The Cast Photo by Scott Lasky

Jersey Boys is told in four sections, appropriately matching the four seasons of the year. Each member of the quartet narrates one part of the time-sequenced story, putting his particular spin on a history that is full of false starts, sky-rocketing successes, personal tragedies, and personal loyalties thicker than blood as well as lies and betrayals that lead to personal and professional break-ups. The narrations are frequently punctuated by the sounds of songs as old friends once heard on 45s and still heard decades later on any streaming service.

Tyler Savin begins the story with the "Spring" section as the cocky, heavy-Jersey-accented Tommy DeVito, self-proclaimed founder and leader of the group (and also occasional visitor to what he calls the "Broadway Correctional Facility," or prison). Taking us through his search for just the right foursome, as the earlier versions of trios and quartets play small clubs and street corners, Tommy also tells us how the initial group goes from being known as The Romans to The Village Voices to The Varietones to The Four Lovers–the latter quartet moving disastrously into comedy and emptying clubs with campy songs like "I Go Ape." While the ego-inflated, big-guy-acting Tommy DeVito was usually not a featured soloist of the group, Tyler Savin proves he has the vocal goods as he solos in "Earth Angel."

The All-American, clean-cut Bob Gaudio (Andrew Cope), who at 15 had already had a #1 hit, "Short Shorts," picks up the story of "Summer" as he becomes the fourth piece of the pie. An excitable, high-voiced Jersey kid named Joey (a hilariously cute Skyler Riordan) introduces Bob to a hesitant Tommy; this kid grows up to be actor Joe Pesci and a life-long friend with his Jersey-hood friends.

The addition of Bob Gaudio and his talent in songwriting leads to the first three big hits of a group still in search of the right name. The universally familiar numbers–"Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man"–are delivered in such glorious harmony and eye-popping style that it took me all I could not not to sing along. The hits also coincide with the foursome finally finding the right name, inspired by a neon "Four Seasons" sign on a bowling ally. The charismatic Andrew Cope as Bob shines with a voice contagiously engaging as he belts the ever-popular "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)."

Standing like a tall, lanky giant, the usually soft-spoken bass singer of the group, Nick Massi (Justin Kerekes), is Tommy's longtime friend from the neighborhood and singing partner from the beginning. Nick takes over as the narrator for "Fall," a season that finds Tommy's mounting money problems landing the group for a weekend sitting on toilets in a Ohio jail and beginning to create fissures within the otherwise immensely successful and tight group.

With "Winter" comes a side of the group's story told by the most famous and longest-sustaining star of The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli. In the iconic role that won John Lloyd Young a Best Actor in a Musical Tony, James M. Jones carries on the tradition superbly as the diminutive, angel-voiced Frankie, taking his several-octave range into falsetto heavens with total ease and confidence. He also solos on numbers that become further proof of the original Valli's unique talents that have struck chords deep within listeners around the globe for generations (e.g., "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Fallen Angel"). Jones is not only totally convincing with his incredibly clear and consistently striking vocals, he is also compelling in conveying the hurt and tragedies that Valli experiences and causes others to experience, the blind devotion he has to those who once helped him, and the extreme drive to connect to his audiences.

Supporting the headlining foursome is a cast providing a number of noteworthy performances and playing both a primary and several secondary roles. Samantha Kenbrandt is Frankie's first wife–Mary Delgado, fiery in red hair and in disposition–who joins him in a heart-touching and closely harmonized "My Eyes Adored You." Danny Martin frolics in and out of scenes with swish, spread-finger hands, and a lot of wild color in his frocks and his words as producer Bob Crewe, who brings the newly formed Four Seasons into their fame. John Mannion is perfect in the role of the serious but sentimental mob boss Gyp DeCarlo, who loyally sticks with the group through its roughest periods based on Frankie's beautifully intoned "My Mother's Eyes." Part of Gyp's help is keeping fellow gangster and loan shark Norm Waxman (a steely eyed Dave Lentz) from roughing up free-spending Tommy.

Moving their white-gloved hands in exacting precision, Samantha Ayoob (featured soloist), Samantha Borthwick, and Lauren Jiang prove their own vocal metal as The Angels in a rousing, toe-tapping "My Boyfriend's Back."

Kudos goes also to each member of the production team, first and foremost to Doug Santana for his precisely timed and imaginatively blocked direction for a show with over fifty scenes. Every corner, aisle, and peep-hole of the Lucie Stern Theatre becomes fair game for a bit of action.

Patrick Klein impressively has designed the familiar two-level, erector-like set with multiple settings of cafes, nightclubs and apartments appearing and receding seamlessly. His backdrop of colorful projections add context and color to all scenes.

Edward Hunter's lighting shines with the excitement of the concert stage and provides spot focus on the solos of Frankie and others. Never a lyric is missed nor is there any hint of imbalance between singers and the magnificent band of ten (Nick Kenbrandt, conductor), given the sound design of Jeff Grafton.

And finally, a standing O to Jenny Garcia for the period-perfect array of eye-popping costumes that must have packed the backstage area to the gills and to Nicole Hoke for sending us all back several decades in our memories with her hair, wig, and makeup artistry.

It is now five times and counting for me and Jersey Boys. For many reasons, the more intimate and yet still big-stage-quality Palo Alto Players production is one that I now most relish. Will there be a number six out there in my future? I certainly hope so because I do like to hear those boys sing as they tell a story that never fails to engage and to fascinate.

Jersey Boys runs through May 4, 2025, at Palo Alto Players, Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto CA. For tickets and information, please visit www.paplayers.org or call the box office at 650-329-0891.