‘Jersey Boys’ Top-40 Tale Worth Listening to on Repeat at Ahmanson

“Jersey Boys,” the musical about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons that kicked off a six-week engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles this week, has toured before. However, like the plethora of Top-40 tunes played as they reenact their tale, listening to this musical again, like a record or iTunes track on repeat, is just as enjoyable for those raised on the “Jersey Boys” music.

“Jersey Boys,” which won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical and Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, charms on a nostalgic level. Like other jukebox musicals such as “Beatlemania,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Story,” it features songs familiar to those growing up in the early 1960s. “Dancing With the Stars” hoofer Mark Ballas portraying Frankie adds appeals for younger audiences.

For those unfamiliar with their story, it tells about their early struggles to find a sound. The plot is biographical. In this case, it tells the story of four Italian American guys with a fresh sound in the early 1960s and hailed from the mean streets of New Jersey (more the Frank Sinatra’s mob-oriented Jersey than the Bruce Springsteen version). They then went from massive success to massive debt, and finally retribution with new hits.

The band was founded by hoodlum and reckless gambler Tommy DeVito (Matthew Dailey). DeVito was the force that brought the group together and ultimately drove it apart. Along with bassist/arranger Nick Massi (Keith Hines), they found a teenager with a golden voice, Frankie Valli (Ballas) and songwriter/keyboardist Bob Gaudio (Cory Jeacoma).

In 1962, the Four Season toured relentlessly and churned out hit after hit with “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and others.

It all fell apart three years later with DeVito’s financial imbroglio and Massi’s desire to return home. The musical continues with Valli’s persistence to settle the debts and his resurgence as a solo artist (still singing tunes by Gaudio).

The clever book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice is divided into the four seasons (beginning with the innocence and youth of spring to the bleak winter). A different band member narrates them each.

While great on his feet, Ballas has tough shoes to fill as Valli. The singer’s falsetto is hard to duplicate and sustain, but Ballas does a credible job recreating the sound. His voice seemed a little ragged by the second half, but that actually worked well with the struggles for a career revival that he was reenacting. His rendition of Valli’s comeback hit, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” was wonderful.

The other cast members have it a little easier, since everyone in the audience does not know how they should sound. Besides acting and singing, the other three band members play their own instruments.

Barry Anderson is additionally noteworthy. he is entertaining, albeit over-the-top as Bob Crewe, a record producer with an instinct for what sells. Crewe helped guide the group to stardom and co-wrote some of their songs.

“Jersey Boys” will be at the Ahmanson through June 24, followed by stays in Kansas City, Charlotte, NC; and then four cities in Canada. It will continue touring the U.S. (including tenures in other California cities) through mid-2018, as well as follow-up tours in the U.K. and Australia.

By Dyanne Weiss

Source:
Performance May 18
Center Theatre Group
Jersey Boys Tour

Photo by Jim Carmody. L-R: Cory Jeacoma, Matthew Dailey, Mark Ballas and Keith Hines in “Jersey Boys.” Courtesy Center Theatre Group.