LA Jersey Boys Bring the Four Seasons to Life!
June 14th, 2007Highland Community News raves about Jersey Boys at the Ahmanson Theatre! The show covers The Four Seasons career from the beginning until the present. The four original members are presented and each one gets to narrate a piece of the story, even Nick Massi who died before the show was created.
The stage setting is relatively simple. There is metal scaffolding that the characters walk in and out on. Other scenery is moved in and out by the characters as needed. Screens drop down from time to time to help set the scene. When the group is featured on television, such as on American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show, a camera comes onstage and the actors are projected on video screens in black and white just as if they were on the actual shows. Clips of audiences from those shows are interspersed with the live action.
The songs are presented as performances, not as scene settings like in “Mama Mia.†The audience at the Ahmanson the day we saw this show reacted to the songs as if it were a concert. Often the characters would have to wait for the applause to die down before they could say their lines.
Very true. From “Ces Soirees La”, through the “backstage view” of Dawn, the gripping and emotional “Fallen Angel”, finale of “Who Loves You” and encore featuring “December 1963″, this play is emotional, as well as funny and dramatic.
The set designers and behind the scenes theatre crews are as important as the cast in the way that without their expertise, the set would just be nothing, a blank stage without any lights and effects to make the play believeable. Thanks!
The 1st National Tour received tons of extended applause and standing ovations the four times I’ve had the pleasure to watch them. Also, Chris, Deven, Erich, Jennifer, Rick, Jackie and Michael have been very friendly and accommodating when our family congratulated them for many shows well done!
Also, the time they spent with us exchanging e-mails, chatting in person, signing autographs and photo ops were something that we totally appreciated and will never forget for the rest of our lives!
Comment by Mike B. Magbaleta — June 14, 2007 @ 12:50 pm