One boy’s big break

Jersey Boys made its Australian debut in Melbourne in July 2009 amidst a blitz of hype (and a glitzy opening night party with a rumoured $1 million price tag). It says a lot about the enduing popularity of the ‘jukebox musical’ that it returns to Melbourne for an encore season in early 2013, only a couple of years after that initial 13-month run.

Declan Egan, who plays songwriting supremo Bob Gaudio in this story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, was still a Sydney high school student when Jersey Boys first opened in Australia. He makes his professional musical theatre debut in the show – as he told the Star Observer, the ascension has been just as speedy as it sounds.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest. I got into NIDA for a one-year music theatre course, I got an agent and then three or four months after that I was auditioning for Jersey Boys. To get one of the four main characters in this blockbuster musical… I’ve been riding on this marvelous wave, living the dream – it’s a cliche but it’s true,” he chuckled.

“So much has happened since I got the gig… I was doing three jobs at once, just trying to pay my rent. In a week, my life was turned upside down and suddenly I was doing what I love and what I’ve always wanted to do.”

It’s clear Egan still can’t quite believe his good fortune – he’s now front and centre in a musical that’s been seen by 1 million Australians and 15 million people worldwide.

“It clearly resonates. We all know the music but it’s the true story behind the music I think people enjoy discovering. Everyone can relate to being in a group of friends, bonded, and trying to create something together. At its heart, that’s what Jersey Boys is about.”

For the six or so people in Australia who haven’t yet seen Jersey Boys, it’s an immensely enjoyable look at the rise and inevitable fall of a 1960’s pop act whose place in history is rather underrated – or was until the musical opened on Broadway in 2005. Packed with hits like Sherry, Oh What a Night, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like a Man, it’s also a fascinating character study as four young working class guys suddenly try to adjust to unequal helpings of fame and fortune.

Egan’s Gaudio is the talented songwriter to Graham Foote’s Frankie Valli, the lead singer who gave the group its signature falsetto sound.

“[Bob] went from being a girl-shy young boy to a top of the line musical producer working with people like Michael Jackson and Barbra Streisand,” said Egan.

“As an actor, everyone dreams of getting to play these fascinating characters with real lives. To hop into their shoes and tell their story each night is a thrill.”

INFO: Jersey Boys opens in Melbourne on January 12. www.jerseyboysaustralia.com.au