Jersey Boys

Docking at the National Theatre for the next 2 ½ months is the entertainment event of the fall for the DC area, the long awaited arrival of the Jersey Boys (to 12/12). The show has won or been nominated for just about every award in musical theater in 2006 (Tony, Olivier), including the cast recording (Grammy). Superbly directed by Des McAnuff (Tony Award) and employing the same design team, "The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons" - Book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, Music by Bob Gaudio, and Lyrics by Bob Crewe - fully lives up to its hype.

Effective on many levels - as a comedy, musical performance, dance, light show, and celebration of the human spirit - Jersey Boys is supremely entertaining. This recast show has a fresher look than the one we saw early last year in Chicago, where it's still running (to 1/10/2010). The pacing is a wonder, especially in the first act. The director uses every trick in the book to effectively move the story along, including pop stills and audiovisuals, rapid set changes, props gliding and dropping from every direction, and shifts in audience points of view. And what he can't poke, choreographer Sergio Trujillo has orchestrated into a vibrant and seamless flow of action.

Jersey Boys feels like a rock opera with a Rashomon-like take sans dead body - a story line told from four perspectives, those of the original group: Tommy DeVito (Matt Bailey), Bob Gaudio (Josh Franklin), Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia), and Frankie Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie). With scenes heralded by the changing seasons, borrowed from another paisan, Vivaldi, the show traces the trajectory of the group's climb from the quagmire of the Garden State to enshrinement in Musical Entertainment's Valhalla, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. There are plenty of bumps on the way - one tragic - but mainly the show's upbeat.

The well cast Mr. Bwarie is in fine falsetto form as Frankie Valli, displaying the vocal range required by the role. He possesses a driven look - he's hungry to get out - and vulnerability required for a front man. Likewise compelling is Mr. Bailey, a brash, trash-talking Tommy DeVito who's skimming from the group's assets - financial and musical. Mr. Franklin plays an intellectual musician and composer as Bob Gaudio, neither comfortable in the spotlight nor at home in the `hood. He's in good voice and convincingly serves as the missing piece of the puzzle. Odd man out is Nick Massi, who's portrayed with a hangdog look and wit by Mr. Gouveia, reminding us that even with the Beatles there had to be a Ringo.

Also taking comic turns were Courter Simmons as Joey Pesci, a Wise Guy from way back; Renée Marino as Frankie's femme fatale Mary Delgado; Jonathan Hadley as Bob Crewe who with theatricality outliberates Liberace; and Joseph Siravo as Gyp DeCarlo the Don of Dons. All of the actors play multiple roles.

But it's the music that will grab you, as it did this lively opening night crowd, with its thumping backbeat, Gaudio-Crewe version of the "wall of sound," grass roots lyrics, and ramped-up intensity which led to a number of showstoppers including,"Walk Like a Man," and "Dawn, and "My Eyes Adored You."

The show is not without its imperfections. The first act, about as good as it gets across the board, ends surprisingly on a downer note, presaging the group's impending troubles. The second half loses some steam as the loose ends of the Boys personal history are tied up; the story continuity suffers as financial problems, mob interactions, affairs of the heart, group tensions, and family tragedy pile up. But there's always the music and the very individualistic characters - each has a great exit - to right the course of this journey, and by the rousing finale, "Who Loves You," you'll be bopping in your seats.

The 2-level, battleship gray, steel mesh and beam set by Klara Zieglerova gives lighting designer, DC local Howell Binckley, and costumer Jess Goldstein plenty to work with. One word comes to mind with Mr. Binckley's (Tony Award) lighting: sensational. Together with Mr. Goldstein's eye-popping wardrobes, using a color palette which ranges from the pastels of the 50s-60s, muted tones of the 70s-80s, and the contemporary black and whites, this show is a visual extravaganza. Steve Canyon Kennedy ably envelops these goodies via recorded sound while 10 musicians, led by conductor Andrew Wilder, accompany the design and performance real-time.

Additional actors included: Sarah Darling, John Gardiner, Buck Hujabre, Brandon Matthieus, Denise Payne, Kevin Worley, Leo Huppert, and Brian Silverman.

This blockbuster show is providing mega employment for the theatrical community and a huge amount of fan interest, cutting across all generations and genders. As the press fact & figures sheet indicates there are shows in 11 cities (some international), along with a touring company of 52 people making its way down the eastern part of the US. If you can't get into this show, maybe the performing arts are not your thing.

The hiccups in the book do not detract from the overall outstanding artistic production and like everyone else at the National Theatre, I rose in applause for "A Standing O."

Sound check: This is a rock musical, so bring your earplugs

Program notes: Very good, with cast (including design & production) bios, headshots, and playlist, including songs that got away, i.e., unused Four Seasons' hits

Applause meter: Highly recommended, 4 hands

Runtime: About 2 ½ hours with an intermission

Photo credit: Joan Marcus