All Star Productions

Jersey Boys is an American Musical Drama which was directed by Client Eastwood and was based on the story of the Jersey Boys. This is a film which tells the story of the musical group which involved a band member Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio which can serve as executive producers. Jersey Boys was released in the year 2014 in the United States. It received many mixed reviews from the critics for their screen time but was able to grow $67 million worldwide successfully.

This story revolves around Tommy DeVito who is performing with his brother Nicky and Nick, who together are known as The Variety Trio. There are many admiration for the Genovese family mobster who later takes a personal interest on the lead. Later that night, when the group attempts to rob the bank and leave safe, the resulting crossfire caused police arresting them. Frankie was the only one left off with the warning.

The band had many records of several demos which attempts to attract interest there were many like Bob Crewe who signed the contract, but they realise that they need a backup singer to help with the vocals. Crewe was looking for a band who does not have any distinctive image and sound yet. This is where they were inspired by bowling alley which was later renamed to be four seasons. This is when they came up with sherry, and it became a commercial success. They made their visits to the Ed Sullivan Show which is named after mobster Norman Waxman to whom Tommy owns over $150,000. Tommy later stops being involved in any group decisions, which also leads them to leave the room.

Later the four were forced to pay the debts, and the band hired the set of the studio musicians which became the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. This is where the Gaudio started to act solely on the songwriter and producer. This where leads that Valli’s wife is now his ex-wife and daughter is a drug addict. Valli meets his estranged daughter and getter not being a better father.

A few years pass, and the group has paid off their debts and have found out the news of Francine’s death by drug overdose. Gaudio later composes a new number for Valli to sing as a solo artist. Frankie is hesitant as he is still in mourning but later agrees. The Four seasons are about to be included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The bank performs Rag Doll on stage and has their life together for the first time in over twenty years. The Music then fades to the four men addressing the audience with Tommy being the iconic twist.

It is a 1986 musical, with music directed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and book by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe. The musical is based on a French novel released in 1910. The primary character of the musical is a beautiful soprano, Christine Daaé. She becomes the obsession of a musical genius beneath the Paris Opéra House.

The musical was first opened in 1986 at the London’s West End and in 1988 at the Broadway. The musical was subjected to various awards including the Tony Award and the Olivier Award for the best musical of all times. It is also considered as the longest Broadway show and completed its 10,000th performance on 11 February 2012. The play also made a lump sum of $6 million with Broadway gross of over $1 billion. It financially gained considerable success until it was taken over by The Lion King.

Synopsis

The musical play is based on a horror novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1910. It is an amalgam of two genres – thrill and romanticism of Phantom, who was a musical genius dwelling below the bridge of Paris opera house. Despite being shunned by the society for his facial deformity, he manages to fall in love with a young soprano named Christine. Meanwhile, Christine gains fame, money, success and turns even more beautiful than she already was. This is the time when a handsome man from her past courts her. Phantom descends to a jealous rage threatens the opera company.

The musical first opened in 1986, at Her Majesty’s Theatre and later at the Majestic Theatre in New York in 1988. Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford and Steve Barton played the leading roles. After 32 years of its opening, the play has over 140 million fans worldwide.

Inspiration

In 1984, Cameron Mackintosh, the co-producer of Cats and Song and Dance was approached by Lloyd Webber for the release of a new musical. Webber was aiming for a romantic piece and researched a lot on various plays and books written by different authors. Basing their story on Gaston Leroux’s book The Phantom of the Opera, both the 1925 Lon Chaney and the 1943 Claude Rains motion picture versions were screened. Somehow, the play did not convince them. Later in New York, Webber got his hands on the second-hand copy of the novel. Halfway into the book, he decided his story for the next romantic musical.

Allegations of plagiarism

The play faced many allegations and complaints and lawsuits of plagiarism, throughout their play. In 1987, they were charged a lawsuit from the heirs of Giacomo Puccini that a two-bar passage from the ‘Music of the Night’ was in close resemblance to the phrases heard in “Quello che tacete” from Puccini’s opera. However, the litigation was settled outside court for an undisclosed number.

Again in 1990, they faced another lawsuit from a songwriter named Ray Repp who claimed the title song of the Phantom resembled his work “Till You“. After years of fighting litigation, Webber claimed that the song was itself  plagiarism of “Close Every Door“.

Former Pink Floyd vocalist Roger Waters also claimed that the half-tone chord was plagiarized from the 1971 Pink Floyd album called “Echos“. But, there was no lawsuit or litigation against him.