Review: JERSEY BOYS at San Pedro Playhouse

Friday was a live theatre date night out at San Pedro Playhouse to watch Jersey Boys. My secret? That was my first time seeing it! I know that’s some sort of theatre kid sacrilege, but hey, at least it’s remedied now, and let me tell you--what an incredible first watch! And we weren’t the only ones having a great time. The audience was just buzzing with happiness and excitement for this show from the time we entered the lobby until we left it at the end!

It all began with Asia Ciaravino, President and CEO of San Pedro Playhouse and San Antonio’s District 1 Councilmember, Sakh Kaur, introducing opening night. I was so very moved by the presence of the councilwoman and her support of San Antonio’s arts. She had some beautiful words to say about the importance of the arts, to which I nearly shouted, “amen!”

And then…what an incredible production! From the amazingly stellar vocal performances, the costume design by Tiffany Yeager, the scenic design by Javier Sanchez to the seamless flow and flawless transitions, this was an absolutely high calibur, wonderful, fun show!  

I loved the story, which centered around Frankie Valli's rise to fame--with all of its pitfalls, twists and turns. Michael Parisi carefully took us on such a journey, letting us see Frankie as a young man--a boy, really--who learned along the way and became a thoughtful man and legendary performer. But the story was even bigger than his, it was a story about all of The Four Seasons performers, and these guys were simply wonderful. Anthony Martucci, who made his San Pedro debut with this performance, played Tommy DeVito, and I can tell you this--he is an actor to watch. He took what could be an overacted role and made it truthful. He made us even feel sympathy for him despite his consistent bad decisions. Kevin Cox, who played Nick Massi, was a delightful presence onstage. We could not get enough of his bass vocal range or his quirky character. We had seen him in previous performances with San Pedro (Classic), and he has never disappointed. We were blown away by the vocal talents of Jackson Gable, who played Bob Gaudio! He was a true triple threat and brought great energy and charisma to the stage. Each one of these actors brought a special nuance and gift to the stage that just kept us happily mesmerized.  And I certainly couldn't forget to mention the smarmy music agent, Bob Crewe, played by the wildly talented Blake Hamman. If you see that this guy is going to be in a show, you need to go see it. He is so believable, authentic, and always able to create memorable characters.The ensemble was equally as impressive, with their stellar performances and flawless set changes. Nathan Stith, the director, did a marvelous job of working out all of the scene-changing logistics and clearly allowed the necessary rehearsal time to get it just right. Totally flawless.  The choreography by Rafael Ferreras was spectacular, specific to the time period, and perfectly executed. It was a big reason why the show brought down the house. I loved looking around and seeing people dancing in their seats, smiling and having a wonderful time! 

To post a comment, you must register and login.