Jersey Boys Blog

Jersey Boys Blog’s latest feature, JBB Fantastic Fan Interviews has taken off over the last month, and we would like to thank Damaris Dugan and Howard Tucker once again for their amazing interviews! We are excited to present our third JBB Fantastic Fan Interview with Brian Lim, one of Jersey Boys younger fans, who tells us how he became hooked on this phenomenal show, and why he keeps coming back!

JBB: Tell us a bit about yourself.

BL: My name is Brian Lim and I’m from Passaic, New Jersey. I am a 22 year-old accounting student from Montclair State University, finishing up my last semester. I’m also single, so if there are any ladies in their early 20’s email me, and we can go see Jersey Boys as a first date. (LOL).

JBB: When did you first hear about Jersey Boys, and what sparked your interest in seeing the show for the first time?

BL: When the show first came out, I always heard the promos on the radio and I thought it would be a cool show to see. However, I never thought of really going since I wasn’t a big fan of musicals. The only other Broadway show I saw prior to seeing Jersey Boys was Rent. I was channel surfing on the June night of the Tony Awards, and I just happened to have it on during the start of their performance, and it just blew me away. Later that night, I looked at all the Jersey Boys videos on Youtube and I was hooked. I said to myself, ‘I need to see this show.’

JBB: What did you think of Jersey Boys upon seeing it for the first time?

BL: I will never forget the date: Thursday August 3, 2006. It was one of the hottest days of the summer. I didn’t know what to expect from it, because I had listened to the cast recording many times, but I knew it would be different because of all the scenes that weren’t on the CD, plus it was live. I went with my Mom and it was a birthday present for me. She paid A LOT of money for these tickets and it was well worth it. You can watch clips of John Lloyd Young singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” but nothing beats seeing him sing it in person. When he was finished, I gave him a standing ovation. I was the only one standing, but I didn’t care. My Mom was a little embarrassed, though. After the show, I knew that it wasn’t going to be my last time to the August Wilson Theater.

JBB: Many of Jersey Boys, biggest fans are from the Baby Boomer generation. At 22, what makes this show so appealing to you? What is it about the story and the music that makes you feel so connected to Jersey Boys?

BL: What makes this show great is that you feel like you’re a part of it. Right off the bat, Christian Hoff, who plays Tommy DeVito, starts out by talking to the audience. From that point on, you feel the emotions that the characters are portraying. And being from Jersey, I feel like it’s my story, too. What’s great about the music is that even though the songs were made over forty years ago, these are songs that present-day guys can relate to. There are many times where we’ve had to walk like a man away from relationships. Also, I believe that if Justin Timberlake made a cover of “Working My Way Back To You,” it would definitely hit #1 on the Billboard charts. Great songs are everlasting.

JBB: Have you taken any of your friends to see Jersey Boys? What did they think of the show?

BL: After I saw it a third time, Michael, my friend since childhood, wondered what was so good about it. Instead of telling him about it, I brought him a few weeks later to see it. From that point, he understood why I’ve seen it so many times.

JBB: You were born quite a few years after the Four Seasons’ heyday. Were you familiar with the Four Seasons’ music before seeing JB?

BL: I knew a few songs by The Four Seasons by listening to them on the Lite Music station on the radio. However, it was one of those things where you know the song but you don’t know who sang it. I’d be singing along to “Oh What a Night” word for word, and did not even have the faintest idea who was singing it.

JBB: If you were given Des McAnuff’s job for a day, what changes would you make to Jersey Boys?

BL: Des has done an amazing job with this show from start to finish; however, if I had to change one thing about this show, I would make “Who Loves You” at the end a little longer. Not too much longer, maybe just another 45 seconds worth. That song is so great, but it just feels a little unfulfilling that they sing it for only about a minute and a half.

JBB: Do you have a favorite line in Jersey Boys?

BL: There are a few lines in the show that are really great: a) Tommy DeVito in the beginning – “I don’t mean to sound ubiquitous, but we put Jersey on the map!” b) Nick Massi to Tommy DeVito: “Come on Tommy, one day we’re The Romans, The Lovers, the F-ing Andrew Sisters.” c) Frankie Valli talking about Nick Massi’s death on Christmas Eve in 2000: “For a Catholic, is that style or what?”

JBB: How about your favorite Jersey Boys scene?

BL: I have a couple of scenes that I absolutely love. The first is when the Four Seasons perform “Dawn,” and they have their backs to us as though we’re witnessing them perform a concert from backstage. The lighting is perfect in that scene. The second is when the original Four Seasons rise up from the floor being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It just sends chills seeing them because they haven’t performed in a while. Yes, in real time it was only about 30 minutes since they last sang together, but the story is just so well constructed, that it felt like the 30 years it took to get them back on stage.

JBB: What about a favorite Jersey Boys song?

BL: All the songs are so great, that I just can’t pick one. Obviously, “Cant Take My Eyes Off You” is one of my favorites. It’s definitely a song I would want played at my wedding. I’m also a big fan of “Opus 17.” The lyrics in that song provide a powerful message. It’s about a guy finding out that his girlfriend isn’t in love with him anymore. Although he is saddened by it, he still loves her very much and wants the best for her. “I’ll be strong I’ll try to carry on, although you know it won’t be easy when you’re gone. I’ll always think of you, the tender love we knew but somehow I’ll get through, and don’t you worry about me.” This is a trait that everyone should have. Just the ability to let go sometimes.

JBB: Why do you think people keep coming back again and again to see Jersey Boys?

BL: The reason people keep coming back is because the show is about the Four Seasons and their story with the incredible cast singing their songs, wait not songs….hits. After seeing this show, I was curious about other shows that were considered jukebox musicals. The reason many others have failed is that they took the songs of a particular artist and just threw their songs into a plot that makes absolutely no sense. I don’t want to name any of these musicals, so I’ll just put it into an analogy: It’s like taking the songs of Simon and Garfunkel and putting it into a show about a farmer’s struggle through a drought. It just doesn’t make sense. Jersey Boys, however, makes sense. It’s the rise and fall and rise of the Four Seasons coupled with the songs that they made through that time.

JBB: How many times have you seen Jersey Boys, and what keeps bringing you back?

BL: I’ve seen JB six times and will see it a seventh time after Christmas. The story and the songs are just so great. Some would think that seeing it so many times one would be sick of it, but for me that’s not the case. Each time, it just gets better and better plus you get to catch things you missed the first time. It’s funny–after watching JB in August, I said to myself that I would try to make an effort to see other Broadway shows, but in the end I go back and watch JB again. After coming out of the theater, it’s just one of those feelings where you’re glad to be alive.

JBB: Anything else you’d like to share about Jersey Boys?

BL: I just want to say that John Lloyd Young is one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met. You can tell how genuine he is when you engage in conversation with him. I was very lucky to walk with him for a few blocks after the show one night. I was going to the Port Authority while he was going to dinner. He just gave me some of the greatest advice I’ve ever received. For those of you who don’t know, over a year ago he was an usher for 42nd Street. I asked him how it felt during the time he was an usher, and if he ever thought he would make it to the Broadway stage. He told me that you always have to have confidence that you can do big things. He believed that being an usher was a stepping-stone for him that would eventually lead to one day being in a show. And look at him now, one of the biggest stars on Broadway.

Please, if you haven’t seen this show yet, go see it! It certainly changed my life for the better.

Jersey Boys Blog would like to thank Brian once again for taking the time to share his marvelous thoughts about Jersey Boys! If you would like to be featured in an upcoming JBB Fantastic Fan Interview, we’d love to hear from you! Please click on the Contact Page and send us your contact information.