Four Seasons musical "Jersey Boys" great way to start Spring

Best Musical Tony Winner "Jersey Boys" returns to San Francisco - just in time for Spring.

The story of the Four Seasons is part biography, part songbook musical, "Boys" delivers in song and story. The tale of four friends who bond over their shared reason for wanting to make a better life has more depth than the parade of jukebox musicals that have come out of Broadway the past several years.

While the Four Seasons sang sweet and wholesome music, aided by the angelic voice of Frankie Valli, the story is a bit edgier, telling of how it's hard for some members of the foursome to leave their ill-fated ways behind.

But first and foremost is the songs. Not like a "Mamma Mia" musical in which they connect Abba songs with a loose plot line, "Jersey Boys" perform all of their songs as if in concert, showcasing the actual band's chart-topping music.

Their top hits include "Walk Like a Man," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Sherry" and "Oh What a Night" as well as Frankie Valli's solo hits "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" and "My Eyes Adored You."

The "band" in the show - actually stage actors - have made the characters their own, resurrecting Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and getting thunderous applause after each standout musical performances.

The show is lead by Nick Cosgrove as Valli and he is in great form playing the iconic singer, who is able to show Valli's true sweetness with his own beautiful voice. The whole cast is terrific but another standout is John Gardiner who plays a good balance to Cosgrove's Valli. He plays childhood friend Tommy DeVito, who still maintains his street smarts, even though the band reaches a legitimate success. And if you like your boys from Jersey, the entire cast aint' bad to look at either.

It's not as rich or deep as a "Les Miserables" but it reminds us of how great the Four Seasons were and it certainly a beautiful way to start Spring.

It plays through April 28 at the Curran Theatre. To get tickets and showtimes, go to www.shnsf.com.