BWW Reviews: JERSEY BOYS Stuck in One Season

"Jersey Boys," the hit musical chronicling the story of the Four Seasons, which previously had an extremely successful sit-down production in Chicago, has rolled back into town as a stop on its national tour. All remains intact: The "Joysy" speak, the high croon of Frankie Valli (played in this production by a charming Hayden Milanes), and the wheeling and dealing with the mob hasn't changed at all since Chicago has last seen the musical. In fact, the production feels almost too exact: the performances (although in very capable and talented hands), feel like they have been directed to model exactly the speech, intonation, and movements of the actors who came before them, who were directed to model exactly the actors who came before them, who were directed to model exactly the actors who came before them...and so on.

The production, exciting, real, and raw when it first arrived in Chicago all those years ago, now feels like a shirt that has become faded after having been washed one too many times. The jokes, once funny for their subtle nature, have now morphed into rim shot zingers, seemingly exaggerated for the laughs. The characters, which originally felt rooted in the realities and complexities of humans, now feel like they are simply fulfilling types: the typical Jersey swindler, the "little brother," etc. And the presentation of the twists and realizations that encompass the story of these four musicians no longer feel like we are experiencing the night's events as they happen. It now feels as if the actors onstage are like parents who have had to read the same story every night before bed one too many times: despite being very talented and doing everything technically correct, it's as if they have found themselves stuck in a loop where they can no longer find new moments of life within the script.

This rote performance may be partly due to the expository nature of the script, which, even at its best, can at times be difficult to transcend from the telling to the showing.

To be fair, none of this seemed to bother the audience at the opening night performance, however, who were giving more energy back onto the stage than they were getting from it. The songs still sound great and the story remains entertaining, if now a bit lifeless.

"Jersey Boys" is currently playing at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph) through May 24th. Tickets are $35 - $115 and can be purchased at the box office or by visiting www.BroadwayinChicago.com

Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniels