There are regular musicals, and there are mega-musicals that become an industry in themselves. Witness the success of Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and now, Jersey Boys. This show, about four male singers who captured the hearts of a generation in the early 1960s, has made its mark on American theater. It travels around the world and it is still filling seats on Broadway. Finally, Jersey Boys makes its first Milwaukee appearance.
The musical starts out slowly. The four guys meet who one day will become Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. At first, Valli is shy about going onstage. He has a sweet disposition and looks up to the older guys in his tough Jersey neighborhood. He even joins them, reluctantly, in acts of minor theft. The neighborhood is run by a mob boss, who can be a friend or a foe. But back to the music.
In a very clever and efficient bit of staging, the guys try to peddle their first song to various music producers. They are greeted by a row of slamming doors. Eventually, they succeed. The show picks up speed as they score a hit with their first song, "Sherry." As the group continues to shape its identity, the hits keep flowing. It seems as though this rags-to-riches story will have a happy ending. But not so fast. The hero, Franki Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie), finds that keeping the group together may be more difficult than finding their first record producer. Valli never forgets that one of the guys, bad-boy Tommy DeVito (Matt Bailey), was the first one to put Valli onstage. Invoking "the old neighborhood," Valli pledges to cover DeVito's staggering gambling losses and IRS debts. This creates such a rift in the foursome that one of them, Bob Gaudio (Quinn Vanantwerp), decides to pull out and head home. Invariably, the other group members fall away, leaving Valli to forge ahead with several stand-ins. But his loyalty never wavers. As this tale unfolds, audiences are treated to a bevy of "solid gold" hits from the past, such as "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like a Man," "Rag Doll" and "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)." Although this reviewer is too young to have personal memories of these tunes, others in the audience clearly enjoyed this nostalgic trip down memory lane. The songs are superbly done, with topnotch voices and excellent musical accompaniment. Overall, the production looks polished and sharp.
What sets Jersey Boys apart from other famous-tune-filled musicals such as Mamma Mia! is that the story never wanders far from interaction among the four guys. One learns of their inability to maintain family connections. A trail of divorces follows. Also, In Valli's case, the short-lived truce with his youngest daughter, Francine, is cut short by tragedy. Valli feels that his absence is partly to blame. The high point of Act II involves the Four Seasons' songwriter, who tries to record a song that no producer will touch. They say the song is too slow for a pop number, and doesn't really "fit" into any other category, either. It is only by the songwriter's constant pestering that one producer finally gives in. The song becomes one of Valli's standards, "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You." Once again, the Four Seasons have won over their fans with a "new sound."
Joseph Leo Bwarie soars as the diminutive Frankie Valli. He seems to "channel" Valli's inner man. Bwarie is supported by Matt Bailey as Tommy DeVito, Steve Gouveia as Nick Massi and Quinn Vanantwerp as Bob Gaudio. Each of the four guys has a chance to share his point of view, and this is one of the musical's strengths. It makes the foursome more than cardboard cut-outs who just deliver hit songs. It has taken a long while for Jersey Boys to travel to this Midwest town, but judging by the enthusiastic reception the show received on press night, it was worth the wait.
