Because of the fame achieved by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons — and because the show is about four boys not adverse to swearing or violence — the production appeals to a wide-ranged mature audience.

“‘Jersey Boys’ is the one show guys drag their wives to see,” said Preston Boyd, who plays Bob Gaudio, one of the original members of The Four Seasons.

The musical, which often is called a play with music because of its dynamic script, features 33 of The Four Seasons’ greatest hits, including “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “My Eyes Adored You.”

“It’s not your average musical,” Boyd said. “It’s a play with some of the greatest music of all time set to it.”

The production tells the story of four musicians from New Jersey and provides an in-depth look at their personal lives.

“Really what ‘Jersey Boys’ does is it takes the audience behind the music and tells the story of the group through each of the four group members’ perspectives,” said Bob Hoffman, Wharton Center public relations manager.

Members of the band grew up in working class families, and together they achieved great musical success at a young age.

Audience members will develop a feel for what the band members experienced during their journey to stardom, Hoffman said.

“They lived the dream a lot of us have, and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” he said. “You learn that in the show.”

Boyd, who joined the cast late as a replacement for another actor, said he is excited to bring his audience a show that is culturally driven and entertaining.

“For an actor, a show like this is something we all hope we have the chance to do,” he said.

“Jersey Boys” is an award-winning production, having received the Best Musical Award on Broadway in London and Australia.

“It really continues to be one of the most sought-after tickets on Broadway,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman, who already has seen the production three times, said he is excited to have it come to Wharton Center.

“You don’t have to travel to New York to see it, (and) you don’t have to travel to Sydney, Australia,” he said. “You can see it right here in East Lansing on MSU’s campus.”

Horticulture senior Michelle Leppek saw “Jersey Boys” in New York City while on spring break in 2008.

“It was the first show I had seen on Broadway,” she said. “It was just amazing to see the technique and the talent at that level.”

Now that the production is traveling to East Lansing, Leppek said she hopes to see it again.

“It’d be interesting to see what the new actors would bring to the show and how it has developed,” she said. “It was a really good experience to see it in New York, and it would be great to see it again.”