Lies Musical Theatre Told Me: The Cast of Jersey Boys is a band

Summer is coming on quickly, and I started thinking about my past summers. Usually, due to the fact that I have an abundance of free time on my hands, I wind up getting obsessed with something. You guys all saw last year’s obsession. The only other time I worked full time during a summer, I was socially isolated because I was commuting at weird times and couldn’t drink legally yet, so I still had a load of time on my hands, and wound up becoming obsessed with Twilight.

I’m not proud of it, OK?

This year, I don’t know if the obsession with come, because I have a full time job and will be participating in a community theatre production. But of course, I got to thinking about some of my past obsessions. It’s weird when there’s a very visceral reaction to something from your past. The other day I was listening to the Beach Boys Pandora station I’d created, and had a major flashback.

This is not the forum to argue about Brian Wilson’s genius. As if there was an argument.

Anyway, “Sherry” came on. But not “Sherry” as performed by The Four Seasons, it was as performed by the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys. If you weren’t a high school theater geek from New Jersey in 2006, then you might not fully grasp how deeply important Jersey Boys was. Of course it was kind of important in general for theater that year. It won the Tony after all, but I feel like it affected my friends in a very specific and deep way.

If you haven’t gone to see it, you probably should. It’s amazing.

I didn’t know a single kid who had every done a show who wasn’t completely obsessed with the show and it’s young super talented cast that year. John Lloyd Young basically was Frankie Valli as far as we were concerned. The four guys performed on every talk show, and we watched every performance. They became their own phenomenon.

I immediately switched to my I-Pod and listened to the OBC Recording. Again, I can’t stress how ubiquitous this was that summer. I’m pretty sure I blared their version of “Dawn” with my top down over and over again. Not to mention the brilliant, “leaving” medley from act II, which includes, “Stay,” “Bye, Bye Baby (Baby Good bye),” “Let’s Hang On,” and others was the top play on my I-Tunes for a good month. My guy friends had their own version of “Sherry” that they burst in to at the slightest provocation.

While I was listening I started not exactly remember details from that summer, although I do remember sitting next to my mom watching the show and seeing the tears running down her cheeks during “Rag Doll,” (Long complicated story involving her younger brother…) but just some of the feelings. I was sitting in Central Park on my lunch break yesterday, and felt my own tears come out as I listened to “Who Loves You.”

Here’s the thing, I’ve been very lucky to be loved by and love amazing people in my life, and some of the people who I love the most, my relationships with them cemented that summer before I headed off to college. I’ve always been grateful for it. That song brings back that time. So I get emotional.

Anyway, if you were around that summer, if you were a part of my life and are now reading this. Thanks. It was a cool year, and it’s been cool to think about it for the past few days.

Also, I know this wasn’t formatted the same way as the other “Lies” posts, but it’s a different kind of thing.

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