Jersey Boys is the hit Broadway musical that transferred to the West End in 2008 and made its home in London. Documenting the highs and lows of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jersey Boys follows how the boys went from a downtown band to an uptown success. Narrated by Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Frankie Valli, the musical tells their story, featuring many of the hit songs from the band’s back catalogue, including “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “My Eyes Adored You”, “Sherry” and “Who Loves You”. Winning both Tony and Olivier Awards, Jersey Boys is an international success, touring across the UK and US, as well as opening all over the world in countries such as Tokyo, Singapore, Melbourne and Utrecht.
Bob Gaudio
Bob Crewe
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Dodger Theatricals
Des McAnuff
Sergio Trujillo
Original Broadway Production
August Wilson Theatre - Opened 6 Nov 2005, closed 22 Jan 2017
Cast: John Lloyd Young (Frankie Valli), Christian Hoff (Tommy DeVito), Daniel Reichard (Bob Gaudio), J. Robert Spencer (Nick Massi), Jennifer Naimo (Mary Delgado), Peter Gregus (Bob Crewe), Mark Lotito (Gyp DeCarlo), Michael Longoria (Joe Pesci), Donnie Kehr (Norm Waxman), Erica Piccininni (Lorraine), Sara Schmidt (Francine Valli) Replacements: Ryan Molloy, Dominic Scaglione, Jr. (Frankie) Andy Karl, Richard H. Blake (Tommy), Sebastian Arcelus, Quinn VanAntwerp (Bob), Michael Lomeda (Nick), Cara Cooper (Mary), Jon Hacker (Joe), Miles Aubrey (Norm), Jessica Rush (Lorraine)
Original London Production
Prince Edward Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre - Opened 18 Mar 2008, closed 16 Apr 2017
Cast: Ryan Molloy (Frankie Valli), Glenn Carter (Tommy DeVito), Stephen Ashfield (Bob Gaudio), Philip Bulcock (Nick Massi), Suzy Bastone (Mary Delgado), Simon Adkins (Bob Crewe), Stuart Milligan (Gyp DeCarlo), Jye Frasca (Joe Pesci), Joseph Prouse (Norm Waxman), Amy Pemberton (Lorraine), Michelle Francis (Francine Valli) Replacements: Matt Corner (Frankie) Simon Bailey (Tommy), Declan Egan (Bob), Matt Hunt (Nick), Nicola Brazil (Mary), Mark Dugdale (Bob Crewe), Mark Heenahan (Gyp), Will Haswell (Joe), Joe Maxwell (Norm), Nicky Griffiths (Lorraine), Helen Ternent (Francine)
What was your favourite production? Add your thoughts in the comments box
Twitter Synopsis:
Each of The Four Seasons narrate the band’s rise to fame, accompanied by hit songs from Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’ back catalogue.
Add your own Twitter style synopsis (140 characters only!) in the comments box
Jersey Boys opens with a performance of a rap song released in 2000. Tommy DeVito appears and explains that the song is a cover of one of The Four Seasons’ hit tracks. He begins to narrate the story of the band, detailing how the group began as “The Variety Trio” with Nick DeVito and Nick Massi. When they discovered Frankie Castelluccio, they took him under his wing and taught him everything he knows. During the early years of the band, Tommy went in and out of prison, Frankie changed his last name to Valli and the pair also developed a friendship with mob boss Gyp DeCarlo. Frankie also falls in love with a married Mary Delgado. As the band continue to struggle with their name and sound, Joe Pesci introduces them to Bob Gaudio.
Bob Gaudio becomes the narrator and informs the audience that Tommy did not “find” him, as he already had a hit with “Short Shorts”. Bob and Joe go to watch the band and are impressed with Frankie’s voice. Bob performs a song he’s recently written, with Frankie, Nick and Tommy joining in with vocals, bass and guitar. The four negotiate an agreement and Tommy becomes sceptical that Bob will be good for the band. Eventually, the four get producer Bob Crewe involved, who insists that they need to make a firm decision with their name and sound. After a night at The Four Seasons bowling alley, they name themselves and with Bob’s songs they are propelled into stardom. As they begin to tour, Bob loses his virginity and Frankie’s marriage to Mary comes to an end. They continue to huge success, but are soon approached by a loan shark who has come to claim money owed by Tommy.
Act II begins with Nick Massi as the narrator. He explains that Bob was so focused on writing for the band that he couldn’t see they were in trouble. Tommy racked up numerous debts and a forgotten bill lands the boys in jail for the weekend, straining the relationship between Tommy and Bob. Tommy becomes increasingly jealous of Frankie’s success and his relationship with Bob and attempts to seduce Frankie’s new girlfriend, Lorraine, destroying their friendship. When the loan shark reappears, Frankie foes to Gyp DeCarlo for help. Gyp and the loan shark come to an agreement and Tommy is sent to Las Vegas, where the mob can keep an eye on him. The band cover the debt, but Nick declares that he wants out.
Frankie then becomes the narrator and explains that he never understood why Nick wanted to leave. Frankie and Bob find replacements to keep the band a quartet, but Bob announces that Frankie should go solo as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Frankie’s relationship with daughter Francine becomes strained when he breaks up with Lorraine, but his musical career continues with smash-hits. As Frankie and Bob continue to release hits and pay off Tommy’s debts, disaster falls as Francine dies from an overdose. Bob Crewe then appears to describe The Four Seasons’ 1990 induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, reuniting the original Seasons back to the stage. Each member explains his pride at being part of the band.
Act I
- “Ces soirées-là (Oh What a Night) – Paris, 2000” – French Rap Star Yannick and Backup Group
- “Silhouettes” – Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, Nick DeVito and Frankie Valli
- “You’re the Apple of My Eye” – Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Nick DeVito
- “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” – Frankie Valli
- “Earth Angel” – Tommy DeVito and Company
- “A Sunday Kind of Love” – Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Nick’s Date
- “My Mother’s Eyes” – Frankie Valli
- “I Go Ape” – The Four Loves
- “(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, Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito 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 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)” – Company
Act II
- “Big Man in Town” – The Four Seasons
- “Beggin’” – The Four Seasons
- “Stay” – Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli and Nick Massi
- “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 Company
2008 Olivier Awards: Best New Musical
2007 Grammy Awards: Best Musical Show Album
2006 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (John Lloyd Young), Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Christian Hoff), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Howell Binkley)
2006 Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Actor in a Musical (John Lloyd Young), Outstanding Sound Design (Steve Canyon Kennedy)