subject: See the Jersey Boys Musical in the West End [print this page] See the Jersey Boys Musical in the West End
The Jersey Boys musical follows the forming, rise to stardom, and the subsequent break-up of the four men who originally comprised The Four Seasons. It features performances of all their hits, including Beggin', Can't Take My Eyes Off You, Oh What a Night, and Sherry. The West End theatre show is broken into four different sections, each narrated by one of The Four Seasons.
The musical begins in where else? New Jersey. The first part of the show is narrated by Tommy DeVito. Tommy tells how he and Nick Massi discovered Frankie Castelluccio, who eventually became Frankie Valli. But it wasn't until another New Jersey boy named Joe Pesci introduced them to Bob Gaudio that The Four Seasons found their sound.
Bob Gaudio narrates the next bit, telling how the group struggled in their early days, often singing back-up vocals for established acts while waiting for their big break. That big break came when Gaudio wrote the band's first hit, Sherry. Jersey Boys is famous for its production numbers, and Sherry is the first in a string of show-stoppers that includes Big Girls Don't Cry, Walk Like a Man, and Oh What a Night.
Nick Massi takes over narration duties for the beginning of the second act. The successes of the band's early years have taken their toll on the group, and this part of the musical shows the increasing tension in The Four Seasons. Eventually Tommy and Nick leave the group, while Bob and Frankie try to find a way to hold on to their past success.
Eventually, even Bob Gaudio decides to leave the band, and Frankie Valli takes over both the narration of the musical and the musical direction of The Four Seasons. The band changes its name to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and scores a big hit with Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
The show concludes with the band's reunion at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It ends on a high note with one last big production number of Who Loves You.
Jersey Boys is showing at the Prince Edward Theatre and has shows Tuesday through Saturday nights with matinee performances on Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday. It currently stars Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli, Jon Boydon as Tommy DeVito, Stephen Ashfield as Bob Gaudio, and Eugene McCoy as Nick Massi. Theatre tickets for these performances are available online.
