Displaying items by tag: Jersey Boys

Broadway In Chicago is excited to announce tickets for t he original Tony® & Olivier Award-winning musical sensation, JERSEY BOYS, are now on sale. The highly anticipated engagement will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre for a limited two-week engagement, November 10 - 22. This engagement of JERSEY BOYS is part of a multi-city North American Tour beginning September 2026 in celebration of its 20^th Anniversary year.

JERSEY BOYS is the behind-the-music true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.  They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Beggin’” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Grammy Award-winner Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe.

The recipient of Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical, JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 65 major awards and has been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.

The Broadway production originally opened on November 6, 2005, and, by the time it closed on January 15, 2017, it was the 12^th longest running show in Broadway history.  It returned to New York with a new production from November 2017 to May 2022. JERSEY BOYS has also had multiple record-breaking US National Tours from 2006 through 2022 as well as productions in Las Vegas, Chicago and Toronto.

JERSEY BOYS ran in London’s West End from March 18, 2008 to March 26, 2017 and, at the time, was the 6^th longest musical running in the West End. The musical returned to the West End as the first show to play the reinstated Trafalgar Theatre from April 14, 2021 to January 4, 2024. JERSEY BOYS previously played three record-breaking UK and Ireland tours from 2014 to 2016, 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2022.

A JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary UK and Ireland tour also opened on June 15, 2026, at the New Wimbledon Theatre, currently booking dates through 2027.

The JERSEY BOYS 20^th Anniversary North American tour will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team, led by the Tony Award-winning team of director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo, with scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, projections design by Michael Clark and production supervision by Danny Austin. The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is available on Rhino Records. JERSEY BOYS: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (Broadway Books) is the official handbook to the smash Broadway hit.  Season’s Greetings: A JERSEY BOYS Christmas, a holiday CD featuring international cast members of JERSEY BOYS, produced by Bob Gaudio, is available on Rhino Records.

For more information, please visit www.JerseyBoysInfo.com
Instagram: @JerseyBoysBroadway
Facebook: @JerseyBoysBroadway
TikTok: @JerseyBoysBroadway
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Threads: @JerseyBoysBroadway

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Tuesday, November 10 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 12 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 13 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 – 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17 – 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18 – 1:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19 – 7:00 p.m.
Friday, November 20 – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 21 – 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 22 – 1:00 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION (As of August 14, based on availability and subject to change)
Individual tickets for JERSEY BOYS are on sale now and range from $40.00 - $140.00 with a select number of premium tickets available. Ticket price listed is when purchased in person at the box office. Additional fees apply for online purchases. Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

ABOUT BROADWAY IN CHICAGO
Broadway In Chicago was created in July 2000 and over the past 26 years has grown to be one of the largest commercial touring homes in the country. A Nederlander Presentation, Broadway In Chicago lights up the Chicago Theater District entertaining up to 1.7 million people annually in five theatres. Broadway In Chicago presents a full range of entertainment, including musicals and plays, on the stages of five of the finest theatres in Chicago’s Loop including the Cadillac Palace Theatre, CIBC Theatre, James M. Nederlander Theatre, The Auditorium, and just off the Magnificent Mile, the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
 

For more information and tickets, visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
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‘Jersey Boys’ is back in Chicago, bringing with it a little East Coast to the Third Coast. The hit Broadway musical about the lives of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons played for over two years in the mid-00s at the CIBC Theater and helped establish Broadway in Chicago as more than just an importer of touring shows. Now ‘Jersey Boys’ will see another open-ended run at Mercury Theater.

Believe it or not, there was once a time when biographic, jukebox musicals were novel. While ‘Jersey Boys’ certainly wasn’t the first, it was one of the earliest and arguably better than some of the shlocky stuff plaguing Broadway these days. Digression aside, the music of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons effortlessly lends itself to musical theater. Afterall, Frankie Valli did provide the title track for the film version of ‘Grease’. 

Co-directed by L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier, this production is every bit as good as the Broadway in Chicago sit-down. Mercury’s revival scrubs off all that Broadway gloss and presents a grittier, if not more authentic version of this Italian-American flavored drama. Is it family friendly? Sure, if you don’t mind the ubiquitous use of the F-word akin to the mob wife aesthetic of ‘The Soprano’s’. 

