The National Tour of "Jersey Boys"
Revisiting Jersey Boys was like visiting an old friend. I was excited to see this friend again, but when you began visiting you started to think that you do not have that much to talk about. You begin to wonder why you wanted to hang out with this person again in the first place, but the more time you spend together, the happier you are and the more you have to talk about. By the time you leave, you are more than thrilled that you visited this friend and you remember how much you love seeing them. Jersey Boys is that kind of a friend for me. Seeing the show for the third time (and first time since 2014) was a true nostalgia trip for me. Jersey Boys, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' rise to fame, was actually one of the very first professionally done shows that I saw. I caught the show in Cleveland in 2011 and my parents LOVED it. I loved it too, but my mother especially loved it. To this day, it is one of the only musical cast albums that she will play in the car. I've even caught my father watching the Clint Eastwood film a few times. Seeing this show again reminded me how much I loved it the first time I saw it and why my parents keep going back to the cast album and the movie. The phenomenal music, fascinating story, and energy of Jersey Boys make for an invigorating night in the theatre.
Beginning when Frankie Valli began to shoot to stardom and ending when The Four Seasons earn their spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jersey Boys perfected what we know as the bio jukebox musical. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's fast paced book is well structured and portrays the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to an absolute tee. Jersey Boys is by far, the best jukebox musical. None of the songs are shoehorned in, the story is genuinely interesting, the tone is consistent, the music is FANTASTIC, the vocal arrangements are perfection, and it is directed extremely well by Des McAnuff.
Every time I have seen the show, I have been very fortunate to have been blessed with incredible casts of Jersey Boys. Previous actors who I have seen take on the role of Frankie Valli are Joseph Leo Bwarie, Hayden Minales, and of course, John Lloyd Young, in the film version. This time around, the actor playing the role was Jonny Wexler. Replicating Fankie Valli's iconic falsetto is no easy feat and Wexler is more than up to the task. I believe that Wexler is giving an extraordinary performance as Valli. One of my favorite things about Jersey Boys is that they don't portray the person whose story they are telling as a perfect saint. Frankie Valli was a good man who did everything he could to maintain that, but the show faces the reality that he wasn't always there for his family when he needed to be. I think that Wexler did an excellent job of portraying that, as well as every side of Frankie Valli. I think that this role is one of the great roles a male actor could play in musical theater. I don't think there are a whole lot of people who could do it convincingly. Thankfully, Wexler is simply phenomenal and embodies Frankie Valli.
Playing the other three members of The Four Seasons were Jonathan Cable (Nick Massi), Eric Chambliss (Bob Gaudio), and Corey Greenan (Tommy DeVito). Chambliss was wonderful as Bob Gaudio and does a nice job portraying the slight naivety of Gaudio. With his pristine voice, Chambliss melted the hearts of each audience member with his fabulous renditions of "Cry For Me" and "Oh, What a Night."
After this performance, I definitely came away with a new found appreciation for Nick Massi, who is the "And Peggy" of the Four Seasons. Cable was hilarious as Nick Massi and although he doesn't say very much until the second act, one look from Cable could say more than a million words. If I am being completely honest, it took me a few minutes to warm up to Greenan as Tommy DeVito, since I couldn't understand a single word he was saying for his first few minutes onstage. However, it simply seemed he just needed a few minutes to find his groove in the show because I thought he was wonderful as Tommy DeVito, after that. Although DeVito is far from being a straightforward antagonist, he is the closest thing that Jersey Boys has to an antagonist, DeVito makes many mistakes, but he is very charismatic and even though he is doing questionable things throughout the show, you never stop liking him or even think that his necessarily a bad person (which he isn't.), which I think speaks to Greenan's complex performance in the role.
Another person who plays an important role in the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is a man named Gyp DeCarlo. In most productions of Jersey Boys, the role is played by a man who is considerably older than everyone else in the cast. However, the role is currently being played on the road by Todd DuBail, who isn't very old at all. I found it to be an interesting casting choice and although that DuBail did an exceptional job in the show, I was wondering why this choice was made since I found it to be a little bit out of left field (the role was played by Christopher Walken in Clint Eastwood's 2014 film version, if that says anything). Later, out of pure curiosity, I was scanning my Playbill of the show from when I last saw it in May of 2014. I then realized that this choice was made because at some point since then, the touring production of Jersey Boys cut back from 18 cast members to now only 11. When I walked into the theater upon the house opening, I immediately noticed that the tour scaled back its set (by Klara Zieglerova) considerably since 2014. I had no idea that the scaling back also affected the cast, which I feel is a testament to McAnuff's direction. Despite the set looking exactly the same but completely different, it was hardly noticeable that the show was down 7 cast members from previous productions. This changed the dynamic of the show a little bit, since it did slightly affect how the role of Gyp DeCarlo played towards the audience. Other than the set looking different and this change of pace in the casting, Jersey Boys is still Jersey Boys.
