Review: JERSEY BOYS at TPAC'S Jackson Hall

While plenty of jukebox musicals have come and gone, a few continue to shine for eternity. Based on the success and breakup of 60s rock n’ roll band the Four Seasons, Jersey Boys ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017. Now the 2006 Best Musical Tony winner is going on tour to celebrate twenty years of its effective storytelling. Despite being a theatre kid since middle school, this musical was never on my radar. Thankfully, this milestone tour was the perfect way for me to be introduced to the story of a musical group from New Jersey. Running at TPAC's Jackson Hall September 16-20, Jersey Boys is still making people say “oh what a night” twenty years later. 

I love it when a set can turn into multiple locations with just a few lighting changes or the addition/removal of simple furniture. At first glance, Klara Zieglerova’s scenic design just looks like basic scaffolding with a couple of staircases. However, everything is elevated thanks to Howell Binkley’s lighting design and Michael Clark’s projections. A couple of lights on a staircase and balcony can set the scene for a character’s home. The correct lighting and imagery on a screen can transport another character straight to prison. Since we’re going through the many seasons of the Four Seasons, a simple set that doesn’t require too many moving walls or buildings keeps the focus on the gripping story. Steve Canyon Kennedy’s sound design doesn’t just provide simple sound cues like a ringing phone; there is a scene where some characters are in a church, and the feedback on the mics echoes like vocals would in a chapel. It’s truly incredible. Besides the set pieces and projections, the 60s are brought back to life thanks to the costume and wigs departments. Charles G. LaPointe’s hair and wig designs effortlessly turn the talented ensemble into multiple characters throughout the show. And the costumes. Oh my goodness, the costumes. Jess Goldstein really brings it to the table with the endless collection of suits and dresses. Of course, the major highlights are the multiple matching outfits worn by the Four Seasons. There are a couple of dazzling sets that glisten and sparkle in the lights, but nothing is harder to take your eyes off of than the iconic red jackets. And it’s all capped off with the phenomenal leaderships of Director Des McAnuff, Choreographer Sergio Trujillo, Music Supervisor Ron Melrose, and Associate Director and Choreographer Danny Austin.

Despite the fact that I had plenty of time to look up the cast in the program, it took me until curtain call to notice that Jersey Boys didn’t have as big ‌a cast as I would expect. Out of the five touring shows that I’ve reviewed at TPAC since Suffs, this one had the smallest cast. The fact that under a dozen ensemble members were running around and throwing on multiple costumes and the occasional wig to play multiple people is mind-blowing. Everyone in the ensemble is incredible and deserves their flowers, but I need to give a few shout outs. First, I need to highlight Eliza Levy for pulling double duty as an ensemble member playing distinctly different characters and the show’s dance captain. I would also like to highlight Nicholas Dion Reese, who kicks off the show’s opening song as the French Rap Star. His energy caught the audience’s attention right as the music started, and it continued to grasp their attention as he played radio disc jockey Barry Belson. Finally, I’d like to shine a spotlight on Andrew Sattler and his infectious depiction of record producer and songwriter Bob Crewe. Even when he doesn’t give the Four Seasons what they want, he still entertains you. A live band joins the cast onstage, and the energy is perfectly matched.

And last but not least, we have the Four Seasons themselves. Bassist Nick Massi is a character who could easily blend in with the background compared to the other band members, but Owen McCredie truly pops when the moment is right. His deadpan comedic delivery got a lot of laughs out of the audience, and he brings a lot of heart to the role of the member who doesn’t get the biggest spotlight. Also, it wasn’t until I started writing this review that I learned that an Australian actor convinced me that he was from New Jersey. Unlike McCredie, co-star Harry Sperduto was actually raised in New Jersey (and is “a proud native of the country of Georgia”). He embodies the naïve attitude of Tommy DeVito, the founder and guitarist of the group. Even when he makes the wrong decision time and time again, Sperduto makes you care enough to want him to do better. Peyton Schoenhofer is lovable and charismatic as Bob Gaudio, the group’s songwriter and keyboardist. He really captures the curious side of the young man who proves to be a bit wiser beyond his years. I was hooked when he sang “Cry For Me’. And then we have the icon himself, Frankie Valli. Occasionally played by Andrew Martin McGuire during the tour, I saw Corey Oram fill‌ the shoes of the Four Seasons’ talented lead vocalist. Despite his youthful appearance and charm, Oram truly captured the changes in Valli as the years drag on. If he’s not making you feel all emotional during some of the more dramatic scenes, he’s making you swoon and cheer with his amazing vocal range. The chemistry between the four leads is apparent from the balcony in the way back, and they are the cherry on top of the best touring production that I’ve reviewed at TPAC so far this year.

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