“Jersey Boys” (Chicago) reviewed by Julia W. Rath

**** “Jersey Boys” has made its way back to the Windy City as a Broadway in Chicago production as part of its 20th anniversary tour. This jukebox musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and compiles once-familiar hits into a rags-to-riches narrative. Presented with the original direction by Des McAnuff and impressive original choreography by Sergio Trujillo, the musical traces four young Italian American men from New Jersey, who would ultimately sell more than 100 million records worldwide. They are Frankie Valli (Coby Oram), Tommy DeVito (Harry Sperduto), Nick Massi (Owen McCredie), and Bob Gaudio (Peyton Schoenhofer). With a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice and a score built from the music of Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the show fully engages its audience with its exhilarating music and electrifying performances, as we all gain a new appreciation for the iconic songs of the late 1950s through the 1970s.

The Four Seasons’ sound, distinctive in popular music history, is re-created with impressive energy. When Oram delivers numbers such as “Fallen Angel” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” the resemblance is striking to the original. Especially compelling are McCredie’s supporting harmonies in the lower register. But to my mind, Schoenhofer nails it when he sings “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night).” Needless to say, the score is packed with beloved classics, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Let’s Hang On,” and many others that drew rousing excitement from the audience on opening night.

The acting is marvelous all throughout. Sperduto captures Tommy DeVito’s charisma and recklessness, and I loved seeing such a raw character narrating a good portion of the first act, especially when he describes how the group got together. In contrast, McCredie provides a grounded and often humorous presence as Nick Massi, who narrates the beginning of the second act. Oram’s portrayal of Frankie Valli is charming and nicely done, while Schoenhofer is both earnest and driven as songwriter Bob Gaudio. Among the standout supporting performances is Grant Weathington as Joe Pesci, in a role comprised of several unforgettable moments, such as bringing Gaudio’s talent to the attention of the others. Another notable is Andrew Sattler as Bob Crewe, who, among other things, worked to induct the group into the Rock ’N Roll Hall of Fame in the year 1990.

Divided into two acts, “Spring” and “Summer” make up Act One, while “Fall” and “Winter” make up Act Two. The analogies could not be more salient. During “Spring”, we see the rise of the group, and in “Summer”, its full fashioning when they hit their stride. After the intermission, “Fall” has a double entendre, that is, when the group falls from grace due to several internal rifts. In “Winter”, we watch the cold end when it is Frankie (with his unique voice) and Bob (with his unique style of writing hit songs) who persist.

The production is music directed by Tony Amicangelo, with orchestrations by Steve Orich and music coordination by John Mezzio. Scenic design by Klara Zieglerova consists of a multipurpose set made up of two levels, allowing the actors to continually move from one level to the next, thus creating interest. And we see the percussionist always in the background. I especially liked the sliding props, such as a bank of microphones, to delineate scenes. At moments, the stage hosts a bedroom, sometimes a prison—complete with steel toilets! Costume design by Jesse Goldstein is gorgeous, gravitating between casual wear and shiny garments for the stage acts, plus there are lots of quick costume changes throughout the entire show. Michael Clark’s projection design is amazing, from the scenes of New Jersey to those red Cadillacs and so on. Lighting design by Howell Binkley is great, from the proscenium lights to all the spotlights throughout—to the shift in tone to indicate mood and the progress of time.

After standing up, dancing, and clapping as the performance ends, we find ourselves humming or whistling the songs as we walk out of the theatre. Yet there was a sound mix problem throughout much of the opening night performance that took away from its luster. Though the mix seemed better in the second act, it wasn’t consistent. For much of the show, Oram’s microphone couldn’t completely pick up on his falsetto. Was the fault with the microphone itself or did the gain need to be boosted? At the beginning, it seemed as if the issue was with the type of microphone; but in the second act, I wondered if he had been singing too many numbers, and that’s why he was going flat from time to time. Now having said that, my guest felt that these issues were negligible. But I felt that the presentation needed to pop more.

This is a powerful production that merges memorable songs with a compelling storyline about an iconic musical group. Essentially, this is a tale about fame, fortune, and talent—and how Tommy helped bring The Four Seasons together but also let them down. Near the end of the performance, Frankie recalls his mother’s advice: “This too shall pass”, referring to both the good and bad in life. And by the time the curtain falls, the audience feels as though it has come to know not only the music but also the personalities, ambitions, flaws, and sacrifices behind the successes of The Four Seasons, not to mention their failures. The “boys” who dreamt of stardom gradually became men forced to reckon with the consequences of their choices. But no matter how far they roamed, New Jersey would always be a part of them.

“Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons” is playing through November 22, 2026, at the CIBC Theatre, 10 W. Monroe Street, in Chicago.

Tickets range from $65.85 up to $358.94 (or higher), which includes fees before taxes.

Performance schedule:

Saturday, November 14 – 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 15 – 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 17 – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 18 – 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 19 – 7:00 p.m.

Friday, November 20 – 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 21 – 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 22 – 1:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.broadwayinchicago.com/shows/jersey-boys-3/.

Or visit any Broadway In Chicago theater box office

Note that this is the same touring company that Al Bresloff reviewed three weeks ago in Milwaukee.

To see the touring schedule for “Jersey Boys”, go to: www.jerseyboys.com

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-Up and click at “Jersey Boys”.