Jersey Boys Is Spectacular in Spokane!
October 22nd, 2012The JERSEY BOYS first national tour company is receiving rave reviews in Spokane at INB Performing Arts Center! Check out excerpts from two fab write-ups:
Tracy Poindexter-Canton, Statesman.com: The story is uniquely narrated from the conflicting perspectives of the four group members: lead singer Valli; streetwise visionary of the group, Tommy DeVito; musical boy wonder Gaudio; and reticent bass player Nick Massi (Michael Lomenda). Divided into four sections or “seasons,†the narrations and dialogue (told in authentic New Jersey vernacular, swear words and all) represent seasons of the group’s career. As Valli and DeVito, Cosgrove and Gardiner provide impactful narrations as polar opposites. Valli is mature, loyal and remorseful, while DeVito is ruthless, self-serving and destructive.
Cosgrove embodies Valli’s petite stature and signature falsetto, greatly complemented by the satiny baritone, bass and tenor vocals of Gardiner, Lomenda and Jacoby. Klara Zieglerova’s set design of industrial architecture, lounge club marquees and Ed Sullivan Show-inspired TV projections is appealing except for the Lichtenstein comic book backdrops, which seem overworked. Tony-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley’s ingenious use of blinding spotlights at the close of Act One puts the audience directly on stage with the slick-haired, glitter-lapelled foursome and makes “Dawn (Go Away)†one of the most memorable, ovation-worthy numbers of the night.
QueenNarcissa.com: Rare are the moments when I see a production (and I see plenty, trust me….) and pay attention through the entire show. This show had meat and potatoes with a side of gravy and I just wanted to belly up to the plate and keep on eating. Funny, touching, familiar. There is nothing to not like about the Jersey Boys. And that is all.
