The Hit Men are set to bring the classic hits to Brooklyn

Oh, what a night it will be in Brooklyn!

On Stage at Kingsborough will be the venue for a band featuring music icons. Led by former Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons member and keyboardist Lee Shapiro, The Hit Men was formed to bring fans of ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s tunes back to that special era in music.

“The show ‘Jersey Boys’ was impetus to whole thing,” said Shapiro, when discussing the formation of the group. “The music was so much in the foreground. With the success of the show, it put the music back in the public.”

Four years ago, Shapiro asked for Valli’s blessing to form a group that could play Four Seasons music and he said to ‘go right ahead.’

Shapiro then joined another former Four Seasons member, Gerry Polci, and three other musicians of their generation — Jimmy Ryan, who has performed with Carly Simon and Elton John; Larry Gates, who has worked with Carole King; and Russ Velazquez, who has worked with The Ramones — and the five started their new project, on a small scale to begin with.

“We did a rehearsal and put together our first show at B.B. King’s in New York. It felt great,” Shapiro said. “We were doing it to see if anyone would care. They did. My agent was there and said let’s take it to the next step.”

Since then, the group has toured the country with breaks in between, and the experience has been a resounding success. “These guys are the best guys I know,” said Shapiro of the band. “We always say that some people at this stage of our lives go fishing. Well, we do this. We love it. Our concerts make us feel 40 years younger and the audience too. We guarantee to the crowd that you’ll leave happier and younger than when you got here; that’s what happens.”

Along with performing timeless hits such as “Who Loves You,” and “Sherry,” the group interacts with its fans. “It’s so rewarding. People have come to the meet and greet lines and had in their hands a 1976 record of “Who Loves You.” It’s quite amazing. It gives people of our generation the chance to relive the past,” said Shapiro, who notices that the group has also gained younger fans. “People bring their grandchildren and children. The music that we’re playing has become part of our culture, like when my parents listened to doo-wop and music of the Big Band Era.”

In between songs, the band shares compelling memories with the eager audience. “Aside from performing music, we tell stories about the band,” Shapiro explained. “With tribute bands and shows, it’s not as authentic. And we have a visual projection screen which shows videos and stills of us performing on television shows. Everyone has been transported back in time,” he said. “Everyone wants to know how the song got named and when you recorded it. We get to open the back door for them so they can see what happened 30, 40 years ago.”

Lots of bands have come and gone, described as fads. But Shapiro shared why he thinks this music stood the test of time. “Music back then was based on three things: melody, lyrics and artist performance. The focus was the memorability of lyrics and melody. The artist would convey that,” he explained. “Today’s music, which I’m a fan of, has a different appeal. It’s based on production first. Because of that, it’s not as melody based.”

The Hit Men will perform at On Stage at Kingsborough, 2001 Oriental Boulevard, on Friday April 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased on www.thehitmensite.com or www.onstageatkingsborough.org.