Though Frankie Valli was the frontman and eventual breakout star of The Four Seasons, their origin story is told equally from all four players. However, Adrian Aguilar as Tommy DeVito commands the stage as the main narrator.

Few grown men can hit the notes Frankie Valli was capable of, but Michael Metcalf does so with seeming ease. To look at him (or hear his speaking voice), you’d never expect he could go that high, but that and his performance as an actor showcase what a multi-purpose talent he is.

‘Jersey Boys’ doesn’t often address the personal lives of the band members, but instead tells the story of how they came to be, their rise to fame, and all that comes with it. However, it’s not empty in the way that so many of these jukebox musicals end up being. That’s likely due to a book co-written by Marshall Brickman, who helped write some of Woody Allen’s most iconic films (‘Annie Hall’, ‘Manhattan’), and Tony Award winner Rick Elice. Brickman writes from a place of personal experience as he was working in the entertainment business around the same time as the head writer for Johnny Carson. The result is a really fun, ‘VH1 Behind the Music’ of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

Though Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons made bubblegum pop, their story is far from saccharine. What’s surprising about this story, and the likes of the Rat Pack, is how intertwined their successes were with organized crime. The title says it all. There’s something about this show that non-musical people will find really appealing, in the same way ‘Grease’ appeals to nearly everyone.

Wonderful performances, hot choreo, great costumes and a full-blast band make ‘Jersey Boys’ at Mercury a heavy hitter for the Wrigleyville theater company. You’ll be clapping in unison by the end (whether you want to or not).

at Mercury Theater. 3745 N. Southport Avenue. 773-360-7365

*extended through July 28th

This was my first time seeing any production of ‘Jersey Boys’ and I was so taken by the music and drama of the show I went to see it again closing night - and I'm so glad I did! 

I learned so much about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Here’s an interesting tidbit - they originally called themselves The Four Lovers! I haven't heard their music on the radio in a long time and hearing their songs performed so well made me realize how many of their hits shaped my view of romantic love as a child. 

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” as done by this tremendous cast was a soaring delight, and one of the reasons I saw the production twice with those spectacularly romantic lyrics of pure devotion. 

“You're just too good to be true

 I can't take my eyes off you

You'd be like heaven to touch

I wanna hold you so much

At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I'm alive

You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off you”

 
“Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What a Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Sherry” and ”Working My Way Back To You" were so much fun to hear again, especially when learning some of the back stories on how they were written and for whom. 

I was sad but not surprised to hear that like most musical groups at that time and now, The Four Seasons were forced to tour so much and were taken advantage of financially in various ways. Pressures like such caused the band of friends to break up prematurely due to the seemingly endless strains of exhaustion, loneliness along with the emotional burdens they took on, from touring in particular, as compared to staying home with their families and recording in the studio.  

The opening night performance was still fantastic! I heard some vocal shakiness here and there and saw some nervous dance energy that made the cast appear stiff in parts when trying to hit their marks with such exactness. So, I attended the next performance and the entire cast blew me away and revealed two "Rising Stars" out of the very talented 15-member ensemble. I later found out that the cast having just flown in from NY were a little tired on opening night but by the time I saw the show again, the show had gelled so well it was almost like seeing a whole new show. Audiences seeing the show from here on out have a special treat coming to their towns! 

All four leads were wonderful with Jonny Wexler as Frankie Valli, Eric Chambliss as Bob Gaudio, Corey Greenan as Tommy DeVito and Jonathan Cable as Nick Massi. The four were in lock step, perfectly executing the demanding choreography needed to recreate the band’s exciting live presence.  

The ensemble members, Ashley Bruce, Tony L. Clements, Rick Desloge, Wade Dooley, Todd DuBail, Caitlin Leary, Kevin Patrick Martin, Jeremy Startin, Chloes Tiso, Kit Treece and Jessica Wockenfuss were all dynamite as well and with production cuts each had to lay several roles and sometimes even play instruments.

The female roles in this show are mostly "thankless" cameos which don't allow for a gal to show off, but every cast member more than pulled their weight. 

