Frankie Valli is walking into New Orleans this week, and he brought his dance moves with him. Coby Oram, the actor playing Valli in the touring production of “Jersey Boys,” joined WGNO to demonstrate the show's signature “Walk Like a Man” choreography as the six-day run at the Saenger Theatre began Tuesday and continued through Sept. 27.
Oram joined WGNO's Kenny Lopez on “Lunchtime Lagniappe” to talk about the musical and break down the steps behind one of its most recognizable numbers, according to WGNO. The segment framed “Jersey Boys” as the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' rise to musical fame, a tale the station described as one of friendship, ambition, loyalty and success. The band's catalog, including “Walk Like a Man,” “Can't Take My Eyes Off You,” “Big Girls Don't Cry” and “Sherry,” anchors the production's soundtrack.
A Six-Night Stop at the Saenger
The New Orleans engagement runs Tuesday through Sunday at the Saenger Theatre, located at 1111 Canal Street in the Central Business District, per the same WGNO report. A separate listing from the Saenger Theatre confirms a Sept. 25 performance at 7:30 p.m. Central Time, with the show running roughly two hours and 30 minutes including one intermission. That page lists the production as part of the Broadway in New Orleans 2026-2027 season, with tickets starting as low as $28. Ticket information is available through the Broadway in New Orleans event page, the WGNO segment noted.
Fans who catch the show can expect the full jukebox of Four Seasons hits, including “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” alongside the tracks WGNO highlighted, according to BroadwayWorld. The New Orleans stop comes as the production marks a milestone: this touring version is billed as the show's 20th Anniversary North American Tour, a nod to the original Broadway production, which opened Nov. 6, 2005, and closed Jan. 15, 2017, according to the same outlet.
The Tour's Launch and Its Cast
The anniversary tour kicked off Sept. 8 at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York, according to Broadway.com. Oram leads the cast as Frankie Valli, joined by Peyton Schoenhofer as Bob Gaudio, Harry Sperduto as Tommy DeVito and Owen McCredie as Nick Massi, the outlet reported. The original Broadway creative team also returns for this run, led by director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo.
Oram's path to the lead role has taken him through several other stages first. His U.S. tour marks his eighth “Jersey Boys” contract overall, and he began performing the role as a swing aboard the Norwegian Bliss cruise ship, according to a cast biography from jerseyboysinfo.com. Beyond Frankie Valli, he has played Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Marius in “Les Misérables” and Tarzan in Disney's “Tarzan,” the same source notes.
A Role Shared Between Twin Brothers
Oram has shared the part of Frankie Valli with his identical twin brother, Chris Oram, in earlier productions, according to American Theatre. The publication reports the twins grew up in Utah, where they attended a performing arts high school together, and planned to continue sharing the role aboard a cruise ship. Their earlier shared run included a nearly sold-out engagement at the New Theatre and Restaurant outside Kansas City. The New Orleans engagement is part of the separate 2026 North American tour.
Local viewers who missed the segment can catch future editions of “Lunchtime Lagniappe,” which airs every Tuesday through Friday at 11:30 a.m., WGNO said. For now, the Four Seasons' story of scrappy ambition and its songs has a home at the Saenger through Sunday, with Oram's rendition of “Walk Like a Man” serving as the show's calling card for New Orleans audiences this week.
