Entertainment Perfection – The Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys might be the greatest piece of entertainment I have ever had the privilege of viewing. Specifically, I am referring to the Broadway play, and not to the Clint Eastwood film of the same name. Nothing against the movie, as the film is quite good, I would give it a grade of B+. But the play is special, earning a grade of an A+ from this reviewer. Jersey Boys can compete with the best of music, movies, television, video games, books, or theater. Any and all forms of entertainment. It simply is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Somewhere on the other side of eternity, William Shakespeare is in the afterlife, kicking himself for never writing a play nearly as good as Jersey Boys. Similarly, somewhere in the afterlife, Alexander Hamilton must be disappointed that his life story was set to music created by Lin Manuel-Miranda rather than accompanied by the vastly superior musical catalog of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
If I remember correctly, I believe I attended two local plays in my youth. As a little kid, I was dragged to the local high school by my older brother to see some play, the title of which has long since been forgotten by me. Later on, in my teenage years, I saw a comedy murder mystery known as Shear Madness at the Gem Theater in downtown Detroit. While the details of the two plays escape me, I do remember that I enjoyed both experiences. However, I can’t say that the love of theater in any way was something that became part of my life. Like most people of my age in the Detroit area during that timeframe, love of the Detroit Red Wings easily crowded out most other entertainment passions. Of course, the love of concerts was a big part of that era of my life, and still is for that matter. But during that timeframe, the amount of disposable income I could devote to ticket purchases was quite limited. While I can’t say that I had anything against going to the theater, it simply was not anywhere near the top of my mind when it came to the limited spending abilities that I had. Years went by, decades really, before the thought of attending another play even entered into my mind.
Fast forward to the more recent past, and I found myself in New York City on a semi-routine basis. Once or twice a year for more than a few years in a row. I went down the checklist of tourist things to do. World Trade Center site, check. Central Park, check. Times Square, check. Empire State Building, check. Rockefeller Center, check. Yankee Stadium, check. Grand Central, check. USS Intrepid, check. Eventually I realized, here I am in the greatest city on the planet, I need to see a Broadway play. The tickets can be a little pricey, and so I decided I wanted to see something that might give me a bit of an insurance policy, a guarantee that it will be entertaining. While there are many popular plays, plays that critics love or make lots of money as the crowds keep attending them, that did not mean much to me. As I think we all can relate to having seen a movie that critics love, or is a blockbuster film, but for whatever reason we personally may not have enjoyed them. I knew Jersey Boys featured Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons music. While Frankie Valli might not have cracked my list of favorite artists (at that moment in time), I have always been a fan of Oldies radio. I figured, at the very least, even if I am bored to tears by the storyline, I’ll get to hear some Four Seasons karaoke. That will at least be my insurance policy, a guarantee of some fun, recognizable music in case the rest of the experience falls short.
And so, I put on some khakis and nicer shirt, and headed off the August Wilson Theater late in the afternoon on a beautiful fall Sunday in New York. I climbed up to my spot in the cheap seats and soon the show started. I will admit, I can’t say I gave much weight to Four Seasons music before seeing this play. It was fine, I enjoyed it, but frankly, I almost thought of them as early 60’s, bubble gum pop. As the play unfolded in front of me, I was mesmerized. I could not take my eyes off of it. It was phenomenal. I really do not want to discuss the storyline too much, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone that has not seen it before but might see it in the future. Let’s just say, the true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is not bubble gum. It’s a bit darker than certainly I had anticipated. A bit closer to Goodfellas or A Bronx Tale in reality and in style. A storyline about music, friendship and loyalty, and the old neighborhood ties that bind. All of the old Four Seasons music, suddenly now with context of what was really happening in their lives, the real inspiration behind the lyrics, suddenly took on a weight with me that the songs never had done before. These were deep songs, filled with meaning and nuance. These days, artists often try to appear tougher, have more street cred, than they have in reality. Vanilla Ice is not the gangster he wished to portray himself to be. The opposite was true with the Four Seasons. They were not gangsters, but they came from those neighborhoods, had gangsters in their lives, and tried to appear a more squeaky clean than they were in reality.
Again, I don’t want to give away too much of the plot. Suffice it to say, Jersey Boys has some goosebump-inducing moments along the way. One particular favorite moment of mine is near the end of the 1st Act of the play, as The Four Seasons make an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. We get to see what they see from the point of view of a performer. Then, in the 2nd Act, when Frankie sings the song… well, I don’t want to give that one away. It’s giving me goosebumps right now just thinking about it. Just see it and experience the goosebumps for yourself. Great music, great performances, and stunning visuals. As stated earlier, this play is one of the greatest things I have ever seen, of any form of entertainment. Truly one of my most favorite experiences of my life.
Seeing Jersey Boys did cause me to embrace two things. One, not surprisingly, was the music catalog of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The songs, as mentioned above, are much deeper than I ever realized. Not to mention, they are quite catchy and fun. You can’t help but sing along and tap your toes. The catalog is also plentiful, there are so many hit songs. I think they almost get lost in that era, amid the shuffle of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Beach Boys. But the Four Seasons are rather sneaky prolific. Plenty of great songs. Also, their harmonies are magical. They truly are now in the top 5 musical artists on my list of favorites.
The other thing that Jersey Boys caused me to embrace was theater. I started seeing plays when they came through Detroit on their national tours, something I had never done before. There have been some hits and some misses, but most have been pretty good. I know I would not have seen most of them, maybe any of them, if I had not seen Jersey Boys. Basically, I am chasing that same high I received the first time I saw Jersey Boys. And while the other plays I have seen have not quite reached the same heights for me, there have been some really, really good ones along the way. I strongly recommend Book of Mormon, Wicked, and Come From Away if you ever get the chance to see them. You will not be disappointed.
I have now been a ticketholder to see Jersey Boys six different times. The original time in New York, and on five different occasions as the play came through Detroit on an annual or biannual basic. I like to try and take a different friend or family member to the show each time it comes through town, because I want to share the experience with people that I care about. It’s just that good. I want them to be as entertained and as moved as I am by the show. My favorite show. My favorite play. The best musical of all time. Entertainment perfection.
-MTR