USA TODAY International Edition
Jonas Brothers put live debuts on display
NEW YORK – Happiness looks good on the Jonas Brothers.
The brotherly band proved that those happy feelings as a trio have continued as they performed and unpeeled the layers behind their 2019 comeback album “Happiness Begins” at midtown Manhattan’s Marquis Theater, part of their five- night concert residency on Broadway.
Gone is 2019’ s arena tour – in its place is an intimate rumination on their success, and, on Friday, of the album that sparked their relaunch as a group and spawned such hits as “Sucker” and “Cool.”
Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas were in sync and fully in their elements as a group and as individuals at the show, the fourth of five shows that focus on their four previous albums and their upcoming “The Album” ( out May 12).
The previous nights of the residency were all about the three albums that brought them to the highest peaks of late- 2000s teen fame: “Jonas Brothers,” “A Little Bit Longer” and “Lines, Vines and Trying Times.”
Here’s everything that happened during night four of their sold- out NYC show:
They perform ‘ Happiness Begins’ hits they’ve ‘ never played before’
Before the JoBros hit the stage, three actors portraying them did a reading, unfurling the time before their reunion as brothers and as a group, chronicled in their 2019 documentary “Chasing Happiness.”
The audience reveled in the intimacy of the venue, which has just shy of 1,650 seats.
The Jonas Brothers split the show into two parts: “Happiness Begins” and their other hits, from the group and some from their offshoots. The first half went in order of the album’s tracklist, kicking things off with “Sucker,” which is how they ended their 2019 Happiness Begins Tour kickoff in Miami.
“Can anybody guess the one we’ve never played before?” Joe quizzed. Answer: “Trust.”
Another first- time live performance was on the romantic ballad “Love Her.”
“The magic component of course was when we got into the room. … While we did some separate songwriting for the brothers, this next song was the first one that the three of us worked with,” Nick said. “When we talk about meeting each other where we were at that point in time, this song kind of perfectly embodies that. And we’ve actually never played it live.”
Joe Jonas dedicates ‘ Hesitate’ to his wife Sophie Turner
Before getting into “Hesitate,” Joe took a moment to dedicate the sweet song, which he wrote, to his wife.
“Sophie, where you at? There’s not much to say, but I love you,” Joe said.
“I will take your pain/ And put it on my heart/ I won’t hesitate/ Just tell me where to start,” he crooned to her.
J- Sisters Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner and Danielle Jonas rock out
The J- Sisters, aka the wives of each of the Jonas Brothers, were ushered into the theater by security just moments before the show started. Danielle Jonas waved to fans as they whispered loudly about her entrance. As Chopra and Turner made their way to their seats, screams erupted – almost as loud as the screams for their husbands.
Danielle Jonas was one with the people, joining fans at the orchestra level and smiling as she sang to hits including “I Believe.” Turner, in a white furry coat, and Chopra, in a leather jacket, danced and sang along in the first row of the mezzanine, with Turner getting particularly animated during her husband’s “Cake By the Ocean” performance.
Nick almost forgets the lyrics: ‘ We’re going to ace this test’
During an earlier song, Nick waxed poetic about the difficulties in performing almost their entire discography live. “Part of this whole week has felt a bit like we’re playing a video game, and like each album and each night gets progressively harder to remember and to sing,” he said.
“And we’re about to meet Bowser tomorrow,” Joe joked.
“Which is why we’re so appreciative of you singing along tonight,” Nick said.
He may have jinxed the night. When the group went into “Trust,” which they acknowledged never performing live, the first verse got the best of Nick.
“Stop,” Nick said. “No, we’re not going to go down like that tonight guys. No, no, no. We’ve gone through this entire week without a single hiccup, and tonight we’re going to ace this test. Let’s start from the top!”
The band restarted the song, with Nick handing the first verse duties to the crowd (“Now it’s on you, sing it out”) to belt out, and he was back in action for the second verse.
Kevin Jonas jokes about his ‘ Broadway debut’
The Playbill for the evening noted Nick and Joe’s Broadway roots: Nick “started his professional career in ‘ Annie Get Your Gun’ at the Marquis Theatre with Reba McEntire in 2001,” while Joe made “his return to Broadway for the first time since 2002’ s ‘ La Bohème.’ ” One notable newbie? Kevin.
“These last ( three) nights, being back in our backyard, in our hometown, back on Broadway – it’s my Broadway debut – it’s pretty special. So these guys can stop hanging that over my head a little bit,” Kevin said.
“We’ll find something else,” Nick quickly interjected.
“Yeah, you always do,” Kevin quipped. “But I will say, it has been an amazing week being surrounded by the ones we love.”
The crowd goes wild for ‘ Year 3000,’ ‘ Burnin’ Up’ live
The second half of the show was dedicated to the hit songs that made Nick, Kevin and Joe household names.
After intermission, the brothers returned to sing “Lovebug,” from their “A Little Bit Longer” album ( represented by three umbrellas like the ones seen on the album cover, suspended above the stage). The Disney Channel banger “Year 3000” pushed the crowd to the next level, everyone chanted along to the rap portion of “Burnin’ Up” with no hesitation and the group transformed the stadium rock of “When You Look Me In the Eyes” into an eye- level look at the intense ballad ( which they wrote with their father, Paul).
Joe segued into DNCE hits “Cake By the Ocean” and “Toothbrush” with guitarist JinJoo Lee, and Nick offered his solo hits “Close” and “Jealous,” with Joe taking the second verse.
They also brought out newer songs such as “What A Man Gotta Do,” “Leave Before You Love Me” and new single “Wings.”
“Thank you so much for an unforgettable night. We love you so much,” Nick said, concluding the night of nostalgia.