Give it up for 'Jersey Boys'

A typical round of applause after a song in a Broadwaymusical is about 10 seconds. Stop for a moment, count that out toyourself and imagine how long that really is: One one thousand, two onethousand, three one thousand ...

That’s a decent stretch of time, even for an Andrew LloydWebber-level showstopper. At last Friday’s show of “Jersey Boys,” fourseparate numbers earned nearly three times that (including a standingovation in the middle of the show). That’s 30 full seconds of applause.You don’t have to count that one out — that’s audience love.

So what could possibly warrant such a rousing response?Best guess: a combination of music that is ingrained in the DNA ofpost-World War II American pop culture, a tight book that captures thatlightning-in-a-bottle exhilaration of watching a group of artistsdiscover themselves and … oh who am I kidding — it’s the Frankie Vallisolos that can pull your heart up into your throat with a falsettoswitch then send it plummeting back with a key change.

Due credit must be given to Joseph Leo Bwarie, who plays Valli, the heart and soul of every incarnation of The Four Seasons.

Sure, the band was the brainchild of schemer Tommy DeVito(Matt Bailey), but it was Valli’s angelic vocal range — aided bysongwriter Bob Gaudio (Preston Truman Boyd) and bassman/arranger NickMassi (Michael Lomenda) — that propelled The Four Seasons from singingunder a streetlight to becoming a British Invasion-proof juggernaut.Bwarie hits every last one of Valli’s legendary notes, convincinglyembodying the singer — warts and all — yet still makes him feel likeyour kid brother.

The show opens with “Ces Soiress-la,” a 2000 hip-hopversion of the 1976 French remake of The Four Seasons’ 1975chart-topper “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night).” This isn’t justAmericana; it’s trans-cultural rock and roll. From there we get to seethe group as they go through their, um, four seasons: spring (theband’s formation and rise to fame), summer (their ride to the top ofthe charts) and so on. This cookie-cutter premise thankfully eschewstreacle and, yes, even predictability with its compellingcharacterizations and its R-rated dialogue.

Polished to a gem can’t begin to describe the slicknessof “Jersey Boys” (which won the Tony Award for best musical in 2005 andis still running on Broadway).

The catwalk backdrop frames an ever-shifting series ofimpressionistic scenes including a recording studio, nightclub and eventhe stage of “The Ed Sullivan Show.” The songs (and you know nearlyevery one of them) morph from impromptu jam sessions into full-onperformances that prompt the lengthy acclaim. It was almost as if theaudience was given the opportunity to give direct thanks to theoriginal members in the form of their avatars, with the actorsappearing truly humbled to accept the accolades.

And boy, as an audience member, does it feel good to heap it on.

’Jersey Boys’

Wharton Center

Through Oct. 16

7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays

$35-$95

(800) WHARTON

www.whartoncenter.com