Jersey Boys: Like Living in the 1960s for the First Time
March 6th, 2007How can a 25-year-old student reporter at San Jose State University enjoy a musical that might seem only fit for the baby boomer generation? According to Kevin Rand of The SpartanDaily.com, Jersey Boys at the Curran Theatre had the combination of engaging actors with the 20 or so singing performances made for a show that he believes crossed all generational lines.
When Rand sat down to watch the show on February 23, he did not know that it won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2006, and really knew nothing about the Four Seasons as a major chart-topping group. His only expectation coming in was, “this better be good” because he had spent some hard-earned financial-aid dollars for a seat.
Jersey Boys chronicled the unlikely rise of four young men from New Jersey who began singing on street corners and in bowling alleys. The dialogue that brought their tale to life was almost always very funny or entertaining. The distinct East Coast accents and attitudes captured the 1960s malt-shop and jukebox feeling which a lot of us can only experience by watching TV.
The dialogue, which was only spoken, not sung, throughout the show was met with spot-on renditions of the Four Seasons’ hits. I was brought back to a time and place I had never lived when the four of them “debuted” the tunes, “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and “Walk Like a Man” in succession. Rand listened to a Four Seasons album the day after the show, and honestly, he could not tell the difference.
Aside from the actual story, Rand thought the songs were just well done. He recognized six or seven of the performances like “You’re Just to Good to be True” and “Short Shorts.” But after hearing every song he understood why the Four Seasons were once, and are once again, a big hit.
Rand stood outside of the theater after the musical to observe the 50 or so fans that were buzzing about the performance.
Audience member Renee Bryant, 54, said, “It was like reliving the ’60s again. It was just such good, infectious fun.”
Rand echoes Bryant’s sentiment, except that for him, “it was like living the ’60s for the first time. He recommends Jersey Boys to anyone who wants to feel a true blast from the past on a high note.
