Jersey Boys, running at the Toronto Centre for the Arts
Out of everything we had planned on the weekend to Toronto, the one thing I was looking forward to, more than anything else, was going to see Jersey Boys. While this might not be an essential part of every trip to Tokyo, to recreate a weekend that I would spend in Tokyo, this was the necessity.
To make a very long story short: the reason I fell for Japan even harder than I did before was because I fell for a silly series of musicals based on a manga turned anime about tennis. If you’re remotely familiar with anime or manga at all, I’m talking about The Prince of Tennis series (テニスの王子様）The musicals were never subbed, or subbed, which prompted me to learn Japanese. When I arrived in Japan, I already had a good understanding of the language under my belt, and something familiar to look forward to when I arrived, which I consider essential when going overseas. I often wonder if these actors realize just how much these silly musicals about good looking boys on stage dancing with rackets have influenced my life for the better.
So, my time spent in Tokyo was often spent going to musicals and shows, taking every opportunity to see my favourite actors in person. When I had to leave Japan, the thing I knew I would miss the most (other than the obvious friends answer) was knowing that high quality musical theatre was not going to be something I could go see every month. And I was right. I had seen one semi-professional show since returning to Canada, and took part in a community theatre show with the Brockville Operatic Society. But nothing worth paying a serious amount of money for.
So when we decided to go to Toronto, I KNEW seeing a musical was a must-do, especially if we wanted to make it resemble my time in Japan. We decided on Jersey Boys, upon the recommendation of everyone I knew. I was told time and time again that I would love it.
Everyone was right!
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, four boys from New Jersey who became one of the biggest groups in pop history. If you’re under the age of 25-30, you might be scratching your head and going “Who?” But believe me, you know their music. They had a long string of hits including “Walk Like A Man”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Sherry”, and a whole pile of others. A lot of classics that you probably love, even if you don’t have them on your iPod.
I was really surprised while I was watching the show, because you never really think of a band with a sweet sound like they did to have such a rough past. But, of course, they’re Jersey Boys, so they started out just like most others from Jersey supposedly do: joining gangs and spending time in jail. As they say in the show, there are only three ways out: join the army, you could get mobbed-up, or you could become a star. It took a little work, but they chose option three.
I don’t want to give away the plot, so I won’t go much further. However, I do want to say that I found this show AMAZING. I have a huge appreciation for technical theatre, and the show put on at the Toronto Centre for the Arts was seamless. The speed of the scene changes, the risers and the drops astounded me the first time I watched the show, because it was smooth and fast. The way they showed some scenes, including the songs that were performed on television, and especially the songs showing them singing in concert, were creative and really seemed to put you right in the shoes of someone experiencing it as it was happening. There are times where you feel like you might as well just be a roadie for the group, it’s such an amazing view into the backstage lives of these four singers.
The set in this clip is identical to the one used in Toronto (and I’m sure all of the performances)
When he began singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, I had NO idea this song was the one they had been leading up to for the past 10 minutes, and I about started crying because I love this song SO much and it was sung SO beautifully.
CANADIAN CAST! And thank goodness, this clip has three of the songs none of the other melodies have, which were some of my favourite songs too.
So, as I said before, I HIGHLY recommend this show, no matter what city you get to see it in. You’ll walk out of the show, smiling and singing the songs for days.
