From Broadway to Motown: John Lloyd Young to return to Old Forge stage

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As the Four Seasons would say, “Oh, What A Night!”

You can bet that sentence was on everybody’s lips when John Lloyd Young, who originally portrayed Frankie Valli in the acclaimed musical, “Jersey Boys” performed for a sold-out performance at View in Old Forge last August.

(Yes, I know that’s not the name of the song, but “December, 1963” doesn’t have the same ring to it.)

Well, if you missed your opportunity to catch that show, you get another chance, as the Tony and Grammy Award winner returns to the north country’s pre-eminent arts center with his new show, “John Lloyd Young: Mostly Soul” on Thursday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m.

But even if you did attend that earlier show – or maybe especially if you attended that show – you’re not going to want to miss this one.

“This is a different show than last year,” notes View’s Performing Arts Program Manager Alan Saban. “He interprets the greatest hits of Little Anthony, The Platters, Sam Cooke, Smokey, Luther and, yes, some Jersey Boys, too.”

The new program allows Young to explore his favorite tunes from Broadway to Motown, displaying the talent and charisma that has made him a hit all over the world

That’s no exaggeration. Simply put, there is not a major event or venue he hasn’t played, having performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Hollywood Bowl, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Radio City Music Hall, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

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His portrayal of Frankie Valli earned Young unprecedented acclaim from New York and national media, In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in Jersey Boys, paving the way to becoming the only American actor in history to win all four leading actor awards for a Broadway debut, adding Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Awards to his Tony win.

He was hand-picked by director Clint Eastwood to reprise his role in the Jersey Boys film adaptation and sang lead vocals on the Grammy Award-winning Jersey Boys Original Cast Album, which has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities by Barack Obama, Young joined a contingent of superstars who represented the United States on the first U.S. Cultural Mission to the Republic of Cuba.

On the small screen, Young has appeared on Live with Kelly and Michael, The Today Show, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, NPR’s All Things Considered and Here and Now, Access Hollywood, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal and more.

Tickets are $50 for View members or $65 for non-members and can be purchased by calling (315) 369-6411 ext. 201 or online at www.ViewArts.org. View is located at 3273 State Route 28, Old Forge, NY 13420.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: John Lloyd Young will explore his favorite tunes during Old Forge show