Jersey Boys Is Magnificent in Milwaukee!
July 25th, 2011Another fab review for the JERSEY BOYS first national tour’s production in Milwaukee! Check out a preview to Damien Jaques’ rave review:
There are two ways to enjoy the national touring company production of “Jersey Boys” that has settled into the Marcus Center for four weeks.
Those of us who got our driver’s license, shared our first kiss or wore a cap and gown in the 1960s and ’70s can sit back and let the classic songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons wash over us. It’s like stretching out on a beach after a long winter. The world is right for two and a half hours while we luxuriate in “Sherry,” “Rag Doll,” “Walk Like a Man” and so many more.
But “Jersey Boys” is more than a concert by an exceptional tribute band. It is also an extremely shrewd piece of theater that hooks us with clever theatricality.
It’s unflattering inside stuff that is often in stark contrast with the innocent songs the band recorded. Those songs and the Seasons’ stories are two of the three ingredients that make “Jersey Boys” such fun.
The creative team of book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and director Des McAnuff is the third key to the show’s success. Brickman has a long writing career that includes collaborating with Woody Allen on the screenplays of “Manhattan” and “Annie Hall.”
McAnuff is the artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. The talent and experience levels of the two men give this show about rough-edged rock ‘n’ rollers a smart theatrical gloss.
The script is sharp, tart and funny. The staging is uptempo with a smooth cinematic glide.
Visit OnMilwaukee.com to read the full review.
