Jersey Boys

Thanks to the televised antics of Snooki, the Situation, and the rest of those budding Rhodes Scholars on “Jersey Shore,’’ it’s been a rough year, image-wise, for the Garden State. Let’s not forget, however, that New Jersey also gave the world Sinatra, Springsteen, “The Sopranos,’’ and — admittedly in a different weight class — Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. They were the inspiration for “Jersey Boys,’’ a likable musical biography that has returned to Boston for a six-week run at the Colonial Theatre.

In a basement in a quiet suburb 10 miles west of Manhattan, the characters of a bygone era in pop music are brought to life in mellifluous four-part harmony. Sherry is there, deciding whether or not to come out tonight. So are Dawn, the girl from the nice part of town, and Marianne, trying to understand her man. This is hardly your average baby boomer garage band, though: Made up of former members of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, this weekend they officially launch a nationwide reunion tour as "The Hit Men" that will take them through next May. The venues are more...

“Jersey Boys’’ begins with a bait-and-switch. A French rapper rides the groove of “Ces Soirées-La,’’ circa 2000 - for English-speaking Four Seasons fans, that’s “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)’’ - and for a moment one has the impression that this quirky, interpretive opening number is a sign of things to come. Suddenly several guys in snappy suits step out of the shadows and break into harmony. And two and a half hours later they’re still at it. Don’t go to “Jersey Boys’’ expecting the thrill of the new or the charge of the provocative.

For the Broadway fan on your Christmas list, why not consider a little touch of Jersey? Cast members from various "Jersey Boys" productions across the country have recorded a selection of Christmas classics in the style of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The eclectic CD ranges from the spiritual "Rise Up, Shepherd," to a doo-wop version of "White Christmas," to a synth-pop version of "Angels From the Realms of Glory" to a medley of Santa songs with those signature Jersey Boys harmonies.

NEW YORK -- "The Drowsy Chaperone," a daffy musical about one fan's favorite 1920s show, garnered 13 Tony nominations yesterday, including best musical. Close behind with 11 was "The Color Purple," the Oprah Winfrey-produced musical based on Alice Walker's novel about a determined woman's triumph over adversity. The revival of "The Pajama Game" got nine bids, while tied at eight were "Jersey Boys," the gritty show-biz tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and the revival of "Awake and Sing!"

JERSEY BOYS Don’t go expecting the thrill of the new. But do go to this hit musical, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for the rush of the familiar - the songs, the jokes, the hardscrabble kids, the peaks and pitfalls of stardom - done well. With four talented and immensely appealing performers leading us by our ears, evergreen hooks acquire a measure of pathos and joy. Through Sept. 26. Citi Shubert Theatre. 866-348-9738, www.citicenter.org JOAN ANDERMAN TWELFTH NIGHT Star turns by the entire ensemble, enhanced by ingenious sight gags, yield a classic...

NEW YORK - How does a young, relatively inexperienced creative team bring a love letter to 1980s hair bands to the Broadway stage? The key, it seems, is not to take any of it too seriously. Now at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, "Rock of Ages" is a silly, raucous jukebox musical featuring the biggest power ballads and glam rock hits of the '80s - including Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. On a recent afternoon before a preview performance, writer Chris D'Arienzo, director Kristin Hanggi, and...

The white-shirted missionaries of "The Book of Mormon" are headed to Boston next year, hunting for converts to a brand of musical-comedy lunacy that has made the show a smash hit on Broadway, while Joey, the noble steed of "War Horse," will gallop into town this fall. The slate for the 2012-13 season announced Monday by Broadway in Boston also includes a pre-Broadway world-premiere musical, "Tuck Everlasting," adapted from Natalie Babbitt's beloved children's novel; productions of "Memphis" and "Sister Act"; and return engagements by "Wicked,"...

