Jersey Boys: Singing the Night Away
Gentlemen’s Guide (G.G.) enjoyed this musical about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group: Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Jersey Boys, the Musical
Originated from Broadway, the Jersey Boys are currently performing in the Pantages Theater in Hollywood from September 30th to October 19th from Tuesdays to Sundays. Los Angeles is one of the many stops of the U.S. tour that the musical is following. The musical follows a time schedule, which includes: start times at 8:00 PM on the weekdays, 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM on Saturdays, and 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Sundays.
The musical lasts around 2 hours and 35 minutes, and includes a 15-minute intermission for the cast and audience. It contains two main acts and one finale. Within the two acts, there are four divided subcategories: spring, summer, winter, and fall. The storyline generally falls into the progress of how Nick DeVito, Nick Massi, Frankie Castelluccio, and Bob Gaudio met and came together to form the group and later their eventual disband and last performance in the 1990’s as a whole.
How the Jersey Boys Came to Be
Frankie Valli started with his solo debut, later forming the The Four Lovers with Tommy DeVito. The group’s final name was decided to be The Four Seasons and their first single was released in 1961, called the “Bermuda”/ “Spanish Lace”, but did not get into the music charts. By the time Bob Gaudio wrote another song for the band, the group switched to a company named Vee-Jay Records to get it’s soon-to-be first hit song, “Sherry”, released. Starting with the success of the song “Sherry”, released by Vee-Jay Records, the group also came across with other hits including “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Candy Girl”, and “Ain’t That a Shame”.
The group faced numerous situations that included company switching and members leaving, but still stayed strong with Valli eventually gaining a new solo career. Debuting at the La Jolla Playhouse at the University of California, San Diego on October 5th, 2004 until January 16, 2005. Later in the year, the story of this group was made into a Broadway musical, with the musical background based on the group’s self-released music and was officially released on November 6, 2005. From Broadway, the musical expanded to other areas in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.
Positive Reaction from Critics
The musical was generally well received when it first came out, with reviews from news outlets such as the Chicago Tribune, which said, “The most exciting musical Broadway has seen in years.” Other critics such as Ben Brantley from The New York Times wrote, “The crowd goes wild. I’m talking about the real, mostly middle-aged crowd, who seem to have forgotten what year it is or how old they are or, most important that the actor is not Frankie Valli. And everything that has led up to that curtain call feels, for just a second, as real and vivid as the sting of your hands clapping together.
We had the privilege to review Jersey Boys and we agree with Ben Brantley that this performance has not only brought an experience of a lifetime, but also brought excitement from each scene. It comes as a realistic interaction between the performers and audience because the music makes you want to clap and sing along with the actors for their amazing portrayal of the group’s story. The musical is very enjoyable and exciting; bringing the crowd a feel of what it was like to have the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons lay out and hear their songs live again, even if it was not from the original singers themselves.
The experience of a lifetime, the excitement of a night, and the wonders of a story being laid out with music and acting altogether, makes the musical worth it to watch. Instead of having to take an airplane to New York to watch the play on Broadway, a rare opportunity is offered in Hollywood for a limited time. Gents, whether it is to bring your wife or girlfriend out on a date, or even to watch the play for your own interest, this musical is definitely an experience that you shouldn’t miss. There is an abundance to see: actors singing and dancing, crowds getting excited and sad at the moments, and last but not least, actors interacting with the audience to portray the group’s long, tough path to stardom.
– By Karen Ip
