The Tony and Grammy-winning Best Musical Jersey Boys is an international sensation, having enthralled audiences in New York, Las Vegas, London, Australia, and around the globe since 2005.
It's a behind-the-scenes look at how Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons took the world by storm with their sound, and how some of music's most legendary hits — think "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Oh, What a Night," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" — came to be.
AT&T Performing Arts Center is bringing the musical's national tour to the Winspear Opera House for eight performances only, from May 22-27. Whether you're a mega-fan or experiencing these Top 10 icons for the first time, there's a lot to know about those four boys from Jersey: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi.
Below are 5 fun facts about the band and what was happening in the music world during the show's timeline (the late 1950s-2000).
1. Beat the Brits
The Four Seasons were one of only two American bands to top the charts before, during, and after the British Invasion. During the mid-1960s, America became obsessed with The Beatles and all things British. The Four Seasons joined The Beach Boys as the major American stalwarts, becoming one of the best-selling musical groups of all time and selling an estimated 100 million records. In 1984, the two groups even collaborated on an album called East Meets West.
2. Hit it big
The Four Seasons' first nationally released single and their first No. 1 hit was "Sherry," which remained at the top spot for five consecutive weeks. According to songwriter Gaudio, the song took about 15 minutes to write and was originally titled "Jackie Baby" (in honor of then-First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy). At the studio, the name was changed to "Terri Baby," and eventually to "Sherry," the name of the daughter of Gaudio's best friend, New York DJ Jack Spector.
3. Girl groups galore
When The Four Seasons started to make it big, they went on tour with a girl group called The Angels. The real-life trio enjoyed a No. 1 hit in 1963 with "My Boyfriend's Back," which they perform in the musical. Shortly after The Angels' original release, rival girl groups The Chiffons and Martha and the Vandellas recorded covers.
4. Cool covers
Speaking of covers, many popular artists have covered or sampled the work of The Four Seasons. Lauryn Hill released her version of "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" in 1998, while ? and the Mysterians covered "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" just two years after the original debuted. The musical actually opens with a short sample of "Ces soirées-là," a French version of "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" as performed by European hip-hop artist Yannick.
5. Hall of Fame friends
The musical's finale sees The Four Seasons getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. That year, the Jersey boys were joined in the honor by Bobby Darin, guitarist Charlie Christian, Hank Ballard, Louis Armstrong, blues vocalist Ma Rainey, Simon and Garfunkel, The Four Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, The Who, and Motown songwriters Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. Also included in that year's honorees were Gerry Goffin and Carole King, who are the subject of their own Broadway show Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Get a glimpse of Jersey Boys below, then book your tickets for the show's Dallas run here.
Chris Stevens, Corey Greenan, Jonny Wexler, and Tommaso Antico star in the national tour of Jersey Boys.
