I love Broadway shows. Being from New York, I have been lucky enough to have seen quite a few of them. I am especially fond of ones I can relate to - Disney ones always being on the top of my list. When I was give the opportunity to see Jersey Boys I was excited because shows of this nature (tours of shows originating on Broadway) are always fun and exciting. I was also a little skeptical. It was a story about a musical group that was started in the 1960s. Was I going to enjoy the music? Was I going to be able to relate to the story line?
I'm pretty open minded, and I've heard great things about the show, so I decided I wanted to see it. I am definitely glad I did. I knew almost all of the songs. These may not be songs of my generation, but some music is just classic. These are songs that I still sing along to today when I hear them and songs that always put a smile on my face. It may sound a bit cliche, but they just don't make music the way they used to.
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| Straz Center |
Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It shows the audience how the group came together, the trials and tribulations faced along the road, the high points, the low points, and the eventual point where some members went their separate ways.
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| Recording back-up music |
You get to see all of the struggles it took the group before they got to be a hit sensation. There was an identity crisis, finding a 4th member, trying to stay out of trouble with the law - all before a hit was finally recorded. And then "Sherry" made it to number 1. And then more hits followed. And even through all the good points, there were struggles there too. And you got to hear all about them through a wonderfully thick New Jersey accent.
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| Performing "Sherry" |
I loved the story line and I thought the performances were amazing. I was intrigued watching the rise and fall of the group and all the work it took for the success of the Four Seasons. I thought it was very well scripted with points of humor and sadness thrown in the mix. You really got a sense of everyone's personality and really felt a connection with the characters.
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| An agreement on a handshake |
And the music numbers were all perfectly placed and beautifully performed. I glanced around the audience and everyone was dancing in their chairs. There was definitely a buzz of excitement in the air during the whole performance. The audience got to hear hits like "Earth Angel", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "My Eyes Adored You", "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You", and "Who Loves You?". Just to name a few.
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| The finale |
And I can't leave out the finale. There was a standing ovation, of course. It was well deserved. And everyone was moving to the sounds of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
I would HIGHLY recommend getting tickets to see this show, running at the Straz Center until April 13th. You can purchase tickets
by clicking here.
I really hope you get to see this awesome show. You won't regret it!
*As a member of the Tampa Bay Bloggers, I received two complimentary tickets for Jersey Boys in exchange for my review. The opinions shared are my own