Did you miss ‘Jersey Boys’ during its last visit to State College? The hit musical is set to return
Award-winning and record-breaking musical “Jersey Boys” will return to the stage at Eisenhower Auditorium for one night only on Tuesday. The show, which boasts a more than decade-long run on Broadway, is the 12th-longest running show in Broadway history, surpassing original productions of classic musicals such as “Grease” and “The Producers.”
The show, which appeared at Eisenhower Auditorium twice over the past five years, follows the development and success of 1960s and ‘70s pop group The Four Seasons and features hit songs from the era such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Sherry” and “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night)”.
“We hosted the National Broadway Tour of Jersey Boys in November of 2015 for eight performances and then we brought it back in April of 2018 for two performances and now in 2020 for one night only. Jersey Boys had a solid 10-year run on Broadway and has been touring nationally for 14 years,” said Laura Sullivan, director of marketing and communications, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
The show is very popular with generations of fans, Sullivan said, calling the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons “timeless.”
“The story of four regular guys from Jersey who go from singing on street corners to singing in the spotlight and their rise to stardom, complete with troubles both personally and professionally, is a recipe for top-notch entertainment,” she said. “It’s a musical that you can see more than once and you want to see more than once.”
The musical is presented in a documentary-style format, with acts split into four “seasons,” each narrated by a different member of the musical group and chronicling the Four Seasons’ conception, fame and decline. The finale fast-forwards through time, bringing the group back together for their 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For audience members who didn’t get a chance to see “Jersey Boys” the last time it played in State College, but are looking forward to Tuesday’s performance, Sullivan tells them to expect “to be entertained, and surprised with this inside look at Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.”
“ ’Jersey Boys’ is really a behind-the-music true-life story of fame, fortune and friendship,” she said. “Audience members get to see behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons as each member shares the story from an individual point of view.”
However, families looking to see the show should note it contains “profane Jersey language” and is recommended for audience members ages 12 and up.
“There’s some rough talk throughout, but it shows the grit and determination on the road to success,” Sullivan said.
Tickets for “Jersey Boys”, showing at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28, are available on the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State website, or at Eisenhower Auditorium, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center and the Bryce Jordan Center.