'Jersey Boys' Makes Debut At The Hippodrome

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- They sold 175 million records. They were one of the greatest groups in the history of rock and roll, and their real life story became a mega Broadway smash.

As Ron Matz reports, "Jersey Boys" has finally arrived in Baltimore.

"Jersey Boys" is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. There are 27 songs from the group that made rock and roll history.

"Obviously, it's the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It's really more of a working class, kind of a rags to riches story. They went from being these four guys of the corner singing under a street lamp to one of the greatest American rock groups of all time," said Quinn Van Antwerp, who plays Bob Gaudio.

Many fans know all the hits.

"It's great. It's a slam dunk. We all love these songs and we do them every night. It's two-and-a half hours of great entertainment and people feel great when they leave. They tell you that outside," said Steve Gouveia, who plays Nick Massi. "Just the fact these guys wrote so many songs, you know, it's amazing."

They were the blue-collar guys from the wrong side of the tracks who wrote their own songs, which became the soundtrack of our lives.

"It's hard to say which song you like the most. Frankie Valli is not just 'Sherry' and 'Big Girls Don't Cry' and that sound. It's also 'Beggin,' 'Let's Hang On' and 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You'. It's an entirely different sound of music. You don't realize they have 40 years of hits," said Van Antwerp.

WJZ sat down with the boys Wednesday. They're happy to be in Baltimore and part of one of the most successful shows of all time.

"The songs are threaded together with a brilliant book and story that is so well written by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman," said Matt Bailey, who plays Tommy DeVito. "It's funny and it's moving. It really grabs the audience and never lets them go and that's why people come back again and again."

"Jersey Boys" begins Wednesday night at the Hippodrome Theatre and continues through Feb. 27. Tickets are going fast. The Broadway show opened more than five years ago and continues to gross more than a million dollars a week.