FOUR SEASONS MUSICAL JERSEY BOYS HAS AUDIENCES ON THEIR FEET AT MTC!
By Kiersten Bjork (September 16, 2023)
Jersey Boys at Music Theatre of Connecticut, directed by Kevin Connors with assistant direction and choreography by Katie Goffman and musical direction by Tony Bellomy, is a fun night out at the theatre perfect for any who loves a show with catchy tunes and great performances. It features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio, and lyrics by Bob Crewe. Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from the forming of the group to the trials and triumphs that they faced over their careers. Told from the perspectives of Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Frankie Valli, the audience gets a peak behind the curtain at the lives of these incredible musicians. Jersey Boys features hit songs such as “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night),” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and is a show that will have you tapping your feet in time and leave you humming those catchy melodies long after the final song ends.
Jersey Boys at Music Theatre of Connecticut, directed by Kevin Connors with assistant direction and choreography by Katie Goffman and musical direction by Tony Bellomy, is a fun night out at the theatre perfect for any who loves a show with catchy tunes and great performances. It features a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio, and lyrics by Bob Crewe. Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from the forming of the group to the trials and triumphs that they faced over their careers. Told from the perspectives of Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi, and Frankie Valli, the audience gets a peak behind the curtain at the lives of these incredible musicians. Jersey Boys features hit songs such as “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “December 1963 (Oh, What A Night),” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and is a show that will have you tapping your feet in time and leave you humming those catchy melodies long after the final song ends.
Stephen Petrovich, Nathan Cockroft, Michael Fasano, and Sean McGee in MTC’s Jersey Boys
(Alex Mongillo) |
Nathan Cockroft, Michael Fasano, Sean McGee, and Stephen Petrovich in MTC’s Jersey Boys
(Alex Mongillo) |
The production opens with Nathan Cockroft as the first narrator, Tommy DeVito, the suave, self-important leader of the group (for a time, anyway). Cockroft plays a cool and dangerously charming DeVito. Tommy is someone that everyone needs, but in the end, what does that amount to? Cockroft lives in that arc of DeVito beautifully. He brings a classier touch to DeVito than portrayals I’ve seen in the past, smoothing out the rougher edges of the part-time criminal character and portraying him with more polish. In doing so, his DeVito is all the more enticing – we want to like him, we want him to have second and third chances – and that is what makes the character so dangerously seductive. Cockroft’s portrayal of DeVito is excellent in this regard. From start to finish we are with him on the ride that this character takes. Tommy’s problems build up as the story progresses and all the while Cockroft underscores the role with charm, wit, and bravado. Top it off with a phenomenal voice and stylish execution of the choreography, and it’s a recipe for a stellar performance.
The iconic Frankie Valli is played by Michael Fasano, who is absolutely wonderful in the role. Fasano has an effortless falsetto complete with smooth transitions, making him an all-around impressive singer. He shines on those lead vocals, carrying the top notes with excellent showmanship and dancing to back it up. His rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” is highly satisfying and shows off his skill as a performer. I also enjoyed the more nuanced choices Fasano made in the scenes opposite Cockroft, as well as opposite Emily Solo as Mary Delgado.
Sean McGee is a standout as songwriter Bob Gaudio. McGee is a seriously talented vocalist, and also brings the perfect energy to Gaudio. Gaudio is essentially the baby of the group, and McGee fills his performance with a bright-eyed vibrancy, giving way to sudden moments of deadpan delivery or humorous asides that make it all the more fun to watch him in this role. He portrays the professionalism that Gaudio exudes, but also balances it with the youthful expressions and energy to be expected from the songwriter whose first number one hit came in his teenage years.
Rounding out the original four is Stephen Petrovich as bass player Nick Massi. Massi is the “Ringo” of the group, which is humorously referenced by the character himself, and Petrovich does a great job blending his strong bass vocals and dancing with the uptight, somewhat neurotic character of Massi. Massi’s Act II rant about DeVito remains one of my favorite moments in the show, and Petrovich’s choices in that scene did not disappoint! He is clearly having fun with the role, and this comes through in his one-liners and especially his asides during Massi’s portion of the narration.
