April 25, 2011

WCCO Reviewer Can’t Take Her Eyes Off Jersey Boys!

April 25th, 2011

WCCO’s Sara Boyd is the latest reviewer to give a major thumbs-up to the JERSEY BOYS national tour production in Minneapolis. Check out a preview to her fabulous write-up:

It’s true, the vast history behind Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is beyond interesting enough on its own but what propels this show into another dimension is the stellar, pitch-perfect cast. Joseph Leo Bwarie has been playing the role of Frankie for more than three years — and boy, does it show. Bwarie has the perfect pipes for Mr. Valli, effortlessly hitting a range that would even make a high soprano blush. Beyond the fresh falsetto, Bwarie takes the character through true transformation from the naïve to the never-ending.

Matt Bailey plays the ring leader (for better or for worse) as Tommy DeVito, a true Jersey native with a fast-talking big mouth and even bigger ego. Yet, true to form for Jersey boys, Bailey’s underlying charm makes him oddly lovable — even when he’s seemingly at his lowest point.

Steve Gouveia, who plays the self-described “Ringo” of the group, Nick Massi, is from the original Broadway cast of “Jersey Boys” and returns to the Orpheum stage after appearing in the highly successful run in 2008. Gouveia’s deadpan humor and constant consideration to start his own band add a light-hearted dialogue to otherwise serious scenes.

As the baby-faced music man and songwriting mastermind, Quinn Vanantwerp plays an adorable Bob Gaudio — one that forever changed the way I’ll think about the hit song, “Oh, What a Night.”

All four combine for an entertaining entity that highlights the quartet’s rollercoaster journey through the ups and downs of stardom. For the audience, it’s a great reminder of the days when pop artists meant more than flashy costumes and nonsensical lyrics. It’s a chance to be immersed in a world of icons and game changers, even before they knew they would be — and really, that’s a ride that anyone can enjoy.

Visit Minnesota.CBSLocal.com to read the full fantastic review!

1 Comment »

  1. If she thinks thats good ,she should see broadway .That would totally blow her mind!

    Comment by thea — April 30, 2011 @ 10:30 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post. | TrackBack URI

Please leave a comment