BOY, OH JERSEY BOY, IS THIS SHOW EVER GREAT
In 2004, a new musical called Jersey Boys quietly debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse. It transferred to Broadway the next year, running for 12 years while road productions popped up worldwide. It’s now back for a short run at the California Center for the Arts in a superior revival that should excite newcomers and repeat audiences alike. This is one hot show!
Jersey Boys is the musical biography of The Four Seasons, a quartet of young men from blue collar New Jersey who scuffled to break into the pop/rock music scene of the late 1950s and early 60s. After a frustrating period of rejection, Frankie Valli, Nick Messi, Tommy DeVito, and eventually Bob Gaudio hit it big, calling themselves The Four Seasons and becoming hugely successful with a personal sound that features Valli’s soaring falsetto vocals.
The show is divided into four segments, with each quartet member describing the rise and fall of the quartet from his personal perspective. Jersey Boys is often patronized as a “jukebox musical,” with the primary purpose of pushing familiar songs at the cost of a weak book. Not so with this show. The book is as strong as the songs, offering the listener a complete package of words and music.
Book authors Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, in tandem with director T. J. Dawson, have created a narrative that whips through the story with a propulsive energy that keeps the audience continuously engrossed and enthusiastic. At least at my performance the large audience audibly took a personal interest in the four characters.
The score relies on pre-Jersey Boy hits songs like “Silhouettes” and “Earth Angel” to set the table for the flood of Jersey Boys winners. But the theater turned electric when “Sherry,” the first Jersey Boys hit, was sprung on the listeners, who instantly cheered in recognition. Following signature numbers like “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”, “Walk Like a Man”, and “What a Night” further sealed the deal on audience approval.
The actors playing the quartet are a perfect fit for their roles vocally and dramatically. Nicholas Alexander, who looks a lot like Michael J. Fox, has the charisma, diminutive physique, and vocal chops to make a perfect Frankie. The quartet is completed flawlessly with Noah Archibald as Nick Massi, Anthony Carro as Tommy DeVito, and Taubert Nadalini as Bob Gaudio. Broadway-level excellence flows from every one of them. The same can be said about the 11 supporting players whose versatility expands the narrative so convincingly. Shows and productions like this don’t come by very frequently. A must see!
The complements extend to backstage contributions by Stephen Gifford (scenic design), Adam Ramirez (costume design), Jean-Yves Tessier (lighting design), Jon Infante (projection design), Paul Durso (sound design), and Lyndon Pugeda (music direction).
photos by Ken Jacques
Jersey Boys
California Center for the Arts340 N. Escondido Blvd. in Escondido
Fri at 7:30; Sat at 2 & 7:30; Sun at 2ends on October 6, 2024for tickets ($40 to $100), call 442.304.0505 or visit CCAE