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has been released from prison for killing a man at the beginning of the play, spearhead the family's adventure." The frail Granma and Grampa Joad; the family's patriarch, Pa Joad; newly pregnant Rose of Sharon; Rose's hus- band, Connie Rivers; and the disheartened preacher, Jim Casy, join Tom and Ma on the road to California. The Joad family's uplifting 2,000-mile quest for its own Eden "by way of an old, beat-up jalopy reveals the insurmount- able fortitude and tenacity of mankind," the release says. "In addition to the captivating set, designed by Scott Bradley, Asolo Rep's production fea- tures 28 cast members, including five local child actors," the release notes. Onstage musicians will enhance "Steinbeck's powerful story of strength, perseverance and hope," it adds. The play's composer/music director, award-winning American folk musician Tim Grimm, explains in the release that Americana singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie, who grew up in Oklahoma and lived through the Dust Bowl, and Pete Seeger, one of the fathers of American folk music, served as his greatest inspirations. Grimm will perform on stage alongside local musicians Sara Moone and Carmela Pedicini, the release says. Tickets for The Grapes of Wrath start at $21.To purchase them, call 351-8000, visit asolorep. org, or visit the box office in the lobby of the theatre. Asolo Repertory Theatre is located at 5555 North Tamiami Trail in the Florida State University Center for the Performing Arts. With his three-and-a-half-octave vocal range and more than 100 million records sold over a multi-decade career, Frankie Valli will be back in Sarasota with The Four Seasons on March 10 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. Frankie Valli and the Seasons came to fame in 1962 with their No. 1 hit Sherry, a news release notes. Now "they are hotter than ever, thanks to the raving success of the Tony-winning musical Jersey Boys," which chronicles the life and times of Valli and his iconic group, the release points out. Valli, has toured almost continuously since 1962, and his songs have been keystones of several movies, from The Deer Hunter to Dirty Dancing to Mrs. Doubtfire, the release notes. He and The Four Seasons "have influ- enced countless other recording artists" as well, the release says. Among their biggest hits are Big Girls Don't Cry, Grease and December 1963 (Oh What a Night). Tickets are priced from $85 to $120. For more information, call the box office at 953-3368 or visit www.VanWezel.org. FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS COMING TO SARASOTA Frankie Valli/Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader February 28, 2014 Page 118