Jersey Boys
Prince Edward Theatre
Synopsis
The West End is graced with many big-name blockbusting musicals, from the dystopian future envisaged in We Will Rock You to the tale of an unknown father in Mamma Mia!. What these shows also have in common is that they are based on the back catalogue of world famous recording artists Queen and ABBA. But they are not the only successful musicals that continue to bring fans of particular bands to the West End; another show features a compelling true story of that band’s rise to the top – Jersey Boys.
The story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons’ claim to fame with their hits “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” continues at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End, where it continues to attract big crowds, eager to relive the 1950s and 1960s and the music that came with them.
The show opened in the capital in February 2008 and has been running strong ever since. Penned by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, it chronicles the real life story of a band that had many ups and downs during a long career.
During their origins in New Jersey, the Four Seasons started out as Franki Valli as he attempted to carve out a solo career for himself. But he was soon joined by the likes of Tommy DeVito to lay the foundations of a successful group, which was later blessed by Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi. Taking their names from a local bowling alley they became the Four Seasons.
They released their fist single in the early 1960s “Bermuda/Spanish Lace”, which landed them a contract with Vee Jay Labels. The record company was eager to hear what other hits they could come up with any pretty soon they presented what would become their signature song “Sherry”, landing them chart success and audience acclaim.
Their stint on Vee Jay Labels would not last long though as financial issues forced them to move to Mercury Records. They continued to release further chart hits through the decade and continued their success until their transition to Motown turned off their fans. But they had had an exciting ride.
In fact, during their career they released a range of memorable songs and many of them appear as part of Jersey Boys; they include “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night)”, “Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got)”, “Walk Like A Man” and “My Eyes Adored You”.
A great cast has been assembled to tell this story, all of whom work effortlessly to put a smile on the face of any audience member. With audience figures still high, expect this one to stay in the West End for some time and way beyond the schedules booking dates.
Venue Information
Prince Edward Theatre
Old Compton Street
London
W1D 4HS
View Map
Directions
Take the Piccadilly or Northern line to Leicester Square station. The theatre is a 10 minute walk.
