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Frankie Valli’s granddaughter, and Montclair State alum, Olivia Polci thrives in her one-woman show in New York City.
Since graduation, Polci has been practicing her art religiously. Her most recent show was on April 15 where she, along with her five band members, played at Feinstein’s 54 Below. The late night show began at 11:30 p.m. but the vivacious 22-year-old had no problem keeping the crowd alive. As friends and family sat in the rustic red booths, the lights dimmed and the room was flooded with an overwhelming positive aura.
When the clock struck, Polci strutted with utter confidence from behind the curtains in a slick black jumper and bold smoky eye. Before even interacting with the crowd, her voice echoed throughout the room thanks to her raucous rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Marry the Night.”
The electric opening had everyone up and dancing, especially her proud mother. The support and admiration in the room was palpable and the smile on Polci’s face showed it. “Friends and family have always supported me and have been incredibly happy for me,” she said. “They are always there to remind me that this is something I love, and I should never be afraid to do my own thing.” The singer clearly took this advice to heart as she was up there dancing herself, belting her heart out with a radiant smile.
As the evening progressed, Polci went back to her roots singing her grandfather Frankie Valli’s “Who Loves You” with Jersey Boys understudy Chris Messina. Messina, who also stars as Joe Pesci in the hit musical, showed off his own talents next to Polci as they sang with one another.
Valli was not in the audience but was with Messina and Polci just the weekend before in Atlantic City. “It’s always great to see him, but he’s so busy being important,” Polci laughs.
Despite knowing most of the cast of Jersey Boys, the singer is reluctant to join herself. “With everything happening right now I feel like that is something I’m super glad to support,” she said. “But as of now I am making my own way, and I am proud of how I am doing personally.”
Her performance lasted well into the night where she sang songs by those who have inspired her such as Aretha Franklin, Paramore, and Adele, occasionally bringing up her peers for a duet. Polci even paid tribute to her late Aunt Francine who passed away before she was set to go on a scheduled tour with Valli. She ended the night surprising everyone with two new songs she had written with the help of her band, “Standing Here” and “Broken Love.”
As the evening came to a close, the audience cheered for an encore, and an encore they got. Polci ironically chose to end with Jessie J’s song “Bang Bang” and she most certainly held up to the standard as she ended things off with a bang.
The singer-songwriter is currently working on her first EP. Be sure to keep an eye out for what Olivia has in store next!