May 19, 2007

Audience Adores Original Jersey Boy!

May 19th, 2007

Jon Fassnacht of the Reading Eagle says that Frankie Valli entertained an appreciative packed audience Thursday night in the Sovereign Performing Arts Center during a concert to benefit the Mental Health Association of Reading and Berks County.

When the Four Seasons scored a hit some 40 years ago with “Working My Way Back to You,” little did Frankie Valli know that the song’s title would be a good description of the later stages of his career. The veteran performer, in his fifth decade in the music industry, is experiencing a renaissance, buoyed by the runaway success of the biographical musical “Jersey Boys” and his stint as New York mob captain Rusty Millio on “The Sopranos.”

Following a slideshow spanning Valli’s career, accompanied by a musical overture of his hits, Valli took the stage to one of his biggest smashes — the theme song to “Grease.” Dressed in all-black suit, the septuagenarian waited until the evening’s fourth song, a cocktail-jazz rendition of Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” to unleash his trademark falsetto, drawing an immediate reaction from the audience.

The 20-song set — totaling only 85 minutes — was fairly predicable, heavy on songs from his ’60s and ’70s heyday.The evening did include a few “new” songs from Valli’s upcoming album, “Romancing the ’60s.” “It’s filled with songs that I always wished I had the opportunity to record in the ’60s,” he explained. Those included Ben E. King’s “Spanish Harlem” and the Everly Brothers’ “Let it Be Me.”

The revamped Four Seasons, with their choreographed moves and smooth harmonies, were a big hit, especially with the Valli girls in the audience. “Hey, how about my kids here?” he asked, followed by a roar, and squeals, from the crowd. Each of the Four Seasons got a chance to sing lead in “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night),” while the audience was invited to take the chorus of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Along with the Seasons, Valli was backed by a 10-piece band, including a five-piece horn section. The song arrangements were tight but allowed each member room to roam, culminating in “Swearin’ to God,” which featured solos from four musicians.
Valli ended the show by going back to his beginnings, featuring five songs from the early ’60s, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man” and show closer “Let’s Hang On.”

1 Comment »

  1. Great article! I saw the Broadway Four Seasons last evening again and they were GREAT! I was watching more closely than usual and saw how immersed our boys are in the performance – they live their individual parts and work so well together. It is more evident each time I see the show, that they love what they are doing.

    I read a great quote once which I used in my teaching of teachers. “Enthusiasm is contagious and so is the lack of it.” The enthusiasm of a teacher is imparted to the students, who then become really immersed in learning. This is an important quality of a good teacher – love what you teach, whom you teach and demonstrate that love through your teaching.

    JLY, Christian, Bobby and Daniel love to perform and impart that love each and every JB performance. Their enthusiasm is contagious to the audience each and every night. A great formula – a symbiotic relationship, if you will, between the performers, their enthusiasm and the audience! “Good job, GUYS!” IE

    Comment by irene eizen — May 19, 2007 @ 10:40 am

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