The Story of the Show

Jersey Boys is the phenomenally successful jukebox musical that recounts the story of the rise to fame and fortune of the Four Seasons, one of the most memorable and well-known pop bands of the 1960s. Set in the years leading up to and going beyond their first break into showbiz, Jersey Boys uses a mixture of the band’s back catalogue and a documentary-style flashback narrative to chart the trials and tribulations that led to hit such as Can’t Take My Eye Off You, December 1963 (Oh What A Night) and Bye Bye Baby.

Despite the smooth and catchy singles that characterised the Four Seasons’ music, their path to stardom was beset with obstacles including stints in jail, jealousy and rivalry between the main acts, interference from the mob and a series of tumultous relationships. The musical brings the turbulence of the band’s formation to life with electrifying renditions of their songs by talented West End performers, and with each member of the band narrating one chapter of the Four Seasons’ journey from Spring through to Winter.

Music and lyrics are by original Four Seasons’ member and producer, Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe, and the book for the musical was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.

Reception

Jersey Boys transferred to the West End from Broadway where it had been a breakout success, winning a string of awards including four Tonys including Best Musical, an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Musical, and even a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The London production enjoyed similar acclaim when it opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2008, winning the Olivier Award and What’sOnStage.com Award for Best New Musical and gathering rave reviews from the critics. The success of the show has resulted in productions branching out globally, and there are now performances of the show as far afield as Melbourne, Sydney, Toronto and Philadelphia.

London Performances

Whether you are a fan of the Four Seasons from the first time around or just want to experience this fantastic musical for yourself, there are regular performances at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s Theatreland. Performances of Jersey Boys currently take place every evening from Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, and there are matinees on both Tuesday and Saturday at 3pm. Until the 28th August 2011 there will also be matinees at 5pm on Sundays. Jersey Boys is presently booking tickets until October 2012. Performances are approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes long including one interval, and tickets are available both at the box office and online.

At Jersey Boys London.org we cover all the important aspects of the show including information about cast past and present, reviews from the critics, how to buy tickets for each performance, useful information for the Prince Edward Theatre and plenty of interesting videos of the London production.