Jersey Boys

Oh, what a night! Jersey Boys is back in Manchester for its 20th anniversary tour and, somehow, I think I loved it even more this time around. I reviewed the show on its last visit to the Palace Theatre and already knew we were in for a brilliant night, but there was such a buzz around the gala performance that this one felt particularly special.

For anyone who hasn’t seen it before, Jersey Boys tells the true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, following four working class boys from New Jersey as they go from singing in small clubs to becoming one of the biggest groups in the world. Of course, getting there isn’t exactly straightforward with fame, fallouts, money problems and plenty of drama behind the scenes.

The story is split into four seasons, with each band member taking over the narration at a different point. It’s a clever way of moving through the years while giving us more of an insight into each of the boys and their place within The Four Seasons, from the early days and first taste of success to the tensions that eventually began to pull them apart.

This is where Jersey Boys really stands out from other jukebox musicals. The songs aren’t squeezed into the plot just because everyone knows them, they are a proper part of the story. We see how tracks including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like a Man came about and what each new hit meant for the group.

What I particularly like about this is how it gives the show a different feel to other more traditional musicals. The music really is an essential part to telling the story and it also gives the hits a new depth to what you might have previously thought when listening to it, you get to learn about the background behind them.

My favourite part is when The Four Seasons finally find their sound and start working through that huge run of hits. The show completely takes off and it feels like you’re at a live concert, watching the real group becoming superstars right in front of you. You know those songs are coming, but it’s still a proper goosebumps moment when the first few notes begin.

Luke Baker (An Officer and A Gentlemen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Billy Elliot) is excellent as Frankie Valli and absolutely spot on for the role. That voice can’t be easy to recreate, but Baker nails Valli’s famous falsetto without it ever feeling forced. After his first big number, you could actually hear people around the theatre saying “wow”, which says it all really. He sounds incredible, but he also brings out the more emotional side of Frankie as his career begins to take its toll on his family life.

His performance of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You was easily my highlight of the night. It’s my favourite song in the show anyway, but the build up makes it even better. When the brass kicks in, the lights come up and the whole number suddenly becomes massive, it’s musical theatre perfection. Baker completely owns the moment and the audience reaction was huge.

Carlo Boumouglbay (Muriel’s Wedding The Musical, Miss Saigon, Round The Twist The Musical) brings all the confidence, charm and cheek needed for Tommy DeVito. Tommy causes a fair amount of the band’s drama and you spend a lot of time wanting him to make better decisions, but Boumouglbay is so watchable and gets plenty of laughs along the way.

Toby Miles (Les Misérables, School of Rock, Mamma Mia!) is brilliant as Bob Gaudio, bringing a calmer energy to the group as the songwriter who quickly realises exactly what they could achieve with Frankie’s voice. His arrival is the moment everything starts to fall into place and his relationship with Frankie becomes one of the most important parts of the story.

Completing the group is Lewis Kennedy (The Rat Pack Live, Grey Area, Pirates of Penzance) as Nick Massi, who delivers some of the funniest moments with his brilliantly dry reactions to the chaos going on around him. Together, the four leads really work. Their voices sound fantastic, the harmonies are tight and the chemistry between them makes you completely believe in the band, even when everything starts to unravel.

The wider cast keeps the story moving at an impressive pace, switching between characters as the boys go from local performers to international stars. They all help to build the world around the group and show just how many people were caught up in their rise to fame.

The production is as slick as I remembered, with an industrial set made up of two staircases, platforms and metal framework. It moves quickly from small clubs and recording studios to packed concert venues without interrupting the flow of the story, while projections take us through the years and show just how famous The Four Seasons are becoming.

The staging really comes alive whenever the group performs. The lighting, live band and matching costumes make those scenes feel like full concerts, and there are moments when we see the audience from the band’s point of view, with the bright lights in front of them. It’s such a clever way of showing how it must have felt for four boys from New Jersey to suddenly be playing to thousands of people.

There was a brilliant atmosphere throughout the night and you could tell how much everyone was enjoying it, with huge cheers after the biggest songs and plenty of laughter in between. By the finale, the whole Palace Theatre was ready to get on its feet and join in.

You genuinely cannot go wrong with Jersey Boys. It has a list of songs that would be hard to beat, but there’s also a really interesting story underneath it all. It’s uplifting, funny, emotional and so cleverly put together that the time flies by.

