If, as they say, the kids of 2008 think that fame is something thrust upon them after a few weeks singing other people's songs on X Factor, then things were a little different in 1953. The road out of blue-collar, Mob-controlled Fifties Jersey was somewhat rockier, with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons managing to clock up prison, alcoholism and financial ruin in between becoming the biggest pop group in America.
Jersey Boys, the musical story of the Four Seasons, is, at face value, an all-singing, all-dancing tale of the American Dream; four boys from the wrong side of the tracks made good through talent and determination. Thankfully this huge Broadway hit never sweetens the pill, showing the harsh realities of families and friendships falling apart on the road to the top, as well as the dizzying highs, making it somewhat darker than your average West End schmaltz fest.
Despite note-perfect performances from Ryan Molloy as Frankie and the rest of the cast, the star of the show is the songbook of Bob Gaudio, the awkward rich kid who wrote classics like Oh, What A Night, Big Girls Don't Cry and Can't Take My Eyes Off You. As each one drills into your head, along with the slick set piece Sixties dance moves, you realise just how many Frankie Valli songs make up the modern pop cannon.
So even if you're not up and dancing in the aisles by the final scene, you’ll definitely feel like you've seen an important chapter in the history of modern pop music. Perfect for any budding X Factor hopefuls out there.
Book your Jersey Boys tickets here - with no booking fee
Dan Pilkington
Dan is a former music journalist, our resident
musical expert and loves bands named after inanimate objects. Never
ever ever ever ask him if he knows anywhere good to go when the pub
shuts,unless you want sit on sofas held together with gaffer tape in
bar that only sells 1 lager (always overly strong). It will however
have a great stereo and will have featured on the album cover of a
1960s EP that only ever sold 60 copies,
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