Forget Jersey Shore, the Jersey Boys are making their way to the District, and this is real entertainment.
By Kate Faherty
Quinn VanAntwerp, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Matt Bailey, Steve Gouveia and the Company of "Jersey Boys". Photo: Joan Marcus
The legendary award-winning musical “Jersey Boys” is coming to D.C. in November, as the boys continue to grow in popularity and fame. Back and more sensational than ever, “Jersey Boys” will surely entertain and thrill audiences at the National Theater.
Taking audiences back half a century to a time when pop music had barely yet popped, the “Jersey Boys” National Tour tells the dynamic tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, consisting of Frankie Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie), Bob Gaudio (Quinn VanAntwerp), Tommy DeVito (Matt Bailey) and Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia). Full of charisma and life, these characters together form a full-force foursome that fills the theater and its audience members with an energy that’s hard to ignore. The characters and their deeply woven story truly draw in its audience members until theatergoers are too absorbed to ever forget the tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
The musical is ideal for a wide variety of audiences because of its far-reaching appeal. It’s difficult to sit through “Jersey Boys” and not find it to be your “type of musical”, as it carries on a gallant story, memorable music and even its fair share of violence. It features the real life edgy stories of the four patriarchs of pop music as they emerged from the wrong side of the tracks to become singing sensations, and it highlights some of their greatest and most recognizable hits, such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Dawn,” and “Sherry,” among others.
Since the Broadway debut of “Jersey Boys” in 2005, the musical has won a multitude of awards, including a Tony, Grammy, Oliver, and Helpmann award. The National Tour took off in 2006 and visited the district in 2009 for a sensational stint, attracting more than 130,000 theatergoers and breaking its own National Theater box office’s record three times. Since its success in Washington, D.C., two years ago, the national tour’s show has gained even more fame and acclaim, and its snowballing success doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
The national tour will be in D.C. November 10, 2011 through January 7, 2012 and is directed by two-time Tony® Award-winner Des McAnuff. “Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons” is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics arranged by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
For tickets visit the National Theater Box Office beginning Monday, October 3 or www.telecharge.com. For more information on “Jersey Boys,” visit www.JerseyBoysTour.com or www.NationalTheatre.org.
Steve Gouveia, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Quinn VanAntwerp and Matt Bailey. Photo: Joan Marcus
