Jersey Boys returns to celebrate 1960s tunes with show full song list

“Oh, oh, oh, oh, wah-ah-ah, oh, oh, oh, oh.”
First line of lyric Earth Angel

Image from the American production

Review written in March 2008. In fact it ran for nine years with a transfer to the Piccadilly Theatre.

Much anticipated in London is Jersey Boys. the musical based on the lives of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Before it opened it was selling well to October and is already guaranteed a successful run in London. As a musical it is unpretentious and has a genuine quality that some of the confections created around music hits of the 1960s do not achieve, despite their success.

The story of their background from blue collar workers of New Jersey, some with a record for small time crime to stardom is very different. The thing is that the real story of these New Jersey boys is interesting enough to form the book of a musical without resorting to unlikely story lines designed to “fit” existing lyrics. The downside of this approach is just that, the songs don’t advance the plot in the musical tradition and you may be left asking what is the difference between this show and an excellent tribute concert?

The performances are of the first order. The British singer/actor/dancers have worked to achieve a fantastic sound and an authentic look. Ryan Molloy seems to have captured Frankie Valli’s amazing falsettos and vocal range and it is a real pleasure to see him onstage singing those classic hits like “Rag Doll” and “Sherry”. Glenn Carter who plays Tommy DeVito has a brilliant voice and his singing of “Earth Angel” is a triumph.

The choreographic moves are like the original but of course now seem a tad dated and will make us smile rather than wanting to join in to imitate them, but the foot tapping songs seem as fresh as they were in the 1960s. The repertoire is so extensive that, despite Britain being in the grip of Beatlemania, the other Liverpudlian groups and the Rolling Stones, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were regular visitors to the British Hit Parade Top Ten and their songs are well known here.

Musical Numbers

Act One

Ces Soirees-La (Oh What a Night)

Silhouettes

You’re the Apple of My Eye

I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

Earth Angel

Sunday Kind of Love

My Mother’s Eyes

I Go Ape

(Who Wears) Short Shorts

I’m in the Mood for Love/Moody’s Mood for Love

Cry for Me

An Angel Cried

I Still Care

Trance

Sherry

Big Girls Don’t Cry

I Walk Like a Man

December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)

My Boyfriend’s Back

My Eyes Adored You

Dawn (Go Away)

Walk Like a Man (reprise)

Act Two

Big Man in Town

Beggin’

Stay

Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got)

Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me)

Bye Bye Baby

C’mon Marianne

Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You

Working My Way Back to You

Fallen Angel

Rag Doll

Who Loves You

Production Notes

Jersey Boys

The Story of The Four Seasons

Book: Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music: Bob Gaudio
Lyrics: Bob Crewe
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo

Cast

Starring:

Ryan Molloy

Stephen Ashfield

Philip Bulcock

Glenn Carter

(Scott Monello will at certain performances play Frankie Valli);

 

With:

Simon Adkins

Paul Ayres

Suzy Bastone

Laura Brydon

Michelle Francis

Jye Frasca

Lucinda Gill

Mark Isherwood

Kieran Jae

Tee Jaye

Tom Lorcan

Stuart Milligan

Amy Pemberton

Joseph Prouse

Griffin Stevens

Graham Vick

Ben Wheeler 

Creatives

Director: Des McAnuff

Orchestrations: Steve Orich

Set Design: Klara Zieglerova

Costume Design: Jess Goldstein

Lighting Design: Howell Binkley

Sound Design: Steve Canyon Kennedy

Fight Director: Steve Rankin

Music Director: Ron Melrose

Wig & Hair Design: Charles La Ponte

Projection Design: Michael Clark

Dialect Coach: Steven Gabis

Information

Running Time: Two hours and 30 minutes with an interval

Booking from 28th July 2021

Address:

at The Trafalgar Theatre

14 Whitehall

London SW1A 2DY

Tube: Charing Cross

 

Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge

at the Prince Edward Theatre 

on 19th March 2008