Although I thought this was a phenomenal performance, it took me a little bit of time to get on board with this particular performance of Jersey Boys. Not because the show was necessarily doing anything wrong but because I am very familiar with the show, it felt a little bit stale at first and I was slightly surprised by the scaling back of the production. However as the show progressed, the more engrossed I became in the show and the more the novelty of the show was displayed. Jersey Boys is simply an enthralling show. There is a lot to love about it. I already talked about Brickman and Elice's compelling book and McAnuff's brilliant direction, but I must continue to stress how excellent they are. In addition to his exemplary staging, McAnuff does a great job setting the tone. Something random about the show that I love is the fact that you could smell the fake cigarettes that they are smoking onstage from the audience. I'm not sure if that was an intentional choice, but every time I have seen the show, it sets the tone perfectly and even gets the nostalgia train rolling for me. It's completely odd, but the fact that the show smells that way every single time that I see it is very satisfying.
I love Jersey Boys. For older generations, a part of the reason they love the show is because they grew up with the music and that brings back certain memories for them. For me, it brings back other memories. I loved the show the first time that I saw it in Cleveland and seeing it again reminded me that I love Cleveland, which is a city that I have visited quite a few times. And what a city to have seen Jersey Boys in. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is where the last scene of the show takes place, after all. I cannot say enough good things about this show. It was so heartening for me to be able to reconnect with this show. It reminded me of a simpler time.
JERSEY BOYS
THE STORY OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS
Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice
Music by Bob Gaudio
Lyrics by Bob Crewe
For more information on the national tour of Jersey Boys, please visit http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/tour/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of Jersey Boys consisted of:
Nick Massi- JONATHAN CABLE
Bob Gaudio- ERIC CHAMBLISS
Tommy DeVito- COREY GREENAN
Frankie Valli- JONNY WEXLER
Mary Delgado and others- ASHLEY BRUCE
Joey and others- RICK DESLOGE
Bob Crewe and others- WADE DOOLEY
Gyp DeCarlo and others- TOD DuBAIL
Norm Waxman and others- KEVIN PATRICK MARTIN
Francine and others- CHLOE TISO
Lorraine and others- JESSICA WOCKENFUSS
Swings- TONY L. CLEMENTS, CAITLIN LEARY, JEREMY SARTIN, KIT TREECE
Dance Captain- CAITLIN LEARY
Assistant Dance Captain- JONATHAN CABLE
Fight Captain- JONATHAN CABLE
Performance Reviewed: January 29, 2018 (7:30 P.M.)
Beginning when Frankie Valli began to shoot to stardom and ending when The Four Seasons earn their spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jersey Boys perfected what we know as the bio jukebox musical. Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice's fast paced book is well structured and portrays the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to an absolute tee. Jersey Boys is by far, the best jukebox musical. None of the songs are shoehorned in, the story is genuinely interesting, the tone is consistent, the music is FANTASTIC, the vocal arrangements are perfection, and it is directed extremely well by Des McAnuff.
 |
| (Left to Right): Corey Greenan (Tommy DeVito), Eric Chambliss (Bob Gaudio), Jonny Wexler (Frankie Valli), and Jonathan Cable in Jersey Boys. Photo: Joan Marcus |
Every time I have seen the show, I have been very fortunate to have been blessed with incredible casts of Jersey Boys. Previous actors who I have seen take on the role of Frankie Valli are Joseph Leo Bwarie, Hayden Minales, and of course, John Lloyd Young, in the film version. This time around, the actor playing the role was Jonny Wexler. Replicating Fankie Valli's iconic falsetto is no easy feat and Wexler is more than up to the task. I believe that Wexler is giving an extraordinary performance as Valli. One of my favorite things about Jersey Boys is that they don't portray the person whose story they are telling as a perfect saint. Frankie Valli was a good man who did everything he could to maintain that, but the show faces the reality that he wasn't always there for his family when he needed to be. I think that Wexler did an excellent job of portraying that, as well as every side of Frankie Valli. I think that this role is one of the great roles a male actor could play in musical theater. I don't think there are a whole lot of people who could do it convincingly. Thankfully, Wexler is simply phenomenal and embodies Frankie Valli.
Playing the other three members of The Four Seasons were Jonathan Cable (Nick Massi), Eric Chambliss (Bob Gaudio), and Corey Greenan (Tommy DeVito). Chambliss was wonderful as Bob Gaudio and does a nice job portraying the slight naivety of Gaudio. With his pristine voice, Chambliss melted the hearts of each audience member with his fabulous renditions of "Cry For Me" and "Oh, What a Night."
