Review: JERSEY BOYS at the Hippodrome - A Show for All Seasons

Three words: go see it. I'm not even a fan of this music, and I loved it. A superb cast, excellent staging and scenic design make JERSEY BOYS one of the best shows I've seen at the Hippodrome. Adding to the enjoyment, old and new fans made up one of the happiest audiences I've witnessed.

The show won the Tony for best musical in 2006 and tells the story of the Four Seasons, whose megapop status spanned the 1950s to the 1970s selling over 100 million records. For those that think that these standards are only for lounges and elevators, fear not. The performances are so infectious, you'll find yourself swaying and humming with everyone else.

The four actors at the center of the story are so good you almost believe they are the real deal. There's founder and permanent juvenile deliquent, Tommy DeVito (Dru Serkes), cute lead singer with the angelic voice, Frankie Valli (Aaron De Jesus), mysterious and fastidious bass player Nick Massi (Keith Hines), and amiable man of many talents, Bob Gaudio (Cory Jeacoma).

Under the direction of Des McAnuff and choreography of Sergio Trujillo, the talented cast and crew changes characters, eras and sets without losing a beat. Musical supervisor Ron Melrose knows how to blend and harmonize it all together. This show is a good example of how a well designed production can cover a lot of ground without loosing fluidity or focus.
The book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice creates a condensed docu-drama style of story-telling. The humor remains fresh, and the elements of bad habits, broken relationships and tragic events so typical of the industry never take away from the music which soars above it all.

As one of the orignal boy bands, these jersey boys are perfect entertainment for our retro-cool culture. One line, in particular, captures the current zeitgeist: "We weren't a social movement like the Beatles. Our fans didn't put flowers in their hair and try to levitate the Pentagon. Maybe they should have. Our people were the guys who shipped over seas... and their sweethearts. They were the factory workers, the truck drivers. The kids pumping gas, flipping burgers. The pretty girl with circles under her eyes behind the counter at the diner. They're the ones who really got us, who pushed us over the top."

This tale of rags to riches, to fall from glory and comeback and ultimately to Hall of Fame proves you can take the boys out of Jersey but you can't take the Jersey out the boys.

JERSEY BOYS runs through Sunday at the Hippodrome Theatre, 12 N. Eutaw St. Tickets are $42-$147. Call 800-982-2787, or go to ticketmaster.com.

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