Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys on Broadway Background

It was Bob Gaudio, an original member of the Four Seasons band who had the wonderful idea to make a musical using the events and songs from his singing career with the band. He hired Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman to create a musical that would chronicle the meteoric rise of Frank Valli and the Four Seasons. Although the singing group was hugely popular in the 1960's, it was not until the Broadway show that fans found out the true story about their favorite boys from Jersey.

The Musical Jersey Boys play is divided into four segments, with each member telling his version of events. This makes Jersey Boys a perfect example of the Rashomon effect, a phenomena where different people describe the same event in very different ways, depending on their personality and perspective. The press machine back in the 60's depicted clean cut boys that everyone loved, were they not that clean after all. The band members had close relationships with mob figures, loan sharks and were in and out of jail. They also were not that loyal to one another and they suffered a few backstabbing moments.

Jersey Boys won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical, as well as the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. In 2014 the show was adapted into a feature film directed by Clint Eastwood but received poor ratings and lackluster box office sales. The film was one of Eastwood's rare missteps.

What's Jersey Boys Like?

The show has music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and a book by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman. The exciting and familiar score includes Four Seasons hits such as “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Working My Way Back to You,” “Rag Doll,” and “Stay.” The choreography is sharp and the narrative progresses speedily, culminating in the effect of making you feel like you really are back in the 1960s, and these guys really are your best friends. The audience consistently goes wild for this show, and many guests return time and time again. With record sales estimated at 100 million dollars and hit after hit, original songs were not needed for this musical. The look, the feel, the sound, and the moves of the Four Seasons are captured with great authenticity by these young actors.

Is Jersey Boys Good for Kids?

Due to strong language, the show may be inappropriate for children 12 and under. Children under the age of 4 are not permitted inside the theatre.