I've never seen Jersey Boys, just heard the cast recording. I'm a huge fan of Frankie Valli though, and I was just wondering how this show plays. Is it a musical revue, does it have a story? From everything I've read it sounds almost like Always, Patsy Cline, but I don't know for sure. Anyone have any info on this show?

It's a biographical play with music -- kind of like a VH1 documentary of the Four Seasons.

So it's not like the songs fit in with the story (like in Return to Forbidden Planet), but more like a VH1 documentary?

Thanks, I was wondering.

Yes. Google for some reviews and many of them will actually make that VH1 "Behind the Music" analogy. (With six productions around the world and one that's closed, they won't be hard to find.)

I've rarely paid that due to their glorious rush, but yes, it can be.

I'm glad you enjoyed the show, and more glad you didn't see Ryan Molloy.

Like all the Joeys, Jye Frasca is the understudy Frankie. Scott Monello is the alternate. I'm guessing both Molloy and Monello were out of commission.

I saw Molloy twice last year and thought he ranged from mediocre to terrible -- stiff acting, grating voice, blank presence. I had hoped to see Scott Monello as Frankie, but he was on during our two-day segue up to Edinburgh. Fortunately, I did like a great deal of the rest of the cast.

Jersey Boys really does not play like a lot of other jukebox musicals. I had a similar reaction to you when I first saw the show. It's fun to be surprised.

I LOVE this show. Just saw it for the first time last week and am totally in the honeymoon-obsessive-adoration phase
It has a wonderful plot, you really come to love and care about the characters, and it hits right at home. The plot is totally clear too, not a hint of revue. I think that, for at least half of the time, the songs fit in with the situation very well. I am going to see it again several times!

Saw this last year in London. Was expecting something like Buddy, story before the interval, concert afterwards, but it wasn't like that. It's just a storybook musical, plain and simple. Not all the songs are done complete - which disappointed me a bit - and some are in the wrong order chronologically. Still, it was good entertainment.

I did see Ryan Molloy as Frankie. I liked his singing and his acting ... well, the character is a bit stiff and naive, isn't he? Glenn Carter as Tommy had more of a commanding presence though and his vocals were very good.