JERSEY BOYS could possibly be one of the best shows to ever come through Sacramento. The winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical (as well as three other Tony's) landed at the Community Center Theatre for a two-week run on Sept. 7 as the first offering of Broadway Sacramento (formerly Broadway Series).
    The musical is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and centers on the young men from New Jersey who started the group - Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi. The show is filled with humor, a lot of foul language (it is based in Jersey after all!), and classic songs such as "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like A Man," "My Eyes Adored You," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You," to name only a few.     Valli, originally known as Frankie Castelluccio, was rescued from hairdresser school by DeVito, who thought he had potential as a singer.  DeVito played guitar in his own group - which seemingly changed names every other week - and they eventually developed into The Four Seasons - if that story is to be believed!
    JERSEY BOYS is told from four different perspectives, with each member of the group taking their turn as the "narrator," - and the facts as to what actually happened don't always agree.
    DeVito, played by Deven May, fittingly starts off the tale. His group frequently changed members as they are arrested for various crimes, but he recognizes Valli (Christopher Kale Jones) as a true singing talent and does his best to keep him out of trouble. DeVito, Valli, Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia) - one of the original members - finally hit their stride after songwriter Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen) comes on board.
    The only thing the group needed was a good name and as legend has it, The Four Seasons was pulled off the marquee of a club they were playing at.
    The musical then follows their rise to fame and all the trials they had to face to stay on top.
    May, Jones, Gouveia and Bergen meshed so well on stage that it was easy to forget that they were just actors playing parts. The quartet sang perfectly together and though some of the songs were often interrupted by dialogue, or much shortened versions during various scenes, the audience got its fill of full-length classics as well. The applause was so great at times, it was hard to tell if the actors were taking bows as part of their roles, or really showing their appreciation to the audience for their enthusiasm over the performance.
        It wasn't all good times for the group, however. DeVito was kicked out of the group because of gambling problems and owing money to the mob. Massi just decided to quit. As it came out later in the production, he didn't really want to, but once he said it his ego took over and he walked away. Valli and Gaudio recruited two new members for The Four Seasons and the group continued to produce hits. But then Gaudio, never comfortable with performing, wanted out too -- preferring to stay in the background to write and produce songs. But it was his idea to recruit another two musicians and rename the group "Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons"  - a name the group still uses today.
    Just how good was JERSEY BOYS? I've seen many standing ovations at the conclusion of performances at the Community Center Theatre. They usually start with one part of the audience rising, then some more, and finally the rest. JERSEY BOYS ended with the whole crowd quickly jumping up as one - and the performance definitely deserved it.
    It was a great way to kick off the 2007-08 Broadway Sacramento season. The show runs through Sept. 22 before moving on to its next stop in Tempe, AZ. If you'd like a sampling of some of the show, visit the tour's official web site at: National Tour Web site and take a look at the video clips. The REAL Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will have a No. California stop when they appear in Santa Rosa on Oct. 5. Go to Tickets.com for ticket information.
    For ticket information for performances of JERSEY BOYS at the Community Center Theatre, visit the Broadway Sacramento web site at Broadway Sacramento.