I got a last-minute cheap ticket to Jersey Boys tonight, but I wasn’t expecting much since it’s a “jukebox” musical.

I was on guard as the show started with an audience clap-a-long and jokes aimed at getting a big hand from the New Jersey folk in the house. I missed the next 10 minutes because a late bridge or tunneler and an usher got into a fight with someone behind me who was sitting in the wrong seat.

But once the show got started, it never stopped moving (literally, this is a Des McAnuff show afterall). Basically, Jersey Boys is an Italian-American Dreamgirls. There’s not much of an attempt to use the songs to advance the plot, but what songs! I didn’t realize how many hits The Four Seasons had. And John Lloyd Young (as Frankie Valli) totally deserves the Tony Award he’ll get in June. The show stumbles a bit in the second half, but sends the audience out on a high.

More importantly, I’ve broken my theatre dry spell (the last show I saw was The Odd Couple back before Thanksgiving). I’m feeling the urge to check out some shows currently on the boards (ex. Grey Gardens) and buy some advance tickets (ex. Tarzan)