The Tony award-winning musical "Jersey Boys" is back in Nashville after an eight-year absence from Sept. 16-20, making a limited run of seven shows at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The acclaimed production will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, as it once again takes fans behind the true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
For Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio, who is also the songwriter behind most of the band's best-loved songs, the run will mark a homecoming. A Nashville resident of more than 30 years, Gaudio told The Tennessean his story may be forever linked with New Jersey, but "Jersey Boys" was born in Music City.
"I couldn't have put this together if I stayed in L.A. at the time," he said. "It couldn't have happened. So
I thank Nashville for what Jersey Boys has become."
Based on mesmerizing harmonies, unforgettable songs and a legendary front man, the long-running musical first debuted in November 2005 and went on to become a global favorite, seen by 30 million fans. It was written by Academy Award winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with Gaudio's Grammy-winning musical touch and lyrics by Bob Crewe.
Gaudio said the Nashville creative community was essential to what the show became.
"It's like going to the south of France in a different world, but still the creative vibe," he said of his move to Nashville in the 1990s. "The atmosphere here just creates creativity. It's in the water, so to speak. So it made sense that everything would start develop for 'Jersey Boys' here."
"Jersey Boys" features many iconic hits written by Gaudio, like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and "Who Loves You." On the surface, it's about a seminal band in American music history. But it's also always been about more than the music.
The story weaves a tale of talent, hope, dream chasing and tragedy, all in the context of a cultural inflection point. The "Jersey Boys" story begins in the early 1960s, right as American music was transitioning from sweet-singing pop to brash rock 'n' roll.
Guadio was there for all of it, and says he believes the musical has stood the test of time because fans see themselves in the story. "Jersey Boys" "figured out how to walk that line between tragedy, fun, dealing with life in general," he said. But Valli's vocal brought it all together.
"I give all the credit to Frankie," Gaudio said. "He's the most heartfelt singer I know and have worked with, and I think people just relate to that. Some singers sing their butt off, but don't really reach your heart. Frankie does every time."
The Nashville engagement is part of the Jersey Boys 20th Anniversary North American tour and will be staged by the entire original Broadway creative team.
Gaudio will be in attendance, and every time he sees the show he says it's like an out-of-body experience. He even joked that early on, he was grateful for the show's 20-minute intermission.
"It really is like living your life over," he said. "We never sat in the audience and heard our songs. We didn't know the impact that it had on an audience. So to see it up on that stage was nothing short of a miracle for me."
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 'Jersey Boys' returns to Nashville for 20th anniversary at TPAC
