Jersey Boys, the hit Broadway musical, is on the road once again and audiences will be saying, “Oh what a night,” after spending an evening with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Younger members of the audience may not know who Frankie, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi are, but if you’ve ever turned on the radio you’re more than likely to be familiar with their hit songs.

The show tells the story of four guys from Jersey, from their humble beginnings singing together under a street light, the struggle to be heard, the personal ups and downs (warts and all — the show pulls no punches), to their triumphant reunion at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. As the show starts, we meet Tommy DeVito, a singer in a trio with big dreams, who gives young Frankie Castelluccio a moment in the spotlight during one of their nightclub gigs. DeVito knows the kid has star quality so he invites him to join the group (which has various names from week to week). Looking to expand to a quartet, DeVito’s pal Joey Pesci (yes, THAT Joe Pesci!) introduces him to Bob Gaudio, a young songwriter who had already had a hit with the song “Who Wears Short Shorts.” DeVito’s trio becomes a quartet and history, as they say, is made.

But it’s not all smooth sailing as we see relationships crumble, gambling and mob debts pile up, the death of Valli’s daughter, and the strains of constantly being on the road taking a toll on the group. If you’re expecting to walk into the theater and simply hear a string of hits from the group, you’re in the wrong place. This isn’t just a tribute show. It has real substance to it, showing us how the group came about and honestly portraying the dynamics of the players, both on stage and behind the scenes. It’s surprising and admirable to not have the facts sugar-coated to make this a simple feel-good show. But it’s not a downer either, because the cast and the music will lift you up.

The cast on this tour is simply amazing. The clever structure of the show allows each member of the group to relate their story from their own viewpoint, breaking the fourth wall to fill us in on the events that are unfolding around them. Nick Cosgrove has the toughest job as Valli simply because he has the most recognizable voice. Cosgrove may not sound exactly like Valli (and who could?) but he captures Valli’s falsetto and makes the music his own. Nicolas Dromard’s DeVito almost seems like the show’s lead, particularly during the first act where he is our guide through the early years of the group. He makes DeVito a bit pompous, cocky and over-bearing but you still feel sorry for him as his money problems spiral out of control, nearly taking the group down with him because everything he did, he did for the group (at least, in his mind).

Jason Kappus gives Gaudio a certain naive charm when he first joins the group, but as DeVito talks business with him, we see that Gaudio isn’t as naive as we — and DeVito — thinks he is. Depending on who’s telling the story, Gaudio’s entrance into the group was either a brilliant move on DeVito’s part or simply a group decision based on Gaudio’s songwriting talent. Either way, it was a good decision because Gaudio went on to write some of the group’s (and Valli’s) biggest hits including “Oh, What a Night.” Brandon Andruss plays Nick Massi, the real mystery man of the group who barely has a thing to say (which he points out when it’s his turn to tell the tale), but he does have one great moment as he finally cracks from putting up with Tommy’s antics for ten years.

One of my favorite characters in the show was Bob Crewe, played by Barry Anderson. Crewe was the Four Seasons’ legendary producer (and he also co-wrote the score for the movie Barbarella which features a very distinctive sound that can also be heard in “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”). Anderson isn’t on stage much, but when he is he makes the most of the role with some of the best comic delivery of his lines. I’m such a fan of the Barbarella soundtrack, so it was wonderful to see Crewe portrayed in the show. I have to give it up to the rest of the cast too. There are 19 actors in the show with many of them playing multiple roles, some as many as 17, with amazingly swift costume and wig changes to walk out of and back into a scene as a different person. Marlana Dunn (as Mary Delgado) has the fastest change in nine seconds (Cosgrove’s Valli also has 12 quick changes, the fastest at 15 seconds).

One thing you won’t be while watching Jersey Boys is bored. The show moves at a quick pace, with musical numbers coming in a steady stream (and music from other groups of the era is also featured), set pieces flying in and out or back and forth across the stage, great choreography and direction, and terrific lighting design. There is a stunning moment right before the intermission when a photographer snaps a picture and the lighting changes to make the entire stage look almost like a black and white photo. Throughout the show, Frankie and Bob Gaudio talk about their own side deal and how they’ll even have a horn section, and when that horn section finally arrives on stage, it’s a genuine goosebumps moment (that even had some people in the audience in tears).

Like We Will Rock You, I really had no clue going in what this show was about, assuming (again) that it was just a greatest hits collection of the group’s songs. Jersey Boys tells a story of real men trying to make their way through life while making a name for themselves and the winding path they took to achieve their goals. With a great cast, great music and a solid production, Jersey Boys is not to be missed when it comes to your town. Jersey Boys is currently playing at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre through November 24th. Other cities on the tour include South Bend, Philadelphia, Richmond, Worcester, Scranton, St. Louis, Tampa, Orlando and more. Visit the show’s official website for more dates, information and tickets.

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