Test your knowledge of the hit musical Jersey Boys with these fascinating trivia facts. How well do you know the musical journey that took four New Jersey boys from humble beginnings to superstardom as The Four Seasons? From its Tony Award-winning premiere in 2005 to its worldwide productions, Jersey Boys has thrilled audiences with its unforgettable music and dramatic storytelling. Dive into the history and behind-the-scenes facts that have made this show a global sensation.
Adaptations
- A film adaptation of Jersey Boys, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli, was released in 2014.
International Productions
- The Dutch version of Jersey Boys is notable for mixing English songs with Dutch dialogue, a first for the show.
- Akinori Nakagawa, who starred as Frankie Valli in the Japanese production of Jersey Boys, has won awards for his performance and later formed a vocal unit called JBB.
- The international tour of Jersey Boys featured an all-South African cast and performed an edited family-friendly version without profanity in Malaysia.
Musical Composition
- The musical is structured into four 'seasons', each narrated by a different band member, providing multiple perspectives on the group's history and music.
- The cast album of Jersey Boys was certified Platinum in October 2009, having sold over 1,000,000 copies in the United States.
- Original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio was inspired by the success of other jukebox musicals like Smokey Joe's Cafe and Mamma Mia! to create Jersey Boys.
- Jersey Boys' original Broadway cast recording won the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.
- Following the success of 'Sherry,' Bob Gaudio writes 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and 'Walk Like a Man,' securing the band's popularity with the American working class.
- Bob Gaudio writes the song 'Sherry' just minutes before the band's breakthrough recording session, which becomes a massive hit.
Notable Tours
- Jersey Boys began to perform on Norwegian Cruise Liner, Norwegian Bliss, in 2018, showcasing its popularity and continuing global appeal.
Production Facts
- For every ticket sold for every Broadway performance of Jersey Boys in October 2010, $1 was donated to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, raising over $43,000 to restore music education in a NYC school.
- Ryan Molloy's six-year tenure as Frankie Valli in the West End made him the longest-running star in a West End musical.
- Characters within the musical were developed from interviews and stories shared by the surviving members of The Four Seasons, enriching the narrative with true personal experiences.
- The musical first premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego during an out-of-town tryout before hitting the big stage on Broadway.
- The musical won four 2006 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
- Jersey Boys premiered on Broadway in 2005 and continued through 2017, making it one of the longest-running shows on Broadway with over 4,600 performances.
- The title 'Jersey Boys' reflects the origins of the members who were all from New Jersey, a title suggested by original Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio during a plane ride.
