Lawson Taitte

A few days before Jersey Boys opened at the Dallas Summer Musicals last week, a friend asked me about the language. He had heard that it was a little rough. I have to confess that after years of David Mamet, I have become numb to most words we can't fit in a family newspaper. But sure enough, the show was quite a bit raunchier than what audiences at "family musicals" are used to.

I meant to address that briefly in my review, but the show went late and I was writing on a tight deadline. I realized later that I didn't put in a line such as, "These characters live in Sopranos country, so expect the language to be at an adult HBO level."

I have since received several letters calling me on my failure to mention the language. Here's a sample from Tyler reader W.H. Harbour:

"I was somewhat disappointed that you seemingly were completely impervious to the major problem I found with the show – the exceedingly liberal use of profanity throughout the dialogue. I know you're going to tell me that the language was in keeping with the times of New Jersey in the '60s and '70s. That may be so, but was it absolutely necessary to push that fact down the throats of theatergoers looking for a great time in reliving the music of our youths?"

I wrote back to him that I thought there was a bit of a paradox here. I'll bet Summer Musicals president Michael A. Jenkins won't bring the next Tony winner, Spring Awakening, to his summer series, just as he didn't bring in Avenue Q. (I tried to reach Mr. Jenkins for comment but didn't.)

Of course, Spring Awakening is a sexier show overall. But when I saw it in New York, I found it more shocking than Jersey Boys primarily because the most offensive word is sung – in fact, it's in the title of one of the big songs, "Totally [expletive]." So I guess I have become almost impervious to it in dialogue, but not when it's put to music. Weird, huh?

One commenter on our Arts blog considered me "so 20th-Cen." for even considering the issue. But it's an important concern for many audience members, who write to me about it often.

Theaters really do try to be responsible in this regard. The Summer Musicals had a prominent sign warning patrons at the Fair Park Music Hall entrance, and other local companies have gone even further in their e-mail or advertising campaigns – it's a little late when a family arrives with a clutch of $124 tickets.

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