With all the hype about “Jersey Boys,” I’ve waited impatiently for over five years for the smash musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to make it to Rhode Island.

In my 35 years of covering everything that has graced the Providence Performing Arts Center stage, I can emphatically state that I enjoyed “Jersey Boys” more than anything I have ever seen there, and that includes a multitude of musicals.

Why is “Jersey Boys” so good?

It is fresh, original, filled with a talented cast, splendidly written and directed and loaded with some of the greatest rock and roll songs of the ’60s. When I interviewed Steve Gouveia last week, he told me that the success of the musical goes far beyond the music…and was he right! From the opening scene to the cleverly conceived “Where are they now” closing, “Jersey Boys” held me spellbound.

I’ve seen dozens of musicals and movies about obscure entertainers who rise to fame and fortune, encountering a variety of ups and downs along the way. “Jersey Boys” follows the same theme. The difference is in the telling and showing. We see the story unfold through the eyes of the main characters.

What starts as a bare stage is constantly transposed with clever lighting, drops, props and costumes, with a smooth flow from one time and place to another.

And it is very funny, with quick, sharp quips, references to the ’60s and a few lines that cause the audience to applaud spontaneously.

Gouveia has the best one, right at the end (I won’t give it away), which literally stops the show. He plays the underappreciated guy in the singing group, while Matt Bailey plays Tommy DeVito, the ego-centered, self-proclaimed leader who “discovered” Frankie Valli.

Ryan Jesse has the pivotal role of Bob Gaudio, the man behind the songs, the Jersey Boy who is not from New Jersey, and lets out his feelings about the state in another scene that brought down the house.

The story begins with the rag-tag singers gathering under a Jersey streetlight singing the songs of other groups, playing bowling alleys, running into problems with the law and the Mafia, fighting to make a demo record and get it played on the radio.

After a bit of background, the musical shifts into high gear with the group singing their first big hit, “Sherry,” which proved to be a genuine show-stopper.

This is where we really hear the talents of Joseph Leo Bwarie as Frankie Valli. Bwarie opened the Jersey Boys Las Vegas show and then took it on the road. His unbelievable voice sent goosebumps up my back.

(Note: Tiverton’s own John Michael Dias will play the role on selected matinees and Sunday evenings, and we hear he is also terrific). The role is demanding and the hit songs never stop.

Amazingly, most of the songs fit a pattern that follows the story line. You get an insight into why and how “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man” were written.

Every time the group sang one of Valli’s hits, the audience response was so enthusiastic that Bwarie actually had to quiet them down so the show could go on.

And when he sang “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” Valli’s big comeback song, the sold-out PPAC went crazy.

I guess you can tell that I absolutely loved this show and would come back time and time again to see it, as many people have.

As far as what I thought was a brilliant lead – “Jersey Boys” Oh! What I night!” – it wasn’t that original. They were selling t-shirts in the lobby with that inscription for $25. “Jersey Boys” is at the Providence Performing Arts Center through June 6. Call 421-ARTS for reservations. Don’t miss it.