More than 58,000 theatergoers cheered when JERSEY BOYS made its return to the Fox Theatre stage in 2011. Worldwide, more than 22 million people have seen JERSEY BOYS. And now, the show that made critics and audiences cheer two times will return to Atlanta for a third engagement. JERSEY BOYS is the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide. JERSEY BOYS features hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
It was the type of production where you could kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself. The cast was very entertaining and the singing was great. It was very clear that the majority of the audience grew up on the group as you could hear masses of people singing or clapping along to most of the songs. But again, it was the type of atmosphere where singing along and clapping on-beat wasn’t frowned upon. It was a truly relaxed and enjoyable experience.
The roles were played as follows:
Frankie Valli – Aaron De Jesus
Bob Gaudio – Drew Seeley
Tommy DeVito – Matthew Dailey
Nick Massi – Keith Hines
The production itself was well put together. It’s unfortunate that the Fox was on such a good run of form with their sound but floundered once again. During a good portion of ACT I their was noticeable interference which caused temporary discomfort while narration was taking place. They eventually got it together but it’s unfortunate when a production comes that’s won so much acclaim and fanfare has to experience such a setback (even though it was temporary).
The only knock I’d say that was pretty noticeable was the vulgar language. I remember when the first “F bomb” was dropped you could hear a gasp from the entire crowd. Nobody was ready. Now I’ve seen the movie and the movie, although filled with vulgarity and Jersey slang, was great (but also rated R). This focused more on the music which made it even more enjoyable. All the vulgar language kind of took away from that and seemed unnecessary for the production.
Aside from that, get ready for great tunes and an even better time. Based off of their life experiences, you get to see the formation of the group, the highs, the lows, and how loyalty was taken to another level with Franki’s dedication and character.
It was great to see so much talent coming together and amassing so much acclaim before the age of 30. Whenever you hear of a feel-good story you always hope the good times won’t come to an end. In this rare occasion, the bumps came and they came with a vengeance. But luckily, with good leadership, Franki & Co. were able to bounce back and enjoy more time on the road and conjure a strategy for success that was incomparable. The simple fact there’s a musical platform to tell the story of their success, tells an even bigger story of how important they were for not only that time period, but for music as a whole.
JERSEY BOYS gets a good 8.5 out of 10. You’ll enjoy the music and the set was very impressive so I must give a nod to Scenic Designer Klara Zieglerova. From when the boys were on the street, to the car dealership, and jumping from club to club, it was wonderful to see the creativity in each scene.
-Jon J.