Olivia Valli, who previously performed in the national tour of "Wicked," will appear as Mary Valli, her biological grandmother, in "Jersey Boys" on Broadway beginning May 20.
The play tells the story of the Four Seasons, the singing group founded in the 1960s who notched megahits including "Sherry" and "Big Girls Don't Cry."
The Four Seasons members largely came from the Newark area and the foursome rose to stardom performing in small clubs in New Jersey, from Union to Belleville. Belleville is also the hometown of founding member Tommy DeVito, where a street has been named for him.
Lead singer Frankie Valli, 85, a Newark native inspired to pursue a music career after seeing a performance by his fellow Jersey recording artist Frank Sinatra, recorded 29 Top 40 hits with the group and nine more hits as a solo artist.
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