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SALT LAKE CITY — There’s no doubt you’ve heard the songs, heard the names and this weekend all of Utah will have the chance to see the show. The national tour of “Jersey Boys” rolled into Salt Lake City Friday afternoon.
The production will play five shows through Sunday at the Eccles Theater. However, for the leading man, the Salt Lake City tour stop has special meaning.
For Aaron de Jesus, ‘working his way’ back to Utah and the Eccles Theater has been a long road.
“My mom had us singing ever since we could talk,” said de Jesus. “When I got into college, I got more involved seriously and I kind of caught the bug.”
He grew up in Provo, graduated from BYU. His theater work began at Sundance, and Tuacahn. He then went on to work in Las Vegas and finally in New York City, where lives.
“I’m kind of on loan from the New York Company of ‘Jersey Boys,’” he said.
He usually plays the lead, Frankie Valli, off Broadway in New York City, but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be center stage in the place where it all began for him.
“We had kind of talked about this about a year ago about me coming and joining the tour,” he said. “It worked out and the planets all aligned and I’m here.”
He said he’s very excited for family and friends to finally see him in action.
“Oh, it’s going to be extra fun,” he said.
He will spend one more week with the tour then he will return to New York City, his wife and six-year-old daughter. However, no matter how far away he is from Utah, de Jesus says he’ll always be grateful for all he learned in his home state.
“The arts are clearly important and big part of our community here and it did nothing but help and push me and make me better,” he said.
From Utah boy to a “Jersey Boy,” de Jesus is home, at least for a few days.
