Picture this: Your favorite musical group of all time is Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons! You grew up with them; listened to them every day since the time you were two years old!! Okay, that’s my story…

Sure, they had a ton of number one records (seven) & even more Top 10 hits (19)–but nobody out there ever gave them as much attention as, let’s say, the Beatles, the Stones, or even the Beach Boys, even though they were one of the most successful chart-toppers of the 1960s. Who out there really knew their compelling story?

On Saturday, November 12, 2005, my husband Dale & I had the privilege to see Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theater. As we waited in line to enter the theater, it was an interesting people-watching experience. For the most part, I noticed a ton of mild-mannered, rather conservatively dressed 50-plus (and of course some younger) attendees who seemed like they were out for a pleasant evening on Broadway. No one around me was saying, “Oh My God, I can’t believe we’re about to see Jersey Boys” (okay, I was thinking it, but tried to remain calm).

Forget what I said about this mild-mannered baby boomer crowd. It all changed when Tommy DeVito (Christian Hoff) entered the stage after Ces Soirees-La, it was like this pleasant, but rather quiet-looking crowd came alive! By the time young Frankie Castelluccio (John Lloyd Young) walked on stage, by the applause, you may have guessed it was the real Frankie Valli. It was like everyone in the audience was 18 again—with continued wild applause, two standing ovations, and massive cheering as the cast belted out the hits. The energy in the audience was contagious—watching the audience’s reaction was part of the magic of the whole evening.

Although the show in La Jolla was really good, to me, it seemed that Tommy DeVito’s character was a bit over the top and “stole the show” somewhat from the three other guys. As DeVito says in the beginning of the show, “You ask four guys, you get four different versions.” At the Broadway production, all four guys told their story in such a way—that each was as compelling as the next. The musical talent, chemistry, and charisma Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer, and John Lloyd Young displayed on the stage were truly astounding.

I hope you will all get a chance to go to New York to see this phenomenal show! It will be one of the most memorable experiences you’ll have as a Frankie Valli/4 Seasons fan!!

Susie Skarl 11/23/05