Review: JERSEY BOYS, The Alexandra Birmingham (UK tour)
Photo credit: Birgit + Ralf Brinkhoff
Based on the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Jersey Boys is a sure fire hit with audiences across the country. The soundtrack alone is stand out and combine that with a gritty story based in the US state of New Jersey, you’ve created an absolute winner.
The musical starts with an upbeat French rap version of ‘Oh What a Night’, at which point you may well be confused. However as soon as Tommy DeVito, played by Dalton Wood appears on stage, he starts narrating the incredible story of how Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were formed. Wood plays the part perfectly, from the very authentic New Jersey accent to the swagger and confidence of a wannabe gangster type. The hits start straight away with ‘Silhouettes’ and ‘You’re the Apple of My Eye’.
We then meet Nick Massi (Lewis Griffiths) and Frankie Castelluccio (Michael Pickering/Luke Suri) who later takes the name Valli. The band, created by Tommy DeVito, had many names during their early career including The Romans and The Lovers. Tommy takes Frankie under his wing after recognising his extraordinary vocal talent and after a few short stays in prison for Nick and Tommy, they embark on a very special journey.
The story is narrated in the main by Tommy DeVito in the first half, however as the show goes on, each main character takes on this role, so the plot is very easy to follow. Again, the hits keep coming and we are treated to classic tunes such as ‘I’m In The Mood For Love’, ‘Sherry’ and ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’. The band is introduced to a new talent, Bob Gaudio (Blair Gibson) who had a one hit wonder at the tender age of 15 with ‘(Who Wears) Short Shorts’. He is accepted into the band and when these four voices are combined, the harmonies are so smooth you could spread them on your toast!
Frankie Valli, played in the first half by Michael Pickering, has the most sensational falsetto which of course is synonymous with the sound of the Four Seasons. A standout performance from Pickering was ‘My Eyes Adored You’. The lyric is so beautiful and it is intertwined so well into the story when Valli is encountering difficulties in his marriage.
During the interval, Michael Pickering (Frankie Valli) became indisposed, so we welcomed Luke Suri in the role of Frankie Valli for the second act. This did not distract from the show at all and Suri’s voice was as perfect for the role as Pickering’s.
The second act details the domination of The Four Seasons on the world, becoming a big sensation and touring for lots of adoring fans. Of course, Valli’s family suffered during his years out on the road and his marriage broke down. He also had to endure losing his beloved daughter, Francine, who lost her life at the age of 22.
Tommy DeVito (Dalton Wood) is portrayed as one of the more ‘gangster’ type characters and due to some foolish decisions, he ends up with a massive debt which had to be paid. Frankie makes the decision to pay off the debts much to the annoyance of the other band members who feel that Tommy should deal with it personally.
The band eventually dwindles down to just Frankie and Bob as Nick Massi decides he just wants to go home back to his family. Tommy DeVito went on his way living most of his life on a golf course in Las Vegas! Frankie and Bob went on to create ‘Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons’ and we were again treated to some absolutely fantastic tunes such as ‘Beggin’, ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Working My Way Back To You’ and ‘Rag Doll’.
The show finishes with the original band members reuniting as they are indicted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame many years later. They share the stage once more and it is certain that the magic is still there.
In the words of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, ‘Oh What a Night’ we had. The whole performance is slick, commanding and vocally perfect.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Emma Rowley
Jersey Boys plays at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham until 1 January 2022, with tickets available here.