Theatre Review: Jersey Boys – Civic Theatre May 6, 2021

Depending on your age, Jersey Boys as a musical reference could connotate anyone from Jon Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen or Frank Sinatra or even Queen Latifah. But for a generation of boomers, their first taste of the Jersey sound came from The Four Seasons.

Led by the piercing falsetto of Frankie Valli and driven by the songs of Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe (all good Jersey boys), The Four Seasons dominated the the US singles charts in the early 1960s with tunes like Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like A Man (all #1) through the 1970s with disco-fied hits Who Loves You and December 1963 (Oh What A Night).

The group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990 and so their legacy is assured.

BUT!!

Let’s face it, 1960 is sixty long years ago and there are plenty of folks who around who probably unaware of Frankie Valli & The Four Season, although they certainly would know a song or two thanks to their use in films…who can forget Heath Ledger’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You in 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You.

So, with a couple of tickets in hand I decided to check out the NZ production of Jersey Boys…not being a huge Four Seasons fan and not a lover of musical theatre, my expectations were low.

Even lower were those of my friend “F” who I dragged along with me. When I asked her if she had a favourite Four Seasons song she started talking about Vivaldi! Obviously, the Four Seasons saga has not travelled well, or I have friends with very sophisticated musical taste.

Ok, so the short version is (and it may be too late for that), the show is wonderful. Old songs like Walk Like A Man, Let’s Hang On and C’Mon Marianne still sound awesome live on the stage (I only heard most of these on a tinny transistor radio back in the 60s.

And the cast (all Kiwi but one) is first rate.

The one ringer is New Yorker Hayden Milanes who can hit those high notes and looks enough like young Frankie to make it all work (I have been assured that understudy Josh Johnson was also excellent when he took over the part in his native Christchurch).

The story itself is a familiar one to anyone who follows music bios…the struggle to the top, interband rivalries, and sex, drugs and rock & roll. And this being Jersey, the mob also rules (the real Frankie Valli appeared in The Sopranos).

So, sit back and let those hits wash over you. This is a world class production with striking sets, plenty of dancing and glittering costumes and a story that will hold your attention whether your version of The Four Seasons features Frankie Valli or Vivaldi.

Marty Duda

Jersey Boys continues its run at The Civic through Sunday, then moves to Wellington.

Click here for tickets.