UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 35, Page 4
June 20, 1996
Frankie Valli to open '96 Summer Arts Festival

     Come Outside and See the Stars" is the theme for the University's
Summer Arts Festival scheduled July 6, 11, 12 and 13 in Lewes. Veteran
rock 'n' roll artists Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will open the
festival, which continues with a tribute to country, pop and gospel
music by B.J. Thomas, Dan Seals and upcoming Canadian country singer
Patricia Conroy; an American Family Theatre production of Cinderella;
and a "mostly pops" concert performed by the Delaware Symphony
Orchestra.
     All events are held on the University's College of Marine Studies
Hugh R. Sharp Campus, located at 700 Pilottown Rd. in Lewes, and will
be held under the stars. Seating is on the grass, and audience members
are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Picnic dinners are
encouraged, and there will be a variety of foods for purchase.
     Frankie Valli will kick off the festival at 8 p.m. on Saturday,
July 6. With one of the most distinctive voices in all of rock 'n'
roll, Valli continues to dazzle crowds throughout the world. With his
three-and-a-half octave range-a natural baritone that glides
effortlessly into a spectacular falsetto-Valli has sold more than 100
million records over the course of his career.
     Together with The Four Seasons, Valli is among an elite handful
of performers who have chart singles from the 1950s through the 1980s.
     In 1956, the group debuted on the pop charts with "The Apple of
My Eye," but it wasn't until 1962 that Valli's talent and hard work
were rewarded with the phenomenal success that would mark his career.
That year, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons recorded the No. 1 smash
hit "Sherry," which was quickly followed over the next few years with
such unforgettable original songs as "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like
a Man," "Candy Girl" and "Rag Doll," all of which became rock 'n' roll
classics.
     "Let's Hang On" went to the number three spot on the pop charts
in 1966, while 1967 brought the immortal "Can't Take My Eyes Off of
You," plus the gold-selling "C'Mon Marianne." In the mid-'70s, Valli
was back on top of the charts again, going platinum with the
bittersweet ballad, "My Eyes Adored You," and the big hits "Our Day
Will Come" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" which climbed to
No. 1, and stayed at the top for three weeks. Valli also scored
another mega-hit in 1978 with the title track of the best-selling
Grease soundtrack.
     Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons concert is sponsored by Price
Acura.
     Other events include a country/pop spectacular with B.J. Thomas,
Dan Seals and Patricia Conroy at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 11.
     This is the first time the festival has featured country music,
and organizers have lined up diverse performers with a broad base of
fan appeal.
     The American Family Theatre returns to the festival with a
"Broadway For Kids" series production of the popular children's
classic, Cinderella, which begins at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 12.
     The Delaware Symphony Orchestra wraps up the festival on
Saturday, July 13 (raindate-July 14), with its 11th annual Cape
Concert, a feature that comes close to selling out each year. The
event begins with entertainment by the Sin City Band at 5:30 p.m., and
the symphony performance starts at 8 p.m.
     All festival events are free to children under the age of 7.
     Advance tickets for Frankie Valli are $5 for youths ages 7-17
years and $15 for adults. Day of show tickets are $7 for youths and
$17.50 for adults.
     Advance tickets for the country/ pop spectacular are $5 for
youths ages 7-17 and $10 for adults. Day-of-show tickets are $7 for
children and $12.50 for adults.
     Cinderella is free to everyone up to the age of 17. Adult tickets
are $5 in advance and $7 day of show.
     Advance tickets for the Cape Concert are $5 for youths ages 7-17
and $12 for adults. Day of show tickets are $7 for youths and $15 for
adults.
     For information or to charge tickets, call 855-1620. With the
exception of the Cape Concert, all events will be held rain or shine.
     PNC Bank is sponsoring the symphony performance and WBOC-TV is
sponsoring the fireworks.
                                                          -Beth Thomas