Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical presented in a documentary-style format that tells the story of the formation, success, and eventual breakup of the 1960s rock ‘n roll group The Four Seasons. It features music from Bob Gaudio, lyrics from Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, featuring the songs by The Four Seasons. This musical came with a famous catalog, and it proved that the public had an appetite for them.
Jersey Boys ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017 and won four Tony Awards and a Laurence Olivier Award. It has been produced around the world, starting in Broadway to London’s West End, Chicago, Las Vegas, Toronto, Melbourne, Singapore, Japan, China, Dubai, South Africa, and The Netherlands.
Production History
Broadway and US
Jersey Boys premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse at the University of California San Diego from October 2004 to January 2005. The musical began Broadway previews in October 2005 and officially opened in November that same year at the August Wilson Theater. It’s directed by Des McAnuff with choreography by Sergio Trujillo. The Broadway production had 38 previews and lasted until September 2015, making Jersey Boys the 12th longest-running show on Broadway. The cast starred:
- John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli
- Christian Hoff as Tommy DeVito
- Daniel Reichard as Bob Gaudio
- Robert Spencer as Nick Massi
- Jennifer Naimo as Mary Delgado
- Peter Gregus as Bob Crewe
- Mark Lotito as Gyp DeCarlo
- Donnie Kehr as Norm Waxman
- Erica Piccininni as Lorraine
- Sara Schmidt as Francine Valli
Notable cast replacements include Richard Blake and Andy Karl as Tommy DeVito, Sebastian Arcelus as Bob Gaudio, and Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli. Molloy originated the role in the West End production.
The production had a national US tour that began on December 10, 2006, at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco. It went on to play in about 38 cities. When it played at the Forrest Theatre in Philadelphia, it broke box office records eight times.
West End
The musical debuted in West End at London’s Prince Edward Theatre in February 2008. The creative team was the same, and the cast included:
- Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli
- Glenn Carter as Tommy DeVito
- Stephen Ashfield as Bob Gaudio
- Philip Bulcock as Nick Massi
- Suzy Bastone as Mary Delgado
- Simon Adkins as Bob Crewe
- Stuart Milligan as Gyp DeCarlo
- JyeFrasca as Joe Pesci
- Joseph Prouse as Norm Waxman
- Amy Pemberton as Lorraine
- Michele Francis as Francine Valli
The West End production closed after nine years of running in March 2017.
Plot Overview
The Jersey Boys is an inspiring rags to riches story of the Four Seasons. The two acts are divided into four “seasons,” with each member of the group taking a turn in narrating events to illustrate how a ragtag group of men from New Jersey and their decades-long friendship became a music history in itself. It’s a musical biography that showcases the rise, the personal clashes, tough times, and the triumph of a group of friends whose music symbolized a generation. It’s not just a tribute concert or musical – it gets to the heart of the relationships of the group.
The musical tells the story that when Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and Bob Gaudio met, they were just four teen boys singing together under street lamps, scraping for money and gigs in their neighborhood. The boys soon experienced success, and when they rose to international stardom, they celebrated the highs and endured the lows that came with fame. The story also shows how the allegiance to a code of honor they learned in the streets of New Jersey helped them get through difficult challenges like family disasters, gambling debts, and Mafia threats. The musical offers a glimpse at the group who is behind a sound that endured for over four decades.
Songs
Act I
- “Ces soirées-là (Oh What a Night) – Paris, 2000” – French Rap Star Yannick and Backup Group
- “Silhouettes” – Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, Frankie Valli, and Nick DeVito
- “You’re the Apple of My Eye” – Nick Massi, Tommy DeVito, and Nick DeVito
- “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” – Frankie Valli
- “Earth Angel” – Tommy DeVito and Full Company
- “A Sunday Kind of Love” – Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, Tommy DeVito, and Nick’s Date
- “My Mother’s Eyes” – Frankie Valli
- “I Go Ape” – The Four Lovers
- “(Who Wears) Short Shorts” – The Royal Teens
- “I’m in the Mood for Love” / “Moody’s Mood for Love” – Frankie Valli
- “Cry for Me” – Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Frankie Valli, and Nick Massi
- “An Angel Cried” – Hal Miller and The Rays
- “I Still Care” – Miss Frankie Nolan and The Romans
- “Trance” – Billy Dixon and The Topix
- “Sherry” – The Four Seasons
- “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – The Four Seasons
- “Walk Like a Man” – The Four Seasons
- “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” – Bob Gaudio and Full Company
- “My Boyfriend’s Back” – The Angels
- “My Eyes Adored You” – Frankie Valli, Mary Delgado and The Four Seasons
- “Dawn (Go Away)” – The Four Seasons
- “Walk Like a Man” (reprise) – Full Company
Act II
- “Big Man in Town” – The Four Seasons
- “Beggin'” – The Four Seasons
- “Stay” – Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Frankie Valli
- “Let’s Hang On! (To What We’ve Got) “– Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli
- “Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ’bout Me)” – Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli and The New Seasons
- “Bye Bye Baby” – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
- “C’mon Marianne” – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
- “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” – Frankie Valli
- “Working My Way Back to You” – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
- “Fallen Angel” – Frankie Valli
- “Rag Doll” – The Four Seasons
- “Who Loves You” – The Four Seasons and Full Company
- “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) reprise” – The Four Seasons and Full Company
Awards
Original Broadway production
- Best Musical, Tony Award (2006)
- Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, Tony Award (2006) – John Lloyd Young
- Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical, Tony Award (2006) – Christian Hoff
- Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Tony Award (2006) – Howell Binkley
- Outstanding Actor in a Musical, Drama Desk Award (2006) – John Lloyd Young
- Outstanding Sound Design, Drama Desk Award (2006) – Steve Canyon Kennedy
- Best Musical Show Album, Grammy Award (2007)
Original West End production
- Best New Musical, Laurence Olivier Award (2009)