The doo-wop musical hit the La Mirada Theater with a packed house Friday April 19, being called one of the best performances in Southern California.
The story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons packed a crowd of attendees from baby boomers to the Z generation. For some it was a brand new experience, La Mirada Mayor Andrew Sarega confessed that he really did not know who Frankie Valli was but stated “It was an amazing performance and the music, which I did not know about, was fantastic! I could barely stay seated.” The original Broadway stage production opened Friday April 19 and will run through May 12, 2024.
With extraordinary music, memorable characters, and great storytelling, Jersey Boys follows the evolution of four blue-collar kids who become one of the greatest successes in pop-music history. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock ‘n’ roll group The Four Seasons.
Little was known to the current generation about the Four Seasons’ history before the musical, because magazines of the era did not write much about them. In their research, Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice were surprised to find that the original group members had prison records, which might have prevented their music from being played if it had been publicized. According to Bob Gaudio, an original Four Seasons member, he sought to make a musical from the band’s discography, “Back then, things were a little clean-cut, don’t forget, so the idea of our story getting out was horrifying to us.” Other bands of the time projected street-tough images, but the Four Seasons cleaned themselves up to for mainstream listeners.
Winner of Best Musical at the Tony Awards and Olivier Awards, JERSEY BOYS takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to discover the secret of a 40-year friendship as the foursome work their way from the streets of New Jersey to the heights of stardom.
The character development was phenomenal, throughout the production, there were twists and turns and the unexpected. I felt an array of various emotions from the music to the lighting, the overall production was stellar. The dance sequences, interwoven into the storyline were cleverly choreographed.
During the performance, we had a great view of the audience; people were on their feet dancing, sitting in their chairs nodding alongside the music. The production itself was quite a jubilee. During one scene, I did shed a tear just by the sheer force and impression it left on me with respect to what Valli and all the Jersey Boys had to endure. It was an insight into friendship, what toll the creative process can take and the demands it takes to write and build a successful rock group.
Jersey Boys is a dramatic, beautifully staged and magnificently performed production, the fact that the Four Seasons’ music is terrific is a bonus, definitely a must see.
