Jersey Boys

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 10:34am

Just got discounted tickets for October 15 matinee

Sounds interesting. We shall see. IN Reidel's column yesterday, critics were quoted as saying they thought they had killed the jukebox musical. Critics don't have an agenda now do they? Nah

Also got discounted tickets for Altar Boyz & prev got them for 5 Course Love. We will be seeing Trailer Park also. Let the games begin

[erikaamato]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 11:55am

My friend Christian Hoff is one of the leads in Jersey Boys, and we were just talking about it the other day...about how it's not really a "jukebox musical," 'cause it really has a plot, etc. (Yay!) Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see it during its initial run out here at the LaJolla Playhouse, since I was in a produciton of Paint Your Wagon at the Geffen Playhouse at the exact same time, and we both ran 8 shows a week. (So, he never got to see me, either! heh.)

Anyway, the point being, I've heard nothing but fabulous things about this show, and if I can swing it, I'm going to fly to NYC and see it in November.

Please let me know what you think of it! =)

~Erika

[QMAN03]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 1:29pm

The show is amazing. I saw it here at the La Jolla Playhouse. The best jukebox musical I've seen (yes, better than Mamma Mia).

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 1:35pm

What's the active fan base of The Four Seasons? Let's be generous and say 500 thousand around the country. How many of them will be making the trek to Broadway to hear "their story?"
Franki Valli didn't even perform on their most played and best remembered biggest hit.

[kate2]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 2:12pm

i have never heard of the four seasons!

[erikaamato]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 2:30pm

The Four Seasons (who were inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, by the way), have an enormous fan base in the 55+ set. Certainly over 500,000 across the country. This may not end up being a musical for the 18-34 demographic, sure, but you know what? The "older" folks are gonna go see this in droves.

FindingNamo: May I ask what you consider their "biggest played and most rememebred hit?" I'm trying to think of which song you mean. =)

For the uninitiated, here's an excerpt from the Encyclopedia Brittanica:

"Four Seasons, the

American rock-and-roll group that was among the best-selling recording artists of the early and mid-1960s. Best remembered for lead singer Frankie Valli's soaring falsetto, the Four Seasons had a string of more than 25 hits over a five-year period that began with “Sherry” in 1962. The principal members were Frankie Valli (original name Francis Castelluccio; b. May 3, 1937, Newark, New Jersey, U.S.), Tommy DeVito (b. June 19, 1936, Belleville, New Jersey), Bob Gaudio (b. November 17, 1942, New York, New York), Nick Massi (original name Nicholas Macioci; b. September 19, 1935, Newark—d. December 24, 2000, West Orange, New Jersey), and Nick DeVito.

Evolved from a Newark vocal group called the Varietones and briefly known as the Four Lovers, the Four Seasons developed a harmony-based style that shared Italian-American doo-wop origins with Dion and the Belmonts. Bassist Gaudio, along with producer Bob Crewe, became the group's chief songwriter as the Four Seasons cranked out rhythm-and-blues and rock-and-roll hits, first for Vee Jay and then for Philips Records.

Among the Top Ten hits from the group's golden period were “Big Girls Don't Cry” (1962), “Walk Like a Man” (1963), “Dawn (Go Away)” (1964), and “Let's Hang On!” (1965). Valli, who possessed a three-octave range, began a parallel solo career with the hit “Can't Take My Eyes Off of You.” His popularity and that of the group declined in the late 1960s but rebounded in the mid-1970s when Valli had number one singles with “My Eyes Adored You” and “Grease,” while the Four Seasons had hits with “Who Loves You” and “December 1963 (Oh What a Night)” before being relegated to the oldies circuit. The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990."

[jerseygurl]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 4:03pm

I saw it in La Jolla too. The real genius of it is McAnuff's direction. The story is pure melodrama and you've seen it dozens of times before. Talented cast too -- but Broadway megahit; that's a long shot.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 9/24/05 at 5:15pm

jerseygurl Well, as I said, unfortunately I didn't get to see it in La Jolla, so I have nothiing to go on but word-of-mouth, but I do know they've spent a lot of time in rehearsals tweaking things - and the story is true, by the way...sometimes people's lives are pretty melodramatic - so I'm just gonna keep my fingers crossed that it does well. =)

Glad you liked the cast!

[kombatkoala]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:14pm

I saw the show at The La Jolla Playhouse and loved it.

[erikaamato]

Posted: 9/25/05 at 2:20pm

Thanks, ddtruitt... I asked the same thing, 'cause I can't think of what song Namo's referring to, either. But I haven't gotten a reply. :-P

kombatkoala: Yay! I so wish I could've seen it. I would've gotten comps and everything, but our shows were running exactly concurrently. Damn the timing!!! (I am seriously planning on flying to NY to see it, though...)

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 10:47pm

I've heard some good things about this one, for a change.

It's been a crashy season with Good Vibrations, Lennon and All Shook Up all closing.

The proof is in the pudding...

[matthew2]

Posted: 9/27/05 at 10:53pm

im coming to new york in november from london, and i especially booked for jersey boys as i am a big four seasons fan. ive heard that the set never changes throughout the musical????