Jonny Wexler made the most astounding leap from opening night jitters and by Saturday his falsetto was flawless. The gravitas missing from his dramatic scenes was in play and when I closed my eyes during "Can't Take my Eyes Off of You" I literally felt transported back in time! I felt like I was hearing the glorious impossible tones of Frankie Valli performing in his prime. 

Jonathan Cable, who is from Indiana, actually had the most NY swagger of the entire cast from night one. Cable has an extensive musical theatre background and his smooth yet masculine dance moves, growling low singing tones and wry sense of humor made him a sexy stand out that will make ladies AND gents who see this production chuckle when they remember his interpretation of bass tenor Nick Massi. 

‘Jersey Boys’ is the well told journey of how four Jersey street kids rose from neighborhood trouble makers to one of the great musical acts of their time. It’s also the story of how a teenage kid named Bob Gaudio, who penned the cheeky hit “Short Shorts,” teamed up with Valli and company, matured as a song writer and wrote some of the most memorable songs of the era.  

The pace of the show is leisurely at first then develops nicely as the backstory of each band member comes together with their own unique talents. There is a nice intermission in this two-hour-plus show which makes it a perfect date night for Broadway theater lovers - well worth the price of admission. 

I highly recommend this production of ‘Jersey Boys’ to "Lovers" everywhere for the astoundingly talented cast, dramatic staging and really heart-satisfying renditions of classic love songs that will have you floating out of the theatre on a cloud exclaiming, "Oh, What a Night!" 

'Jersey Boys’ is here on a short run through April 7th at Auditorium Theatre.

“Jersey Boys”, currently playing at Cadillac Palace, is the story of the Four Seasons and their journey from Newark, New Jersey to becoming a multi-million record selling group. I went to the opening night expecting an entertaining performance, but really, unsure of what lied ahead. I imagined the audience to be a little older, and it was, but there were a surprising number of young attendees as well. It even looked like it was close to a full house. Before seeing the performance I didn’t know much about the story of the Four Seasons, but I did know their hit song “Sherry”.

All I can say is, “Oh, what a show!” “Jersey Boys” is a thoroughly entertaining show right from the get go. The opening consists of a French band’s cover performed in 2000 of Four Seasons’ “Oh, What a Night”. The song set the tone for how their music transcended to younger generations well after the band broke up.

The first character you meet as the band’s history unfolds is Tommy DeVito, played by Matthew Dailey, who was the leader of the iconic group. You can’t help but to be drawn to this character; he is very powerful and commands the stage - and has a pretty good Jersey accent. Hayden Milanes who plays Frankie Valli, has a beautiful voice and does a fantastic job recreating the legendary voice we have become so familiar with over the years. And here’s a Four Seasons factoid - Joe Pesci, yes that Joe, was the one who introduced Frankie Valli to the group.

In addition to the amazing actors’ voices, one of the best scenes in the play is when the band performs on television. The group is shown filming for a show while simultaneously playing a live feed from an overhead screen on stage. Older images flash onto the backdrop and the design team does a great job of reducing the quality of film to mimic that of the sixties.

The show doesn’t have any set props on stage. The actors pull up a table or chairs every now and then for many scenes but is very limited. Instead, the show relies on graphics displayed on a large screen to set the stage. And although some of them work well, I found myself to be distracted by some of the art. Some of the images just don’t fit the sixties which threw off my attention.

What really captures the essence of the band is their songwriter Bob Gaudio who is played by Drew Seeley. Gaudio is a gifted musician and wrote many of the band’s hits including but not limited to “(Who Wears) Short Shorts”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, and my favorite “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”. It is rare to find many artists today who write their own music making it refreshing to be reminded of the raw overall talent of this great band.

“Jersey Boys” covers gambling, infidelity, children, excess of money, and death. Director Des McAnuff is able to capture many of the things that I appreciate in a musical without getting too heavy. After a slew of brilliant performances and one favorite played after another, the show ends with everyone, including the audience, singing along to the Four Seasons’ anthem “Oh, What a Night”. I, for one, left “Jersey Boys” walking like a man and in a really good mood.

I highly recommend attending “Jersey Boys” at the Cadillac Palace before it leaves on May 24^th. For tickets and/or more show information visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.