The iconic Frankie Valli is played by Michael Fasano, who is absolutely wonderful in the role. Fasano has an effortless falsetto complete with smooth transitions, making him an all-around impressive singer. He shines on those lead vocals, carrying the top notes with excellent showmanship and dancing to back it up. His rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” is highly satisfying and shows off his skill as a performer. I also enjoyed the more nuanced choices Fasano made in the scenes opposite Cockroft, as well as opposite Emily Solo as Mary Delgado.
Sean McGee is a standout as songwriter Bob Gaudio. McGee is a seriously talented vocalist, and also brings the perfect energy to Gaudio. Gaudio is essentially the baby of the group, and McGee fills his performance with a bright-eyed vibrancy, giving way to sudden moments of deadpan delivery or humorous asides that make it all the more fun to watch him in this role. He portrays the professionalism that Gaudio exudes, but also balances it with the youthful expressions and energy to be expected from the songwriter whose first number one hit came in his teenage years.
Rounding out the original four is Stephen Petrovich as bass player Nick Massi. Massi is the “Ringo” of the group, which is humorously referenced by the character himself, and Petrovich does a great job blending his strong bass vocals and dancing with the uptight, somewhat neurotic character of Massi. Massi’s Act II rant about DeVito remains one of my favorite moments in the show, and Petrovich’s choices in that scene did not disappoint! He is clearly having fun with the role, and this comes through in his one-liners and especially his asides during Massi’s portion of the narration.
Michael Luongo, Michael Fasano, and Robert Peterpaul in MTC’s Jersey Boys (Alex Mongillo)
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Brianna Bauch, Skye Gillespie, and Emily Solo in MTC’s Jersey Boys (Alex Mongillo)
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The core four are supported by a talented ensemble of actors playing a variety of characters. John Treacy Egan is both imposing and quite funny at times as mobster Gyp DeCarlo. Matt Mancuso plays eccentric music producer Bob Crewe with zest, leaning into the humorous dialogue that the character has and delivering a delightful performance. Jeff Raab is hilarious as a young Joe Pesci (yes, that Joe Pesci!), playing up the shrill, pestering nature of the young boy who can’t help but provide his input no matter how many times DeVito tells him to scram.
One of my other favorite moments in Jersey Boys is what I’ll call the “scam-murder” scene, which at MTC features Michael Luongo and Robert Peterpaul in a rapidly escalating dramatic show, ultimately ending in a “dead” body in Valli’s car. This brief scene is hilarious, and Luongo and Peterpaul really go all in. The audience was cracking up by the end of it! Luongo also plays a threatening mobster, a strait-laced Ohio cop, the gorilla mask-wearing Hank Majewski, and more, exhibiting strong character work throughout. Likewise, Peterpaul does excellent work juggling multiple roles including Nick DeVito and one of the new Four Seasons members once the group became Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. Peterpaul showcases vocal skill in the quartets, leaning into the tight harmonies and group choreography.
David L. Murray Jr. shows off some impressive vocal riffs in the track of Barry Belson & Others, especially at the end of the show. The girl group The Angels is made up of Brianna Bauch, Skye Gillespie, and Emily Solo, who each double as Lorraine (Frankie’s girlfriend), Francine Valli (Frankie’s daughter), and Mary Delgado (Frankie’s wife), respectively, in addition to multiple other roles. The three women are each talented singers and actresses, accenting their featured moments with strength, and nuanced yet dynamic choices.
One of my other favorite moments in Jersey Boys is what I’ll call the “scam-murder” scene, which at MTC features Michael Luongo and Robert Peterpaul in a rapidly escalating dramatic show, ultimately ending in a “dead” body in Valli’s car. This brief scene is hilarious, and Luongo and Peterpaul really go all in. The audience was cracking up by the end of it! Luongo also plays a threatening mobster, a strait-laced Ohio cop, the gorilla mask-wearing Hank Majewski, and more, exhibiting strong character work throughout. Likewise, Peterpaul does excellent work juggling multiple roles including Nick DeVito and one of the new Four Seasons members once the group became Frankie Vallie and the Four Seasons. Peterpaul showcases vocal skill in the quartets, leaning into the tight harmonies and group choreography.
