Music was food for my dad’s soul. There was rarely a moment where my childhood home wasn’t filled with the sounds of country, bluegrass, or what he liked to call “the oldies.” Even as music in our culture shifted, I always found myself drawn to the music from my childhood, preferring rock ‘n’ roll over pop. I imagine my love for music stems from my father and that grew into a passion for theater. Jersey Boys debuts at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts this winter for a limited engagement. I imagine that if my dad were still around, this would be the musical he would want to see.
Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys initially premiered in San Diego, California, and ran for 3 months. One year later, the show opened on Broadway and became one of the longest running shows on Broadway. The idea for the show was originally conceived by original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio, who wanted to make a musical from the band’s discography. Gaudio hired Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman to write the story and Des McAnuff to direct the show. Up until the musical’s debut, very little was known about the Four Seasons because press did not write about them.
The documentary-style, jukebox musical tells the rags to riches story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Structured in “four seasons,” each member of the band details their perspective on the history of the formation of the band, their success, and eventual break-up. They were just four boys from Jersey until they began singing. Their sound was one nobody had ever heard, which gained momentum. Onstage, the band was perfect, but offstage their lives told a very different story.
Many of their popular 1960’s songs are showcased in the musical including Big Girls Don’t Cry, Sherry, December 1963 (Oh, What a Night), My Eyes Adored You, Stay, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back to You, and Rag Doll. Of note, the title of the show speaks to the fact that every member of the Four Seasons was from New Jersey.
For the past 12 years, Jersey Boys ran on Broadway and has completed two North American national tours, productions in London’s West End, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne, Singapore, South Africa, and The Netherlands. Jersey Boys won four Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. The musical has been seen by over 25 million people worldwide.
Jersey Boys at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Don’t miss your chance to see Jersey Boys at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts this winter! The show will only perform January 19-21, 2018 at Segerstrom Hall. Here are the performance times:
Friday at 7:30 pm
Saturday at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday at 1:00 pm and 6:30 pm
Jersey Boys tickets start at $40.75 per person and can be purchased online, via phone, or in person at the box office. For additional information, visit SCFTA.org.
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