A Jam-Packed Jersey Boys Weekend

The Jersey Boys at the Orpheum and The Midtown Men at the Ordway make for a very ’60s weekend

Corey Greenan, Tommaso Antico, Jonny Wexler, and Chris Stevens from left to right in the national musical tour of The Jersey Boys. Photo by Joan Marcus, courtesy Hennepin Theatre Trust.Corey Greenan, Tommaso Antico, Jonny Wexler, and Chris Stevens from left to right in the national musical tour of The Jersey Boys.

If you’ve ever loved The Four Seasons, this weekend is your weekend. 

Starting this past Tuesday, the Orpheum Theatre has been hosting the national tour of The Jersey Boys, which follows the story of Frankie Valli back when he was still Frankie Castelluccio and performing with The Variety Trio all the way up to when he and his band were invoked into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Songs like SherryBig Girls Don’t Cry, and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You are some of more than two dozen Four Seasons tunes that make their way into the story. The tour’s last weekend performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m, and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m.

Over on the St. Paul side of the river, the performing act The Midtown Men hits the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts with stars from the original Broadway cast of The Jersey Boys. This is the group’s seventh national tour, and people are still coming out to hear their tributes to ‘60s favorites from bands like The Beatles, Motown, and of course, The Four Seasons. Tony Award winner Christian Hoff (who played Tommy DeVito), Michael Longoria (Joe Pesci), Daniel Reichard (Bob Gaudio), and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer (Nick Massi) are the stars of the stage, but they are joined by a seven-part band and backed by local producers Tommy and Jeff Vee, sons of Bobby Vee. Check out the show Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Ordway.

So don your best rat pack suit (or not) and get ready for a weekend filled with songs that have stood the test of time.