Northern Light Theatre Company. Shedley Theatre. 7 Oct 2022
Like musical director, Leanne Savill, I also saw the London production of Jersey Boys and was wowed by it. The Jersey boys are of course New Jersey’s favourite sons of the 60s who evolved into the Four Seasons with lead crooner Frankie Valli and singer/songwriter Bob Gaudio. The number and quality of their juke box hits – identifiable by Valli’s tenor tenderised with a sweet and soaring falsetto and Gaudio’s catchy lyrics and melodies backed up with faultless harmonies from Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi – earned them places in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. With over 100 million record sales, they are one of the best-selling musical groups of all time. And Valli is still touring solo! The Jersey Boys musical ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017 and won four Tonies including Best Musical.
I hate to agree with a perennial season ticket holder for Northern whom I met at intermission that this production gets off to a slow start. The opening number, Ces Soirées-La, is a rap derivative of a Four Seasons hit, Oh, What A Night, but it simply appears strange and out of place, although it sets up Sanjay Mohanaraj as somebody to keep an eye on. The gentleman also opined that the show didn’t kick into gear until the Jersey boys had their first big hit. I retorted that it's nothing to do with the performances but the nature of the narrative. The book is a detailed and chronologically forensic lookback at the band’s development, and obviously the music wasn’t that good until the hits written by Bob Gaudio were introduced halfway through the first act. Director Ceri Hutton says Sue Pole captures the choreography of the era – and that’s true – but the era’s moves were pretty rudimentary.
Director Ceri Hutton didn’t have the show technically ready on opening night. Lights couldn’t find their actors and sometimes actors couldn’t find their lights – more the former. Several times, monologues began in theatre darkness. At one point, a stagehand tried to steal the keyboard stage left during a band scene, only to be snatched back in the nick of time by the actor. The following song fell flat, but the foursome’s mojo was recovered by the next number. Ironically, the keyboard was used for several more scenes and exited stage right. Go figure. The metallic elevated walkway suited the 2-minute jail scene perfectly but not much else. In fact, it was unsafe. An actor mis-stepped the bottom rung and landed on his knee, and the opposite staircase was missing most of its balustrade. An anachronous LED display identifies various nightclubs whereas the bowling club neon sign looks authentic (and expensive, I get that). I wasn’t the only one put off by the unpleasant-smelling smoke effects.
Setting aside multitudinous peccadilloes, Hutton scores high on selecting the sweetest voices for the fabulous foursome. Deon Martino-Williams is absolutely stunning in re-creating the Valli sound. His virtuosity in the falsetto was a marvel. Bravo! The other three, Michael Coumi, Kristian Latella and Sam Davy provide heavenly harmonies. Coumi’s Gaudio was as nice as Latella’s DeVito was unpleasant, and Davy, as scripted, did a great Ringo to the other three. Together, the emotional rollercoaster of the Four Seasons’ domestic and professional and sometimes criminal misadventures were palpably played in ensemble. Fabulous supporting roles of music execs, mafia types and excitable boys were rendered by Gus Smith, Gavin Cianci and Jaxon Joy. Musical director Leanne Savill directed the band flawlessly to my ears. Ceri Hutton also keeps the whole shebang of 51 scenes on the move.
Matt Byrne was only weeks away from holding auditions for his production of Jersey Boys when serious illness took hold of him around Christmas 2020. He left the world stage late last year (2021) and Northern Light Theatre Company took up the torch with this ambitious production which they dedicate to his memory. Indeed, several cast members in the program notes reflect on Matt’s mentoring role in their theatrical life.
You have hiccups, you have a drink of water, and then they stop. Ceri Hutton’s production has all the bones for maturing into a first-class night out of nostalgically familiar 60s and 70s hits. For the oldies, it’s great to hear the songs in dramatic context and for their kids, it’s a whole new world of musical wonder.
David Grybowski
When: 7 to 22 Oct
Where: Shedley Theatre, Elizabeth
Bookings: nltc.sales.ticketsearch.com
