Jersey Boys tells the story of a 16 year old Italian boy, Frankie Valli, otherwise known as Francesco Castelluccio, who meets Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Guadio and together they form Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Originally named the Four Lovers, they decide to change their name when they go to an audition at a bowling alley called the Four Seasons. They didn’t get the audition, but they left with the name that would change all their lives.
Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the jukebox musical that originally premiered nearly 20 years ago tells the real life story of the singers’ turbulent lives and their bumpy rise to fame. It draws you in as each member of the band tells the story from their point of view.
With some musicals, the story gets lost amongst the songs, but not this one. The storyline was narrated by the cast and the songs emphasised and brought the story to life.
Michael Pickering’s character as Frankie Valli is faultless. He has an incredible voice, and made it look so easy to capture that well known falsetto.
Tommy DeVito, played by Dalton Wood, is a strong character on stage keen to show he is the leader of the group. Nick Massi played by Tom O’Brien, and Bob Guadio, played by Blair Gibson were equally as brilliant in their roles.
The voices and musical harmonies are absolutely superb throughout the night, with the audience taken right back over the decades allowing them to enjoy over thirty musical numbers including Ces Soirées-La, Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, and Let’s Hang On (to What We’ve Got) to name just a few. One thing that stood out to me was the breadth of recognisable hits Franki Valli and the Four Seasons had over the years.
The set seems raw when you first enter the theatre, but is the perfect backdrop for every scene. With clever video and lighting, it becomes part of the show, constantly changing and evolving – when the group is filmed on stage, this is projected on the screen behind them, when they hit the big time, the bright lights glare over the audience, wanting you to live and breathe their success. There’s even some original footage in there too.
The Four Seasons of ‘Spring’, ‘Summer’, ‘Fall’ and ‘Winter’ also come to life in the projection, with the seasons changing as the Jersey Boys tell their story, depicting a different chapter in the singers’ lives as they face marriage problems, huge debts, time in prison and the tragic story of Frankie’s daughter.
Set changes are fast, costumes are slick, the singing, acting and dancing is on point. Who loves you? We do!
Jersey Boys is at Curve Theatre until Saturday 6 May.
Tickets £10-£57.50
