Nation’s Capital is Captivated by Jersey Boys!
October 6th, 2009
Washington Examiner’s Barbara Mackay notes that “Jersey Boys” at the National Theatre will make you want to dance in the aisles.
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.
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.
Visit WashingtonExaminer.com to read Mackay’s full review.
