Jersey Boys is a phenomenally popular musical that premiered under artistic director Des McAnuff’s direction at La Jolla Playhouse in October 2004. Its remarkable fan base includes baby boomers, seniors, and youngsters. The show broke box office records at the La Jolla Playhouse and continues packing the August Wilson Theatre in New York nightly. Jersey Boys took home four Tony awards including best musical in 2006 and followed with its first national tour. It again broke box office records at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco at its very first stop.

And that’s not all. Chicago will host the show at the LaSalle Bank Theatre for as long as the Windy City will host it. A new production of Jersey Boys will soon open in Las Vegas at the new Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, while the Prince Edward Theatre in London will welcome the boys in 2008.

San Diego is proud that the show debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse just a few years ago. The Civic Theatre is hosting the first National Tour for a three-week run through Nov. 11.

Forever young Frankie (Castelluccio) Valli, whom the play is based on, keeps going at the age of 73. Along with a rigorous touring schedule, he’s currently putting the finishing touches on an album of pop tunes due out soon.

Hearing songs such as “Sherry,” “Dawn,” and “Can’t Keep My Eyes Off You” transports audience members to another time.

Jersey Boys is a rags-to-riches (authorized) story that chronicles the lives of a group of street corner crooners who made it to the top. It comes with uncomfortable reflections on a past that includes womanizing, gambling and family troubles.

The Gay & Lesbian Times had an opportunity to speak to Courter Simmons, the understudy for the Frankie Valli role in the current national tour. This is what he had to say about the show and his career.

Gay & Lesbian Times: How long have you been touring with the National tour of Jersey Boys, and how has that experience played out to date?

Courter Simmons: I’ve been with the tour for approximately six months and have nothing but great things to say about the production and the company of actors that I’ve been working with. They treat everyone like family. And it’s great to be with a show that’s always sold out.

GLT: Speaking of family, this show tells the story of some rough and tumble musicians from Jersey. Does this eliminate some of the fluff that routinely comes with many musicals?

CS: I can tell you that there is an absence of men running around in tights in this show. Since the leads in the production run towards the macho side, casting may be stacked towards the straight side of the track. There are about 17 men in the cast and most are straight. It’s a different dynamic but the cast – as you might expect – is very accepting.

GLT: As I recall, there’s a gay character featured in the show?

CS: True, John Altieri, another gay actor in the show, plays longtime record producer, Bob Crewe. I don’t think he was as openly gay as portrayed in the show. You’ve got to remember that the Four Seasons began singing in the 50s on street corners and that it was a different time and place for gay individuals.

GLT: Could you tell us about the casting process?

CS: On my first audition for Jersey Boys I got one callback and nothing more came of it. With the second opportunity, I decided that I needed to look the part of Frankie Valli, so I darkened my blond hair and bulked up a bit. Even I knew that a skinny, short blond wouldn’t walk away with a role without some type of a makeover. I knew I had to look unfeminine and Italian.

GLT: As the understudy for the role of Frankie Valli, are you waiting in the wings and crossing your fingers each and every night, hoping that the lead will break a leg so you can play the part?

CS: I actually got an opportunity to play the part recently in Arizona, and I’m scheduled to play the part at least twice more during the San Diego run of the show (Oct. 23 and Oct. 25).

GLT: With 27 songs to sing during the show, would you say the part of Frankie Valli is a bit of a musical challenge?

CS: Yes. As a matter of fact, the role requires an alternate to sing twice a week. It’s a part that requires discipline: no drinking, no smoking and plenty of rest.

GLT: Do Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio have any influence on the casting of the show?

CS: They have a lot of influence on the casting. They want that actor to look the part, not just sing the part. It’s interesting to note that, after I was selected for the part, I had to attend what is called the “Frankie” camp, where we learn how to sing and act like Frankie Valli on the stage.

GLT: What’s your impression of the real Frankie Valli?

CS: I’ve only met him once in L.A. at the opening of Jersey Boys. I shook his hand; that’s all, so I don’t have a lot to say about him in that respect. I can tell you that he’s short. I’m 5-foot-4 and he’s inches shorter than me.

GLT: Were you born into a theatrical family?

CS: You might say that I was born into a kind of theatrical family since my father was a practicing minister. I was raised in the Bay Area and participated in children’s theatre as early as 9 years of age. I attended the American Musical Theatre in San Jose and Santa Clara University, where I obtained a B.A. in Theatre and Dance. My first job was with a children’s theatre show.

GLT: I take it that while Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons were racking up their number one hits, you hadn’t been born yet. How did you become familiar with their sound?

CS: I actually heard their music for the very first time while at a day care center. I remember listening to “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and others.

GLT: What is it exactly about this show that continues to fill up theaters in the United States and elsewhere?

CS: I think it’s the same reason that so many jukebox musicals work – it’s all about nostalgia. It’s all about the ‘I-remember-when’ aspect that comes into play with these kinds of shows. It’s all about the emotional part of your own musical memory and personal journey.

Jersey Boys runs through Nov. 11 at the Civic Theatre. For tickets and more information, visit www.broadwaysd.com.