The real-life Jersey Boys perform Saturday in Sarasota

It’s not unusual for Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall to host concerts by singers who have been stars of hit Broadway musicals. But Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons may be the only singers to perform in Sarasota who have been the main characters in a Broadway musical.

The Four Seasons’ great pop songs (mostly written by member Bob Gaudio) and impeccable harmonies behind Valli’s distinctive falsetto voice made them one of the most popular acts of the 1960s and early ’70s, and one of the few American acts of the era able to maintain its popularity after the British Invasion.

The group’s story, which involved gangsters, jail time and martial infidelity, was chronicled in “Jersey Boys,” which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2006. Several members of the group had input into the show and have said it’s a largely faithful account of the Four Seasons story, which is at odds with the group’s clean-cut image.

Valli has long been a popular solo artist, but his current tour is billed as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. But none of the other Seasons are left from the original group, so it’s essentially Valli with some backup singers.

They’ll be at Van Wezel on Saturday. “Jersey Boys,” coincidentally, will come to Van Wezel in the 2017-18 season.

Details: 8 p.m. May 20, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. $36-$121. 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "The real-life Jersey Boys perform Saturday in Sarasota."