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Michael Cox believes that the acclaimed musical is more than worthy of its hype.
Let’s be honest: the vast majority of productions don’t live up to the hype. It is certainly not uncommon for a well-regarded Broadway/West End production to finally rear its head in Scotland a few years after making a splash only to look a bit worn and dressed in the emperor’s new clothes.
Not so with Jersey Boys. For a musical that had its world premiere almost ten years ago to the day (October 2004 in San Diego, California), the production feels as fresh, energetic and immediate as a newly launched production.
It follows the rise and triumph/fall of the original four members of the American pop band The Four Seasons. Taking inspiration from Rashomon, the story is told from the perspectives of Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and (finally) Frankie Valli, all of whom have different takes on who did what and why certain things happened.
One of the interesting things about the production is that it shows how little audiences knew about the band’s personal life; they hit the music scene at the same time as other bands who couldn’t escape public scrutiny, and yet little was known about their ties to the mob and stints that some of the band members spent in prison. The script, by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, is full of intelligence and doesn’t shy from showing the four as flawed men, men who made mistakes and hurt people—including themselves.
And the performances of the main four are down the line terrific. Stephen Webb (DeVito), Sam Ferriday (Gaudio), Lewis Griffiths (Massi) and Tim Driesen (Valli) are equally excellent on their own and together as the band, creating intriguing characters who are easy to empathise with and support. They are onstage for practically the whole show, switching back and forth between music and dramatic narrative with admirable ease. They are assisted by a solid ensemble, a company who energetically switch multiple roles, sometimes creating stand-out moments themselves.
As a production, it is near impossible to find fault. Director Des McAnuff has weaved a brilliant production that mixes dramatic scenes with robust musical numbers while telling a complicated tale. The design mixes traditional set pieces with concert lighting and multimedia, and it is consistently interesting to look at.
And the music is superb. The Four Seasons were famous for their harmonies, and the cast—while not quite reaching the excellence of the original source—come pretty close. Many have called Jersey Boys a jukebox musical, which doesn’t seem right. It is true that the vast majority of the show is sung, but only a handful of songs are used to further narrative. Usually the singing happens in the background or between scenes, if not in a studio or a concert, making Jersey Boys more in the line of ‘play with music’ (though, granted, LOTS of music).
Without a bum note in the whole production, here’s a touring production that exceeds expectations. Believe the hype: do not miss it.
Jersey Boys is at the Edinburgh Playhouse until October 25 before continuing its UK tour, which includes a stop at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre from March 3-14, 2015.
Further details can be found at: http://www.jerseyboysuktour.com/
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