Signature Productions to highlight music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons

Get ready to say, "Oh, what a night" ... and then hum it all the way home.

Signature Productions announces performances of "Oh What a Night!" Thursday through Nov. 19 at the Summerlin Library's Performing Arts Center, 1771 Inner Circle Drive.

The show brings to life the songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, one of the best-selling musical groups of all time. That group first saw success in the mid-1960s and had so many hits, it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999. It sold 175 million records.

Besides the title song, expect hits such as "Working My Way Back To You," "Let's Hang On," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "My Eyes Adored You" and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."

The musical revue was written by Motown producer and creative consultant George Solomon, directed by Michael Chapman and choreographed by Paul Holmquist.

"Oh What a Night!" stays true to the original recordings, so much so that one might wonder if it's being lip-synched. It's not.

"People asked that so much that I put some a cappella in there," Chapman said.

The show premiered in August 2008 and was so popular that more singers were recruited, allowing different casts to perform it simultaneously in different cities. Now there are 44 singers performing worldwide.

It is not unusual for performances to be sold out. Even now, more dates have to be added due to demand. Shows are lined up by mixing and matching singers according to role and availability.

"We're not trying to look like Frankie or sound just like Frankie; any one of them can hold the stage," Chapman said.

The four men in the Summerlin show -- Rob Hyatt, Blake Pullen, Steve Huntsman and Brandon Albright -- are being plugged in from different shows. Pullen was singing in Mexico. Huntsman was performing in Hawaii, and Albright was doing the show in Australia.

Hyatt, fresh off the Riveria show, has been with the show since its inception and knows three roles. That means he can be plugged into almost any show. He said being a swing person means suddenly there's a "new chemistry to the group. ... We always have a blast on stage."

The Strip audience, he noted, is different from locals.

"They've probably just seen a Cirque show, and they go, 'OK, show us what you've got,' " he said. "It takes a little while, but we win them over. The locals, we have them from the beginning."

This show includes several top 10 releases not in the Broadway production "Jersey Boys." Where that show is biographical, the one Summerlin audiences will see is upbeat, family-friendly and all about the music.

Signature normally does stage shows. Why is it going with an established music show?

"We're kind of getting a break, which is what we needed," said Leslie Fotheringham, artistic director. "We're hoping people will come because they know every song in the show. And it's a good music lesson for younger ones."

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 27 and 29 and Nov. 3-5, 9, 10, 12 and 17-19. Matinees are set for 2 p.m. Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 12 and 19.

Tickets are $20 for those 13 or older for Wednesday and Thursday performances. Saturday and Sunday performances are $25 for adults and $23 for seniors (60 or older) and students (13 or older). Tickets for children 3 to 12 are $15 for all performances. For tickets, visit signatureproductions.net/tickets.html or call 878-7529. For more information about the show, visit frankievalliandthe 4seasonstribute.com or call 878-7529.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.