David L. Murray Jr. shows off some impressive vocal riffs in the track of Barry Belson & Others, especially at the end of the show. The girl group The Angels is made up of Brianna Bauch, Skye Gillespie, and Emily Solo, who each double as Lorraine (Frankie’s girlfriend), Francine Valli (Frankie’s daughter), and Mary Delgado (Frankie’s wife), respectively, in addition to multiple other roles. The three women are each talented singers and actresses, accenting their featured moments with strength, and nuanced yet dynamic choices.
Matt Mancuso and Jeff Raab in MTC’s Jersey Boys (Alex Mongillo)
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John Treacy Egan and Michael Fasano in MTC’s Jersey Boys (Alex Mongillo)
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Scenic and props designer Sean Sanford has created a very bare bones set which is mostly open floor space aside from the multi-level platform upstage featuring a projection surface framed by a steel lighting rig on the upstage wall. It is basic, yet works for this production, since there are many different settings throughout, and the open area is necessary for the small theatre size in order to accommodate the movement and choreography.
Lighting designer RJ Romeo does a solid job lighting this production. I enjoyed the colorful washes on the back wall and different highlighted areas when actors were in the voms and different sections of the theatre. There were some moments where I felt like the actors were much darker than I wanted them to be, but it’s a toss-up of whether this was due to how the cue was built, how it was timed, or how an actor did (or didn’t) hit a mark.
Costumes by designer Diane Vanderkroef and wigs by designer Peggi de la Cruz are all beautifully done. Jersey Boys is visually recognizable in part due to the variety of jackets the boys wear, and everything really looked great on this cast. Sound design by Jon Damast is fine, but did suffer from the recurring sound issues I’ve experienced with MTC productions. There are times when actors come in and out, times when there is feedback, and times where there are pops or crackling in the mics. However, this may be more the fault of the equipment than the designer.
Lighting designer RJ Romeo does a solid job lighting this production. I enjoyed the colorful washes on the back wall and different highlighted areas when actors were in the voms and different sections of the theatre. There were some moments where I felt like the actors were much darker than I wanted them to be, but it’s a toss-up of whether this was due to how the cue was built, how it was timed, or how an actor did (or didn’t) hit a mark.
Costumes by designer Diane Vanderkroef and wigs by designer Peggi de la Cruz are all beautifully done. Jersey Boys is visually recognizable in part due to the variety of jackets the boys wear, and everything really looked great on this cast. Sound design by Jon Damast is fine, but did suffer from the recurring sound issues I’ve experienced with MTC productions. There are times when actors come in and out, times when there is feedback, and times where there are pops or crackling in the mics. However, this may be more the fault of the equipment than the designer.
Michael Fasano as Frankie Valli in MTC’s Jersey Boys (Alex Mongillo)
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Nathan Cockroft, Sean McGee, Michael Fasano, and Stephen Petrovich in MTC’s Jersey Boys
(Alex Mongillo) |
Jersey Boys at Music Theatre of Connecticut has the iconic songs, a set of incredibly talented leads, and a well-cast, strong ensemble. All of this gels to create a night out at the theatre that you won’t want to miss! The music of the Four Seasons is so catchy and well-known, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who won’t enjoy the lineup of Jersey Boys. Catch the production before it closes on October 1!
Jersey Boys will run from September 15-October 1 at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk, CT. Performance times are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are available online at https://www.musictheatreofct.com/jersey-boys or by calling the box office at 203.454.3883. Music Theatre of Connecticut is located at 509 Westport Avenue in Norwalk, CT.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.
Jersey Boys will run from September 15-October 1 at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk, CT. Performance times are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. Tickets are available online at https://www.musictheatreofct.com/jersey-boys or by calling the box office at 203.454.3883. Music Theatre of Connecticut is located at 509 Westport Avenue in Norwalk, CT.
Kiersten Bjork is a theatremaker and reviewer (Connecticut Critics Circle) from Branford, CT.