Her.ie Chats to Jersey Boys Producer David Ian

Jersey Boys is one of the most successful shows ever to grace the stage and it’s coming to Ireland next month. The jukebox musical is showing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from April 1st to 18th which gives you plenty of time to brush up on your vocals. With songs including Walk Like a Man and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, you’ll definitely be singing along to this one. But before that time comes around, we caught up with the show’s producer David Ian to talk about what makes Jersey Boys so special.

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The Show Itself It’s a great show. I’ve produced a few shows here before – The Sound of Music, Chicago, Grease – but this is as big a show as I think I’ve ever been responsible for. This is something which has played to over 22 million people, it’s won over 55 major theatrical awards. It’s a big responsibility. Dublin as a Venue It’s a great buzz to bring the show to Dublin. It’s a great city for art, famously so. It’s a city that’s full of musicians and artists of various types so I think it always feels a little bit unique and a bit special. If you get a musical right here, the audiences are really great. They’re fantastic and I think Jersey Boys is a real Dublin show, not only because of the songs but you’ve got a phenomenal story that’s 100 per cent true, which is rare. Success on Stage You never know if the show will be a hit until you see a result at the box office, until you see full houses. There are various stages. You get the script and you think this is good. Then there’s the casting and you might think you’ve got the next box ticked. Then you start your previews and your rehearsals and you think this is happening. Then comes the first performance and the reviews. Each of those stages is important but the definition of a hit for me is if it gets its money back and goes into profit. Enthusiastic Fans Half the time they come dressed up to Priscilla Queen of the Desert. There’s more feather boas in that audience than there ever is on stage! The Bodyguard can be a rowdy crowd on a Friday night. Once it gets to I Will Always Love You, everyone thinks they’re Whitney. For Jersey Boys it tends to be a strong musical theatre audience so they know what they’re coming for and the great thing about it is the story. I always think it’s like Goodfellas in musical form. It’s about four boys who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and formed a band, like loads of kids… only they went on to sell 175 million records. That’s what I think sets this one apart. The audience goes out thinking they’ve had a fantastic night but saying ‘wow what an incredible story.’ His Other Projects I’ve got quite a lot going on at the moment. I’ve got The Bodyguard which is starting its UK tour in Southampton and it’s coming here. I’ve got Jersey Boys, obviously. I’ve got Priscilla Queen of the Desert coming back later in the year. Chicago is going on again. I’ve got Cats at the London Palladium at the moment. The Sound of Music is on in Hong Kong at the moment. Grease is in Australia too. So jetlag’s a wonderful thing! I just sleep when I can. I’ll also be looking for a Maria for The Sound of Music in Sydney. It’s busy but good.

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Jersey Boys is playing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from April 1st to 18th 2015. Tickets are on sale now (click here for more information).