Review: JERSEY BOYS at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

A juke box musical consists of pre-existing songs which are melded into a script to tell a story.  The songs, in contrast to lyrics and music, which are specifically integrated into a traditional musical’s story, don’t always smoothly transition into the juke box tale. 

The songs can be by one specific artist or songwriter, for example MAMMA MIA features songs by ABBA and WE WILL ROCK YOU features tunes by Queen.  On the other hand, MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICALfeatures a score primarily composed of the material of many artists. 

JERSEY BOYS, which is now on stage at Chagrin Valley Little Theater features songs by Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

There is a special aura about New Jersey, excuse me, “Nu-joisy.”  “De joisy guys” talk different. “Dey” have an “add’e’tude dat” which reeks of testosterone (even the women), and find glee in being “in-ya face.”  They live by “der own ruhls.”  This combination of being and doing flows onto the stage in JERSEY BOYS. 

It supposedly is the tale of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the America’s biggest pop music sensations. They supposedly wrote their own songs. They invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were thirty.

You’ll note in the last paragraph I wrote “it supposedly is the story” and they “supposedly wrote their own songs.” There is some controversy over how much the script’s writers, Marshal Brickman and Rick Elice, deviated from the real story. There is also some question about whether Bob Gaudio, in fact, did write all of the songs.

Be that as it may, the show is filled with hummable after hummable song.   As evidenced at intermission, almost everyone was singing, humming or bopping down the aisles. There is no question about the entertainment value and the wise choice of staging of the tale.

The Broadway version opened in November of 2005. It won four 2006 Tony Awards including Best Musical.  It has become a staple for productions at community and little theatres. 

The score features the group’s four early smash hits, “Sherry, “Big Girls Don’t Cry,’” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Oh What a Night.”  After those four are presented, the audience is screaming for more!

The biggest difficulty of doing a show about real people, who sing and dance, is the necessity of the cast sounding and looking like the originals.  This production has the vocal sounds down pat, it’s the looking alike that is difficult.  But, if you can overlook that yo’ll have a fine experience.

This production includes Nathan Park as Tommy DeVito, the founder of the group.  DeVito’s ego-centrism and wild way of living, his spending and gambling, caused the quartet problems and eventually was the reason for its break up.  He sings and moves well and is properly obnoxious.

Ian Ward portrays Nick, Tommy’s brother, who was basically along for the ride. Ward fits well his part and sings effectively.

Patrick Jalbert, not only looks like the real Bob Gaudio, but has the right boyish charm. Portraying the “intellect” of the group, wraps himself in the role and is completely believable.

The star of the evening is Eric Mortenson as Frankie Valli.  His falsetto is perfection!  Wow!

David W. Coxe and his musicians are excellent.  They are right on key and support rather than drowning out the performers.

The boy-band choreo by Jennifer Justice is excellent.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Go, go, go see JERSEY BOYS. You will have one hell of a time and feel like “The Big Man [or Woman] In Town” as you go out of the theatre humming, “My Eyes Adored You.”

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