I'm goin' to see "The Jersey Boys"

While sitting and chatting at my birthday party the other night, my guest who had been in high school with me (she of many last names now) was commisserating about our high school grad party (my older sister and I had graduated together, as we did many things in life).  We had attended an all-girls high school so our parents had agreed to let us have a sleep-over with the entire graduating class.  We pitched many tents in the backyard; we brought our crude turn-tables and we talked, and giggled, and played music and annoyed the neighbours all night long.  But this guest (she of many last names), was telling me that whenever she thinks of that night, what she remembers most is my playing the Four Seasons over and over and over and over.  We giggled as she said, "I remember thinking, 'If I hear 'Walk like a man'  or 'Dawn, go way I'm no good for you' one more time ...."

Well, her telling that story launched me into the story of last fall when I found out about "The Jersey Boys."  I blogged about it at the time and I'm repeating that blog entry here (to save you having to go looking for it).

"Silence is Golden"  (first posted 25 Sept 2009)

I woke up with that song ringing through my head and couldn't figure out why.
Then I remembered.
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons -- one of my very favourite singing groups through my teen years.

Earlier this week, Oprah Winfrey did an episode of "Back to the Sixties" or some such thing. And the episode included an appearance by The Jersey Boys who are currently performing in Chicago. The group performs exclusively songs by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. They weren't bad but they weren't the real thing. I thought they were a show particular to Chicago.

My daughter later enlightened me. The Jersey Boys is a broadway production playing in various major cities in North America, one of them being Toronto. She predicts that they will appear in Ottawa by the 2010/11 season. You can be sure that when that happens, we'll be in the theatre to see it. (Since she was raised listening to the songs, she found herself bopping along while she watched the Oprah episode.)

In any event, the show obviously planted the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in my head.

And one of the many songs I especially loved by the group was "Silence is Golden." I guess the title is also particularly relevant to my current living conditions. Because, silence IS golden this week.

Well, it isn't very silent in here right now.

You see, I found my collection of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons records.

And I figured out how to work John's sound system (that is a major feat in itself, let me tell you).

So, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are now belting out their many hits that I remember so well.

And I still remember every word like it was yesterday! (Damned good thing there's nobody here to witness that show!)

When I put on the first record, I still needed to blow dry my hair.

I hadn't yet put on my hearing aids and I needed to have the music loud enough to be heard over the blow dryer.

When I finally put on my hearing aids, I discovered that the music was, I'm sure, loud enough to be heard in the next county.

Ooops! Good thing I live in isolated, rural conditions.

Gotta get these babies transferred to CDs to take in my car ...

Well, I haven't yet got the albums transferred to CD (I will do that), but today, I'm GOIN' TO SEE THE JERSEY BOYS!

My little chickadee is taking me to Toronto to see the production because we simply don't know if it will ever come to Ottawa.  We fly out this morning, see the production this afternoon, and fly back this evening!

Oh my little chickadee -- she is absolutely theeeeeeee best!