Spring
Jersey Boys opens with a performance of "Ces soirees-la", a modern pop-rap song that was released in 2000. Tommy DeVito then appears on the stage, introducing himself and explaining how the song is a cover of The Four Seasons' hit "December 1963 (Oh What A Night). He offers to tell the story of the band, and explains how he first started out with the group "The Variety Band" with his brother Nick DeVito and good friend Nick Massi, eventually discovering teenager Frankie Castelluccio, taking him under his wing, teaching him everything he knows. "The Early Years: A Scrapbook" During these early years Nick Massi helped to train Frankie to sing, Tommy kept going in and out of prison, Frankie then changed his last name to Valli,
Tommy and Frankie developed a strong relationship with mob boss Gyp DeCarlo, and Frankie fell in love with and married Mary DelGado. Musically, the band struggled and kept changing their name and sound but without any dramatic or commercial success. One day friend and fellow Jersey boy Joe Pesci comes up to Tommy and says that he knows a singer-songwriter who'd make the perfect fourth member for their band: Bob Gaudio.
Summer
Bob Gaudio then takes over the narration, telling the audience that no matter what Tommy says, he wasn't plucked from obscurity by him, since he already had a hit single with "Short Shorts". Bob goes along with Joe Pesci to see the band perform, and is impressed by Frankie's voice straight away. Bob performs a song he'd just written: "Cry for Me" on piano, which Frankie, Nick and then Tommy all join in with vocals, bass and guitar respectively. They negotiate an agreement, though Tommy is at first skeptical that Bobby (then still a teenager) will be good for the band. The band eventually gets a contract with record producer Bob Crewe but only to sing back-up ("Backup Sessions"). Crewe insists that the band have an "identity crisis" and need to make a firm decision on a name and a distinct sound. The band name themselves after The Four Seasons bowling alley, and Bobby writes them the three songs that finally propel them to stardom: "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like A Man".
In the wake of their newfound success, Bob also chalks up a personal first by losing his virginity. "December 1963 Oh What A Night" The band's success means that they are touring a lot more, and along the way discovering the girl band The Angels "My Boyfriend;s Back" Unfortunately, the constant touring strains Frankie's marriage to Mary, and they eventually divorce "My Eyes Adored You". The band continue to enjoy chart successes "Dawn Go Away" until after a concert the band is approached by a loan shark out to claim some money owed by Tommy "Walk Like a Man (reprise)"
Fall
Act Two opens with "Big Man In Town". Nick Massi explains that Bob was so focused on the band's musical success and future that he couldn't see that they had been in trouble for some time. Tommy had been racking up debts, and a forgotten bill during a previous tour lands the whole band in jail over the weekend, which strains relations between Tommy and Bob. Nick observes that Tommy had become jealous of Frankie's success and closeness with Bobby, and attempted to seduce Frankie's new girlfriend Lorraine. The two never confronted each other about it, but the old friendship was suddenly not what it used to be. When the loan shark then approaches the band for the $150,000 owed by Tommy, Frankie approaches his old friend Gyp DeCarlo for help despite Tommy's insistence that he doesn't need it. "Beggin" The band, Gyp, and the loan shark come to agreement: Tommy is to be "sequestered" in Las Vegas where the mob can keep a close eye on him, and the band will willingly cover all of Tommy's debts. The band continue for a while as a trio until Nick declares that he wants out. "Stay/Let's Hang On"
Winter
Frankie now takes over narration, explaining that though he owes Tommy a great deal, he's aware that their relationship wasn't perfect, and he never understood why Nick decided to leave the band. Frankie and Bob find replacements to keep the band a four piece "Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'Bout Me)" until Bobby announces that he's never been comfortable in the spotlight and that Frankie should be a single, i.e. Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. In his own personal life, Frankie's relationship with his daughter Francine is strained and he goes onto break up with girlfriend Lorraine. "Bye Bye Baby(Baby Goodbye)"
Frankie continues to have success thanks to Bobby's songs, and hits the jackpot with "C'mon Marianne" and the almost-never-released megahit "Can't take My Eyes Off You" which Bobby fights to get airplay for. Along with the success of "Working My Way Back To You", Frankie and Bobby finally finish paying off Tommy's debts, and Frankie's life is good until his daughter Francine tragically dies from drug overdose. "Fallen Angel"
Finale
The final scene of the show is The Four Seasons' 1990 induction into the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame, announced by Bob Crewe and reuniting the original four members of the band on stage one last time. "Rag Doll" Each member takes a moment to address the audience, explaining their pride of being with the band and what they did after. "Who Loves You"
Theatre tickets to all performances of Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre in London can be booked securely through this website.
wrong side of the tracks who went onto become one of the pop industry's biggest successes. Jersey Boys is the musical tells the tale of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, following their rise to stardom through the thrilling early years of rock 'n' roll.
