Market Theatre's "Jersey Boys" Shines
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Oh, what a night.
Market Theatre’s “Jersey Boys” lights up the room with soaring music and crackling, energetic performances full of swagger.
The play, which follows the career of Frankie Valli and (and his band which is eventually known as the Four Seasons), from the early days on the streets of Jersey, where scrapes with the law almost kept the band from ever finding its feet.
Under the direction of Drew Whitley, the story finds its groove early and never skips a beat, as it follows the band’s rocky climb to the top. Jonathan “Thor” Raines’ choreography finds all the right steps, feeding the tone and joy that marks this show.
But it’s the voice of Drew Kenyon, who portrays Frankie Valli, that takes the show to another level, making this one of the best shows to date at Market Theatre.
Kenyon approaches Valli’s three-octave tenor range as he takes center stage on such hits as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “My Eyes Adored You,” “Who Loves You,” and more. His voice rings, and is a close enough approximation of Valli’s tone and sound to, at times, make you forget you are not listening to the original music tracks.
The tight harmonies, shared first by Shawn Ropp as Tommy DeVito, Michael Crittendon as Bob Gaudio and Dalton Cole as Nick Massi, grew tighter as the 2.5-hour performance unfolded, and by the time they hit “Who Loves You” near the end, the sonic experience of the vocals is something to behold.
“Jersey Boys' ' is not a typical jukebox musical, a play cobbled together with hit songs and an often weak storyline. It’s more of a Shakespearean drama, with love, betray and loss amid the beauty of the songs.
Intentionally or not, the action is roughly divided in four seasons. It begins with a story of Spring, new life and new hope as the band stumbles its way forward to initial success. Optimism is the engine as the young men try to navigate their new careers and look to an even better future. At least two of the four are afraid of girls, and despite their bluster, the other two seem equally clueless in their own way. These are their salad days, full of beginnings.
Then comes Summer, and the bloom of success brings all the things the boys wanted, fame, success, record sales, and girlfriends or wives. The boys grow into men during this stage late in the first act, and all three lead performances could not be much better.
The autumn of their years brings some setbacks, rocky relationships, disagreements on the direction of the band and a growing unchecked ego of self-proclaimed band leader Shawn Ropp as Tommy DeVito. DeVito, who with the help of childhood pal Joe Pesci, yes, that Joe Pesci, put together Frankie and Bob Gaudio, who wrote almost of the hits, almost shipwrecks the band at the height of their fame due a huge debt he had accrued with real wise guys, not just wannabe toughies from the hood.
That leads to Winter, when Frankie and Bob, after losing DeVito and Massi, are put in the unenviable position of touring endlessly to pay off DeVito’s debts, which totaled more than $1 million. Death, desertion, and darkness, along with long stints on the road take a toll.
Then one magical song, one which they had to self-promote due to lack of interest by the record company, was such a monster hit, it offered that glimmer of hope, the return of Spring, and the band went on to record another decade of hits. They were ultimately honored for their body of work with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
It’s a fun ride, one the cast of singers, dancers and actors all seem to embrace with delight that is refreshing to see in local theater, and bringing the audience along on the ride.
Add to all of this is the infectious music, made sweeter by the tight harmonies, Market Theatre’s “Jersey Boys” should bring a lot of smiles and set more than a few shoulders twitching.
If you’re looking for a solid local theater experience, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better night out that Market Theatre’s “Jersey Boys,” which runs through March 25.