In a basement in a quiet suburb 10 miles west of Manhattan, the characters of a bygone era in pop music are brought to life in mellifluous four-part harmony. Sherry is there, deciding whether or not to come out tonight. So are Dawn, the girl from the nice part of town, and Marianne, trying to understand her man. This is hardly your average baby boomer garage band, though: Made up of former members of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, this weekend they officially launch a nationwide reunion tour as "The Hit Men" that will take them through next May. The venues...

For the Broadway fan on your Christmas list, why not consider a little touch of Jersey? Cast members from various "Jersey Boys" productions across the country have recorded a selection of Christmas classics in the style of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. The eclectic CD ranges from the spiritual "Rise Up, Shepherd," to a doo-wop version of "White Christmas," to a synth-pop version of "Angels From the Realms of Glory" to a medley of Santa songs with those signature Jersey Boys harmonies.

Thanks to the televised antics of Snooki, the Situation, and the rest of those budding Rhodes Scholars on “Jersey Shore,’’ it’s been a rough year, image-wise, for the Garden State. Let’s not forget, however, that New Jersey also gave the world Sinatra, Springsteen, “The Sopranos,’’ and — admittedly in a different weight class — Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. They were the inspiration for “Jersey Boys,’’ a likable musical biography that has returned to Boston for a six-week run at the Colonial Theatre.

JERSEY BOYS Don’t go expecting the thrill of the new. But do go to this hit musical, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for the rush of the familiar - the songs, the jokes, the hardscrabble kids, the peaks and pitfalls of stardom - done well. With four talented and immensely appealing performers leading us by our ears, evergreen hooks acquire a measure of pathos and joy. Through Sept. 26. Citi Shubert Theatre. 866-348-9738, www.citicenter.org JOAN ANDERMAN TWELFTH NIGHT Star turns by the entire ensemble, enhanced by ingenious sight gags, yield a classic that’s...

“Jersey Boys’’ begins with a bait-and-switch. A French rapper rides the groove of “Ces Soirées-La,’’ circa 2000 - for English-speaking Four Seasons fans, that’s “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)’’ - and for a moment one has the impression that this quirky, interpretive opening number is a sign of things to come. Suddenly several guys in snappy suits step out of the shadows and break into harmony. And two and a half hours later they’re still at it. Don’t go to “Jersey Boys’’ expecting the thrill of the new or the charge of the provocative.

NEW YORK - How does a young, relatively inexperienced creative team bring a love letter to 1980s hair bands to the Broadway stage? The key, it seems, is not to take any of it too seriously. Now at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, "Rock of Ages" is a silly, raucous jukebox musical featuring the biggest power ballads and glam rock hits of the '80s - including Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive," and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. On a recent afternoon before a preview performance, writer Chris D'Arienzo, director...

NEW YORK -- "The Drowsy Chaperone," a daffy musical about one fan's favorite 1920s show, garnered 13 Tony nominations yesterday, including best musical. Close behind with 11 was "The Color Purple," the Oprah Winfrey-produced musical based on Alice Walker's novel about a determined woman's triumph over adversity. The revival of "The Pajama Game" got nine bids, while tied at eight were "Jersey Boys," the gritty show-biz tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and the revival of "Awake and Sing!"

When "The Addams Family," the musical, opened on Broadway in April 2010, expectations ran high. The eccentric characters were familiar to generations, who may have been introduced to the franchise through the popular mid-1960s television comedy, the 1990s feature films, or the late Charles Addams's original cartoons for The New Yorker, which he began drawing back in the 1930s. But despite assets that included the writing team behind the hit show "Jersey Boys," Broadway superstar Nathan Lane in the lead role, and a beloved theme song ("They're creepy and they're kooky . . . ")

Boston sure does like musical theater. Less than a year after "Jersey Boys" broke box-office records at the Colonial Theatre, "Candide" is a smash success for the Huntington Theatre Company. The show, which runs through Oct. 16, has so far grossed $1.1 million, becoming the highest-grossing musical in the company's 30-year history, surpassing "Ain't Misbehavin'," which had held the record since 2003. "Candide" is now the second-highest grossing show in the Huntington's history, behind only "Butley," a 2003 show that starred Tony winner Nathan Lane .