Review: JERSEY BOYS at Casa Mañana

The silvery surface of Casa Mañana’s signature dome is reflecting the lights and star power of Jersey Boys through September 17. Featuring an all-star cast and a get-up-and-dance soundtrack, audience eyes are sure to adore the story of Franki Valli and the Four Seasons.

The legendary Fort Worth stage takes a trip back to 1950s New Jersey, where viewers are greeted by Tommy DeVito (Nick Moulton) for the first part of the band’s story. Moulton’s raw, genuine, and at times, heart-tugging, performance of DeVito’s rough-and-tumble background pairs with the power group’s less-than-glamorous beginnings. From gigs as The Variety Trio to a disastrous performance of “I Go Ape,” audiences watch as DeVito and the rest of the quartet struggle to find an identity.

Taking over as narrator, Bob Gaudio (Tyler Okunski) offers a first look at the Four Seasons’ success and some of their most beloved hits. While Gaudio at times shuns the spotlight, his narration illuminates the group’s breakthrough success with “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man.” Okunski’s good-natured performance also brings to the forefront Gaudio’s own successes with songwriting, performing – and women.

But no success story is without its share of troubles, and Nick Massi (Jeremy Woodard) takes on the unenviable task of detailing the problems brewing beneath the Four Seasons’ new-found fame. Like Woodard’s performance, the problems plaguing the band prove quiet – yet sharp. Struggles with debts and unpaid bills, broken relationships and feelings of exclusion boil over into hits like “Big Man in Town,” Beggin’” and “Stay,” along with Tommy’s and Nick’s exits from the band.

Despite their issues, the Four Seasons refuse to fizzle. And Nicolas Fernandez’s performance as Frankie Valli – with astounding falsetto up to treble G – shines as he takes over narration. Fernandez’s heart-wrenching portrayal brings to life Frankie’s personal struggles as the band looks to regain footing as a power group. And while the band tastes success with new hits like “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” and “Working My Way Back to You,” Valli’s narration ends with both triumph and loss.

The show caps off with the return of the band’s original members, reunited for their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Each leaves the audience with an explanation of his fate and life beyond the Four Seasons. Wrapping up decades of friendship and conflict, struggle and fame, the quartet leaves the audience wanting more. And if viewers are lucky, they might get just that, with an encore performance of a Four Seasons favorite.

Photo credit: Nicki Behm

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