Jersey Boys Recreates Doo-Wop Thrills and Hits of the Four Seasons (Broadway in Louisville)
Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
Music by Bob Guadio
Lyrics by Bob Crewe
Directed by Des McAnuff
Review by Loraine Lawson Entire contents are copyright © 2026 Loraine Lawson. All rights reserved.
Fans of the Four Seasons and doo wop music will not want to miss Jersey Boys, which opened the 2026-27 series of PNC Broadway Louisville Tuesday night. For others, the show delivers solid performances and a slew of toe-tapping, well-performed tunes.
It’s been 16 years since Jersey Boys last played in Louisville, and the cast and crew did not disappoint. The show had good energy and great tunes, but be forewarned: This isn’t your typical musical.
Musicals generally have a strong story arc and music that moves the plot forward or explores characters’ motivations. Jersey Boys feels more like a witty documentary, with some dramatizations.
Instead, Jersey Boys is a celebration of the Four Seasons’ music and so focuses solidly on the Four Seasons’ music. The closing number even felt like a concert, with audience members on their feet, singing and dancing.
But this also created some disjointed moments. For instance, at one point, Frankie Valli has to deal with the sudden death of his daughter. The moment that had little emotional resonance because up until then, the audience wasn’t even aware he had a daughter, much less three.
That said, the cast and crew put on a solid show, despite a rocky start. During the first hour of the show, there were two fairly lengthy interruptions that stopped the show for technical difficulties.
Special kudos to Harry Sperduto, who was onstage during both interruptions. Sperduto, who played Four Seasons member Tommy DeVito, was an absolute pro about stopping and then restarting the show, helping audiences get back into the musical.
Sperduto gave a strong performance as DeVito, a guitarist who founded the band. DeVito is portrayed as a tough-guy Jersey boy who occasionally gambles and runs scams, character flaws that eventually catch up with him when he winds up owing the mob big money.
Sperduto brought a ton of energy to the songs and the fancy footwork popular with bands of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Coby Oram played Frankie Valli, the lead singer of the Four Seasons. Oram delivered on those high notes from songs such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like A Man.”
Owen McCredie as bassist Nick Massi and Peyton Schoenhofer as songwriter/keyboardist Bob Guadio rounded out the ensemble cast. Overall, each brought a ton of pep to the performance and did a great job reproducing the sounds of the Four Seasons. Schroenhofer added a bit of levity, as well.
Alexis Aponte gave a solid performance as Frankie Valli’s wife. Also, the actresses who performed as The Angels did a great job with “My Boyfriend’s Back.”
I’d be remiss not to mention the costumes, which gave a modern touch to the glittery dress style of the 1960s.
In all, Jersey Boys is a great homage to the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their surprisingly large collection of hits. It’s a good time for early rock-n-roll enthusiasts, fans of the Four Seasons and anyone who just enjoys snazzy styles and fabulous harmonies.
Jersey Boys
PNC Broadway in Louisville
October 6-11 2026
Kentucky Performing Arts
501 W. Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
502.584.7777
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