After this performance, I definitely came away with a new found appreciation for Nick Massi, who is the "And Peggy" of the Four Seasons. Cable was hilarious as Nick Massi and although he doesn't say very much until the second act, one look from Cable could say more than a million words. If I am being completely honest, it took me a few minutes to warm up to Greenan as Tommy DeVito, since I couldn't understand a single word he was saying for his first few minutes onstage. However, it simply seemed he just needed a few minutes to find his groove in the show because I thought he was wonderful as Tommy DeVito, after that. Although DeVito is far from being a straightforward antagonist, he is the closest thing that Jersey Boys has to an antagonist, DeVito makes many mistakes, but he is very charismatic and even though he is doing questionable things throughout the show, you never stop liking him or even think that his necessarily a bad person (which he isn't.), which I think speaks to Greenan's complex performance in the role.
 |
| Jessica Wockenfuss (Lorraine) and Jonny Wexler (Frankie Valli) in the national tour of Jersey Boys. Photo: Joan Marcus |
Another person who plays an important role in the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is a man named Gyp DeCarlo. In most productions of Jersey Boys, the role is played by a man who is considerably older than everyone else in the cast. However, the role is currently being played on the road by Todd DuBail, who isn't very old at all. I found it to be an interesting casting choice and although that DuBail did an exceptional job in the show, I was wondering why this choice was made since I found it to be a little bit out of left field (the role was played by Christopher Walken in Clint Eastwood's 2014 film version, if that says anything). Later, out of pure curiosity, I was scanning my Playbill of the show from when I last saw it in May of 2014. I then realized that this choice was made because at some point since then, the touring production of Jersey Boys cut back from 18 cast members to now only 11. When I walked into the theater upon the house opening, I immediately noticed that the tour scaled back its set (by Klara Zieglerova) considerably since 2014. I had no idea that the scaling back also affected the cast, which I feel is a testament to McAnuff's direction. Despite the set looking exactly the same but completely different, it was hardly noticeable that the show was down 7 cast members from previous productions. This changed the dynamic of the show a little bit, since it did slightly affect how the role of Gyp DeCarlo played towards the audience. Other than the set looking different and this change of pace in the casting, Jersey Boys is still Jersey Boys.
 |
| (Left to Right): Eric Chambliss (Bob Gaudio), Jonny Wexler (Frankie Valli), Corey Greenan (Bob Gaudio), and Jonathan Cable (Nick Massi), and the company of Jersey Boys. Photo: Joan Marcus |
Although I thought this was a phenomenal performance, it took me a little bit of time to get on board with this particular performance of Jersey Boys. Not because the show was necessarily doing anything wrong but because I am very familiar with the show, it felt a little bit stale at first and I was slightly surprised by the scaling back of the production. However as the show progressed, the more engrossed I became in the show and the more the novelty of the show was displayed. Jersey Boys is simply an enthralling show. There is a lot to love about it. I already talked about Brickman and Elice's compelling book and McAnuff's brilliant direction, but I must continue to stress how excellent they are. In addition to his exemplary staging, McAnuff does a great job setting the tone. Something random about the show that I love is the fact that you could smell the fake cigarettes that they are smoking onstage from the audience. I'm not sure if that was an intentional choice, but every time I have seen the show, it sets the tone perfectly and even gets the nostalgia train rolling for me. It's completely odd, but the fact that the show smells that way every single time that I see it is very satisfying.
I love Jersey Boys. For older generations, a part of the reason they love the show is because they grew up with the music and that brings back certain memories for them. For me, it brings back other memories. I loved the show the first time that I saw it in Cleveland and seeing it again reminded me that I love Cleveland, which is a city that I have visited quite a few times. And what a city to have seen Jersey Boys in. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is where the last scene of the show takes place, after all. I cannot say enough good things about this show. It was so heartening for me to be able to reconnect with this show. It reminded me of a simpler time.
 |
JERSEY BOYS
THE STORY OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS
Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice
Music by Bob Gaudio
Lyrics by Bob Crewe
For more information on the national tour of Jersey Boys, please visit http://www.jerseyboysinfo.com/tour/
At the time I saw the show, the cast of the national tour of Jersey Boys consisted of:
Nick Massi- JONATHAN CABLE
Bob Gaudio- ERIC CHAMBLISS
Tommy DeVito- COREY GREENAN
Frankie Valli- JONNY WEXLER
Mary Delgado and others- ASHLEY BRUCE
Joey and others- RICK DESLOGE
Bob Crewe and others- WADE DOOLEY
Gyp DeCarlo and others- TOD DuBAIL
Norm Waxman and others- KEVIN PATRICK MARTIN
Francine and others- CHLOE TISO
Lorraine and others- JESSICA WOCKENFUSS
Swings- TONY L. CLEMENTS, CAITLIN LEARY, JEREMY SARTIN, KIT TREECE
Dance Captain- CAITLIN LEARY
Assistant Dance Captain- JONATHAN CABLE
Fight Captain- JONATHAN CABLE
Performance Reviewed: January 29, 2018 (7:30 P.M.)
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