Jersey Boys Review, New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Wednesday 28th September 2022
It seems a trend of our 2022 has been discussion on biopic musicals. From the real lives of Cher (The Cher Show) and The Osmonds (The Osmonds: A New Musical) to the fictional of The Dreams (Dreamgirls), we have seen a lot of musicals that discuss the highs and lows of celebrity. As possibly our last biopic of the year, we watch possibly one of the most successful of all time – Jersey Boys. Jersey Boys has the prestige of Tony, Olivier and Grammy success, as well as being the 12th longest running show on Broadway and 21st in London’s West End. This is a show that comes with a lot of hype, but does it deliver?
As is usually the case with these shows, I am surprised at just how many songs I recognise from the Four Season’s extensive back catalogue. You can see just how much the audience are having fun; clapping along and – in some cases – singing along. Fans of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons won’t be disappointed by the song selection – from December 1963 (Oh What a Night) to Big Girls Don’t Cry, there is something for everyone. Not only do we have a fantastic selection of songs, but the vocals of the cast are superb. Michael Pickering (Frankie Valli) astounds throughout with his pitch perfect voice. As an outsider to the group, I fell in absolute awe of his voice when he first performed – as I’m sure others did when he debuted alongside Tommy DeVito. With each new song, just when I think I’ve seen it all, Pickering takes centre stage once more and shows he’s got so much more in the tank, culminating in the exceptional Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You sequence. Likewise, as an ensemble, our Jersey Boys each bring a unique voice to the quartet that compliments each other wonderfully. This is the brand-new cast’s first run together, and if they are already this well coordinated, I can’t imagine how strong they will be as the tour progresses.
One of the strengths in the show is the casting. Each lead brings with them a unique personality that instantly endears them to the audience. With a blend of seriousness and comedy; there is something for each actor to sink their teeth into. The shows format of Four Seasons; spring to winter, gives the audience the opportunity to experience the journey of the quartet from the perspective of each actor. I feel it appropriate having Tommy (Dalton Wood) start the proceedings before moving onto Bob Gaudio (Blair Gibson) takes over the narration. With their individual roles in the formation and development of the Four Seasons, having Act 1 dedicated to their experiences is a smart choice. You also see their influence on Frankie, and at times, their views feel very much like they represent his conscience. With this in mind, Gibson’s development as the passionate, musical genius is very angelic and his enthusiasm is well presented. Likewise, Wood has developed a fantastic poise and presence as the devilish Tommy DeVito. It’s a shame that, of the four, only Nick Massi (Christopher Short) seems underdeveloped. His Autumn is rushed in comparison, and very little of the character is explored – outside of a few appropriate comedic one liners (“Maybe I should start my own group?”), he seems relegated to a minor role in the story. As he himself says towards the end – every group needs a Ringo. Short does a great job in the role, maintaining a stoic demeanour throughout, with one exception towards the end of his tenure. This makes his outburst towards Tommy all the more powerful and impactful.
As with many biopics, and this is a common complaint in all my reviews, we still have the issues with omission and trying to fit an entire career within the 130-odd minute run time. In Act 2, Tommy and Nick disappear quite quickly and are not referenced again until the finale. Whilst it is a nice moment to see them reunited once more, it’s a shame we don’t get to explore more of their post-fame careers. One minute they are there, the next they are gone. Likewise, the show does not fare well with it’s Jersey Girls. With roles reduced to being the foil to our leads or a no-name conquest, Tommy is spot on with his analysis of the characters very early on when he tells Frankie they will “bust your balls”. Neither of Frankie’s love interests get any development outside of angry wife or girlfriend. With four leads, there is a lot to fit in and Jersey Boys does do well by ignoring the same year motif that both The Osmonds: A New Musical and The Cher Show tried to employ – they know they can’t include everything and don’t intend to, but we are still left with some underdeveloped characters and situations. We never really get any substance to the characters, and this is less an expose and more a montage of the highs and lows.
The show is a visual spectacle, with wonderful and charming choreography (Sergio Trujillo) accompanying the dynamic set. Between Klara Zieglerova’s incredible scenic design and Michael Clark’s projection design, the stole is nearly stolen from our Four Seasons! The world of the Jersey Boys really does come to life fantastically throughout the show with to make sure you really want to take your eyes off of the action for one second!
Overall, the show is a fun night at the theatre, with four very charming leads who will get you up on your feet by the end. You may well get more out of this show as a seasoned Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons fan; this one didn’t inspire me to learn as much about the source as The Osmonds: A New Musical or The Cher Show did; but those shows both have the gift of hindsight – a gift they would not have if not for the solid foundation laid from the hard work of Jersey Boys.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Download our episode – coming out Monday 3rd October for more of our thoughts and to find out who our MVP is; along with more talk on our favourite songs and what roles we would want to play.
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Jersey Boys is currently playing at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking until Saturday 8th October 2022. You can follow them on:
Twitter: @WokingTheatre
Instagram: @NewVictoriaTheatreWoking
Twitter: @JerseyBoysUK
Instagram: @JerseyBoysTourUK