JERSEY BOYS Wow Washington

The Washington, DC engagement of JERSEY BOYS opened to rave reviews at the National Theatre Sunday, October 4 where it will play through Saturday evening, December 12. From there, the national tour will play Detroit from December 17 through January 23, 2010.  

Highlights of the reviews include:

WASHINGTON POST
Peter Marks of the Washington Post writes "They wrote that one, too? Aside from being a Garden State trove of earthy delights, JERSEY BOYS is a rock-and-roll jolt of history, a smashing serenade of the muscular harmonies of one of the more remarkable sensations of the ‘60s. And what audiences are treated to at the National Theatre, in the musical's premiere Washington engagement, is great entertainment. With a keen appreciation for the group members' salty offstage personalities, Brickman and Elice fashion a slick and lively chronicle of the Four Seasons' climb to the summit, and the troubles that dogged them once they got there. The story floats on effervescent clouds of pop melody -- nearly three dozen songs by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe that have the power to turn anyone 17 again. (Those who'll groove might even include actual 17-year-olds.) If your nerve endings do not send you spontaneous shimmy-and-shake commands during the rendition of, say, "Big Girls Don't Cry," maybe it's time to have your reflexes checked." Click here to read the entire review:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/05/AR2009100503825.html

WASHINGTON TIMES
Jayne Blanchard of the Washington Times gives it 3 ½ stars out of 4. "If you're a die-hard Four Seasons fan - and judging from the roaring and cheering from Sunday night's crowd, there are slews of them - the pitch-perfect renditions of ‘Sherry,' ‘Big Girls Don't Cry,' ‘Walk Like a Man,' ‘Stay' and ‘Working My Way Back to You' will transport you back to a time of transistor radios and beach-blanket bingo. The set, with its Roy Lichtenstein-style pop projections, and Jess Goldstein's glitzy confectionary costumes complete the vibrant portrait of 1960s America. Those who may have thought of the Four Seasons as old-school pompadoured bubble-gum rockers will find themselves with a newfound appreciation for their sound and innovations." Click here to read the entire review:
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/06/theater-oh-what-a-night-with-jersey-boys/

BALTIMORE SUN
Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun raves "This isn't just a nostalgia feast engineered to unleash fuzzy feelings in people of a certain age. Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the affectionate, but unsentimental, show effectively mingles enough biography to produce genuine and interesting characters onstage. Director Des McAnuff has the action flowing in well-oiled fashion through Klara Zieglerova's sleek set design, with its metal platforms and a few props, accented by Michael Clark's nifty projections. And the cast achieves a level of ensemble as tight as the Four Seasons' harmonies." Click here to read the entire review: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/arts/bal-ae.artsscene06oct06,0,6551689.story

MIX 107.3 RADIO
Chilli Amar of MIX 107.3fm Radio raves "I had no idea how MUCH I'd LOVE IT!! The cast was PHENOMENAL. I knew almost every song in the show...even though Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons were a hit before I was born. I was totally engaged in the story from beginning to end. I sang along to some of my favorite songs...and yes, I even danced in my seat! My boyfriend Don isn't really a big fan of theatre...especially musicals...but even HE loved the show. Do yourself a favor and buy tickets while they last. I'm sure many performances will sell out once word gets out how TERRIFIC this cast is." Click here to read the entire review: http://www.mix1073fm.com/article.asp?id=1531819&SPID=17372

DRAMAURGE
John F. Glass of Dramaurge writes "Solid Gold. Effective on many levels - as a comedy, musical performance, dance, light show, and celebration of the human spirit - JERSEY BOYS is supremely entertaining. Like everyone else at the National Theatre, I rose in applause for ‘A Standing O.'"
http://www.dramaurge.com/

The cast of JERSEY BOYS is lead by Matt Bailey (Tommy DeVito), Joseph Leo Bwarie (Frankie Valli), Josh Franklin (Bob Gaudio), original Broadway cast member Steve Gouveia (Nick Massi), with Jonathan Hadley and Joseph Siravo.

The ensemble of JERSEY BOYS includes Sarah Darling, Christopher Deangelis, Graham Fenton, John Gardiner, Buck Hujabre, Leo Huppert, Michelle Knight, Renée Marino, Brandon Matthieus, Denise Payne, Nathan Scherich, Brian Silverman, Courter Simmons, Ryan Strand, Kara Tremel and Kevin Worley.

JERSEY BOYS is the winner of the 2006 Best Musical Tony Award®, the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, and most recently, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Des McAnuff, JERSEY BOYS is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

JERSEY BOYS opened at the August Wilson Theatre on Broadway to critical acclaim on November 6, 2005. The JERSEY BOYS National Tour opened to rave reviews in San Francisco on December 1, 2006, played a record-breaking run in Los Angeles and is still breaking house records in cities across North America. There are seven Current Productions of JERSEY BOYS: New York, London, Chicago, Las Vegas, Toronto, a US National tour, and Melbourne, Australia.

JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. It's a journey of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording of JERSEY BOYS was produced by Bob Gaudio, and was recently certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The cast recording is now 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.

For more information, visit www.JerseyBoysInfo.com.  Jersey Boys will play the National Theater Through December 12, 2009. To get tickets for the Washington engagement, click here.

Need more Washington, DC Theatre News in your life? Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...