Twenty years on, Jersey Boys is still one of a kind. Even if you walk in thinking you don’t know much about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, you’ll quickly realise you know far more of the music than you thought. It’s a proper feel good night at the theatre, packed with timeless tunes, brilliant performances and more than a few moments that will make you say “wow”.

WE SCORE JERSEY BOYS...

JERSEY BOYS IS FULL OF TIMELESS TUNES, BEAUTIFUL STORYTELLING AND A SLICK PRODUCTION

Jersey Boys has been around for years, and is many people’s favourite musical. Despite all the publicity, I’d never seen it. Saying that, I already knew a lot of the songs - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You is my go to karaoke song so I’m already a fan of the tunes! I’d heard so much hype that I went along to the performance with high expectations; this musical is a worldwide sensation after all, so I expected it to be great. Sat in the auditorium before the show started, I was chatting to the people sitting next to me and it turned out they hadn’t seen the show either but had heard so many rave reviews, so it’s clear there’s now a level of expectation for any Jersey Boys first-timer. Throughout the evening, it became obvious that many people had seen the show several times, and now I can completely understand why. 

Jersey Boys is a true-life phenomenon and takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and uncovers the stories of the original four members. Taking them from just four New Jersey guys and following them as they become global stars in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They had a sound like nobody had ever heard, and the radio couldn’t get enough of it.  Featuring their legendary hits, including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), and so many more. It’s a true toe-tapper with recognisable tunes throughout. 

Simply put, this show is brilliant! It’s uplifting with hit after hit that’ll have you smiling and swaying for the whole time. The musical arrangements are excellent, sticking to the true style and sound of The Four Seasons, and with so many artists covering their music, there’s songs that everyone will recognise. Although, there is quite a bit of bad language so be aware that it’s not quite one for the kids - but that’s something I didn’t mind at all. 

The story is cleverly told with a great flow making it fast-paced but not to the point where you couldn’t keep up, it meant there was never a dull moment or a drop in momentum. This was due to how the story was scripted with each member narrating a section of the show and bringing the audience into the story. I was completely hooked. This made it feel slightly different to a stereotypical musical as it had a different structure. The songs are all legitimately part of the story which made the transitions from the narration to the singing absolutely seamless. 

The set was minimal with scaffolding around the back, almost as if it was a second stage, and which created a mezzanine floor. Little furniture was used and only brought on when needed to create certain environments, whether it was a dining table or a bar set up. There was no need for a busy set as the fast pace and constant movement quickly led through the story. The costumes and props were fabulous and straight away you could tell what era the story was set in.

Each cast member was excellent, in particular the four Jerseys boys. Their voices melted so beautifully to make the harmonies that are expected with this style of music and they were so in sync with each other when doing the signature dance moves. It was well rehearsed and not one foot was out of place. It was really satisfying to watch, all of the performances were clean and a completely different style from today’s music scene. 

Ryan Heenan (Back to the Future The Musical, The Boy in the Dress, Titanic) took us through the story that transformed Frankie Valli from a shy boy into a superstar. He did an impeccable job of mastering Valli’s signature falsetto, and his portrayal of his showmanship and performance style was excellent. Valli had never seen himself as a singer and under the wing of Tommy DeVito, played by Dalton Wood (Carole - The Music of Carole King, Grease) he became the lead of the iconic group. Wood gave us all the ups and downs of DeVito, from being a confident businessman who believed in the group and pushed them towards success to the weaker man with money problems.

Blaid Gibson (Jersey Boys, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Game Night) was Bob Gaudio and Christopher Short (The Prince of Egypt, Anything Goes, Forever Plaid) played Nick Massi. Each member brought something unique to the group and all four had an incredible story to tell. The voices were the true standout for all the performers and it took the show from what could’ve been just a tribute act to a full Jersey Boys experience. 

Jersey Boys deserves all the hype it gets. The audience were up on their feet dancing at the end and were just having a fantastic time, all the best indicators of an uplifting show. I know I won’t be the only one who’s singing the songs for the rest of the week. 

It’s brilliant from start to finish and worthy of all the rave reviews, making it a show that’ll be around for many years to come. Full of timeless tunes, beautiful storytelling, and a slick production. A great, uplifting tribute to a unique band. If you haven’t seen it, go, have a great night out and embrace the hype. If you have seen it, then go again - I certainly would! 

WE SCORE JERSEY BOYS...




Jersey Boys is on at the Manchester Opera House until Saturday 29th October.

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