April 22, 2010

Jersey Boys is Brilliant in Buffalo!

April 22nd, 2010

Buffalo News arts writer Colin Dabkowski has posted his rave review of the JERSEY BOYS national tour in Buffalo! Here’s a preview:

Unlike other less successful shows, the creators of the show — namely director Des McAnuff and writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice — managed to achieve a degree of character development, emotional depth and continuity.

The personalities of each of the Seasons’ four original members — the conflicted Frankie Valli (Joseph Leo Bwarie, who will trade off the role in future performances with Graham Fenton and John Michael Dias), overbearing Tommy DeVito (Matt Bailey), quirky Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia) and even-keeled Bob Gaudio (Ryan Jesse) — elevate the show beyond a simple recitation of the facts.

As Valli, Bwarie has the diminutive stature and soaring falsetto of the legendary front-man, to which he adds an unexpected sweetness and an undercurrent of insecurity that ebbs as his success grows…Bailey gives us a believably rough-edged DeVito, Jesse an endearing and buttoned-up Gaudio, and Gouveia a hilarious interpretation of the oft-overshadowed Massi, at one point comparing himself to Ringo Starr. The show’s three female characters do impressive work playing 54 characters. They are Buffalo-born Denise Payne, Candi Boyd and Kara Tremel.

Read Dabkowski’s full review on BuffaloNews.com.

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