Reviewers Rock to Jersey Boys in Orlando!
April 23rd, 2014Critics all over Orlando are raving about JERSEY BOYS! Check out snapshots from recent reviews:
Seth Kubersky, Blogs.OrlandoWeekly.com: But when the first act climaxes with a spectacularly simple illusion that places you onstage behind Boys, staring into a sea of stage lights and flashbulbs, all flaws are forgotten in a flood of theatrical wonder. This marvel of theatrical craftsmanship is not to be missed; when the tour leaves town, you’ll be “Beggin’” in vain for them to “Stay (Just a Little Bit Longer).”
Matthew J. Palm, OrlandoSentinel.com: The latest touring production, at Orlando’s Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre, doesn’t go wrong. It’s well sung, the jokes land with practiced finesse and even the Carr’s notoriously poor acoustics can’t put a damper on the trip down musical memory lane.
The journey is greatly enlivened by top-notch casting. As troublemaker Tommy, Nicolas Dromard charms the audience into feeling sorry for him. Baby-faced Quinn VanAntwerp has an appealing earnestness as songwriter Bob Gaudio. Adam Zelasko, as guitarist Nick Massi, makes the most of his comic moments when his reserved nature cracks.
Hayden Milanes has the distinctive high-tenor sound of Valli, and the charisma to establish an immediate bond with the audience.
FreeMediaOrlando.com: The lead performers and Barry Anderson’s very funny take as Bob Crewe are more than sufficient to hold interest, and there’s no question that “Jersey Boys” creates a genuine nostalgic buzz for those irresistible Four Season hits, and for the spirit of innocence in the early 1960s, before acid rock, the hippie movement and anti-war protests took over, and when a heart-felt love song could resonate so powerfully. This is a fast-paced, upbeat musical, but one that clearly pays tribute as much to this band as to the attitude and outlook in Jersey. And in a way, it’s also a tribute the American dream of finding great success in unlikely places.
The powers behind the show should be so proud of all of the casts that have kept this show at the top of its game. I can’t wait to see it for my 32nd time in Tempe.
Comment by Gladys Marlin — April 24, 2014 @ 4:46 am