Beautifully constructed musical about Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons onstage at National Theatre
‘Jersey Boys’
Where: National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
When: Through Dec. 12 (see Web site for performance schedule)
Info: Tickets start at $51.50; 800-447-7400; nationaltheatre.org
Whether you were fortunate enough to see Frankie Valli on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in 1962, or remember dancing to “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry” at every party you attended in 1963, or even if you’re too young to know Valli’s work firsthand, “Jersey Boys” at the National Theatre will make you want to dance in the aisles.
Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the musical tells the story of the singing group’s long struggle to exist, beginning in poverty in New Jersey, going through endless changes in stage names before they finally settled on “The Four Seasons” and began to make history.
Brickman and Elice have taken the details of the four singers’ lives — their hopes and successes, their personal and professional failures — and painted a satisfying portrait, not just of The Four Seasons’ rise to fame, but of the era in which they lived.
That picture depends entirely on the gifted performers who deliver the songs. Joseph Leo Bwarie does not merely have a sensational voice with a knockout falsetto. He projects vibrancy and passion when he sings, both in numbers like “Walk Like A Man” and in the slower love ballads (“My Eyes Adored You,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”).
Josh Franklin is cool and confident as the accomplished Gaudio, who helped put Valli on the map. Matt Bailey projects humor into the tough guy Tommy DeVito, who introduced Valli to the stage. Nick Massi is given a rough charm by Steve Gouveia.
Director Des McAnuff has done a brilliant job of integrating the look, feel, sound and movement of this production. Sergio Trujillo’s choreography brings back the famous 1960s moves: the finger-snapping, the fancy footwork, the synchronized arm movements — it’s all there. Jess Goldstein’s costumes pay appropriate tribute to the glitter-laden lapel.
With the wealth of material in Valli’s background, Brickman and Elice could have easily created less of a play and more of an easy, nostalgic concert. Fortunately, they went the harder route, and the result is a deep, intricate, heartwarming musical.
