Jersey Boys stole my heart
The past few years I’ve been to NYC I’ve been unable to get tickets to the Broadway show Jersey Boys, the story about the rise to success of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. When the Broadway South series recently brought the show to Raleigh, NC my husband surprised me with tickets for my birthday. What a show! (And yes, he scored big points for the perfect gift.)
You’re probably wondering what all this has to do with Legal Literacy. Well, part of the Four Season’s story is the remarkable relationship between the lead singer Frankie Valli and fellow founding member, songwriter, Bob Gaudio. The two had a side agreement separate and apart from the group, a verbal agreement, sealed with a handshake – not a written contract. According to the playbill, their collaborative efforts to this day are still governed by a handshake.
The audience applauded when the bit about the handshake deal was revealed on stage. It made me realize that we’d all like to live in a world where your word is your bond and a deal is sealed with a handshake. Written contracts and lawyers only appear to “complicate” matters.
To make an arrangement like Valli’s and Gaudio’s work requires both parties to have a high degree of trust and integrity coupled to an uncompromised core set of values. That’s easier to achieve when individuals are acting in their own capacity, than as agents for corporations that often represent a collection of competing interests.
Not all entertainers are as fortunate. The late Michael Jackson, for example, has left behind a legacy of litigation, including contract disputes.
Contracts don’t create litigation, unresolved misunderstandings do. Written contracts are merely roadmaps to reminding everyone about who is responsible for what.
Tags: Bob Gaudio, contracts, Frankie Valli, Jersey Boys, legal literacy, Michael Jackson