudburytheatre.on.ca.