Every year instead of buying each other Christmas presents, my friend and I decide to put the money towards coach holidays to London where we tend to do a little shopping, sightseeing and of course, finish the day with a top West End musical. On previous outings we’ve seen Sister Act, Legally Blonde and GHOST but this time, after hearing so many rave reviews, we opted for The Jersey Boys and ‘oh what a night’ it was…The Jersey Boys follows the story of four lads, who at times veered onto the wrong side of the tracks, who invented their own sound, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide – this is the true story of how the group became Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons despite dalliances with The Mob and other heartaches along the way to success.
The main focus in the first half of the show is on Tommy DeVito, a no-good lad from New Jersey, who got on the wrong side of the law on several occasions but was lead singer in a band that changed its name as frequently as he was in jail. Tommy craved success and was convinced that one of these days his band (The Varietones later known as The Lovers but with a different line-up) would hit the big time and this is when his focus turns to a young boy called Francis Stephen Castelluccio who later changes his name to Frankie Valli – well let’s be honest his birth name was a bit of a tongue twister huh?
Throughout the show you are taken on a journey as you follow the group hitting highs and lows as they try to seal a record deal and hit the big time. The big time only happens when they meet singer/songwriter Bob Gaudio, who opens doors to the music industry that the group could only dream of with hits such as Sherry, Beggin’ and many more. I must say the soundtrack to The Jersey Boys was fantastic and had many of the audience bopping away (even standing up on some occasions and dancing to the tunes). The atmosphere in the theatre was electric and you can tell that many people who had come to see the show were the original fans of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.
The stage setting is simple but effective and adds to the atmosphere of the show as does the lighting. I loved how on many occasions throughout the show, the audience was made to feel as though they had travelled back in time and were actually in the crowds at one of the group’s concerts or at the TV shows. This was simply achieved by cameras being brought onto the stage and black & white footage being shown on the screen but the screams of adulation and clapping came from the theatre’s audience . Obviously, you’ll need to see the show to get the full effect but pure genius is what I call it!
One thing I will say is, if you have issues with heights, I would refrain from booking seats in The Grand Circle, otherwise as you stand up, you may feel like you’re going to topple over as it is very high up – stick to the Stalls! Also, if you’re offended by swearing, then The Jersey Boys may not be for you as it contains genuine New Jersey language which some may deem not be suitable for younger audiences. You may want to consider other theatre breaks instead.