Friday 11 March 2022

THEATRE REVIEW: Jersey Boys - The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford.


Ask four guys what happened and you’ll get four different versions...’

Ask most people to name a song by The Four Seasons and they’ll give you squat. But hum for them just one line of a single Frankie Valli hit, and they’ll know it by heart. These days, they might not exactly be a household name, but as we’re so rightly told, The Four Seasons were ‘the soundtrack to an entire generation’ and watching the Jersey Boys absolutely light up a theatre is the perfect example of why.

Set in – you guessed it – Jersey, USA, back in the 1950s, when the 'brains' behind The Four Seasons had barely made parole let alone figured out their famous name, ‘Jersey Boys’ gives us a glimpse behind the glitz and glamour of stardom. While it’s certainly not a story that hasn’t been told a thousand times before, the show’s lively track of upbeat numbers you can’t help but hum along to brings the rise and fall of fame to life in a new light.

We’re introduced first to mobster run-around and established criminal Tommy Devito (Dalton Wood) who credits himself with bringing the band together. Playing local clubs with Nick Massi (Lewis Griffiths), we see the two desperate to get out of their neighbourhood in one of the only three ways they know to be possible; ‘join the army, get mobbed up or become famous.’  The latter seems far more reachable once the pair meet Frankie Valli (Luke Suri)– a kid with a voice like an angel and his own sound like nothing anyone had heard before. And once one-hit-wonder (turned internationally renowned songwriter) Bob Gaudio (Blair Gibson) completed their quartet, the rest was, quite literally, history. We spent the first half of the show watching the boys gel, record hit after hit, sell millions of records and play shows worldwide all the while becoming their own little family – until the revelation that Tommy was in a hole of gambling debt to the tune of £150,000. From there we watch the group unravel as the boys come to terms with the danger Tommy’s in and what they can do to save their friend and their reputation.

As a whole, the show had absolutely everything – incredible vocals, stunning and innovative set design, talented actors – the only thing missing, in my opinion, was the story itself. True to life as it is, this isn’t a story that hasn’t been told before; some local hard-working talent had to finally get their break and make it big. What makes for the difference here, though, is that music like this simply hadn’t been made before. The combination of voices in beautiful harmonies and the not-quite-rock-and-roll stylings of the upbeat musical numbers are where this show gets its individuality, however its source material is sorely lacking. From a storytelling point of view everything seemed just ever so slightly rushed – easy enough to understand in the first act as the group were racing their way to superstardom, however sadly not hitting the mark on scenes which I can only assume were meant to tug on the heartstrings but became something of a throwaway amidst the pacing of the production. Moments in time which felt as though they should have been pivotal to the story, such as Frankie finding out about the death of his daughter, seemed shoehorned in for dramatic effect when the scale of acting we’d seen thus far could have ensured these occasions had the desired effect. It says something, though, when the source material is the one and only complaint of an entire production.

What we lost from the story was certainly made up for by everything else the show had to offer. The calibre of talent on that stage was second to none I’ve seen so far (and that’s quite an extensive backlog.) I’ve never heard a voice quite like that of Luke Suri – his portrayal of Frankie Valli really was something to behold. I was shocked to see that this was his theatre debut as he really does come across as a seasoned professional, both vocally and with the acting chops to match. He was matched with some equally extraordinary vocalists; there really wasn’t a weak link to be seen here, and a special mention is definitely required for Lewis Griffiths’ beautiful bass notes. When you listen to a piece of music it’s not usually the bass you’re taking note of, but you didn’t have a choice but to notice him. Every single musical number was pitch perfect, and the energy in every performance was remarkable. You could really see these actors were enjoying every second, which makes it so much easier to enjoy as an audience member.

Design wise, 'Jersey Boys' found a way to really bring us into the music scene, with aspects that made it feel strangely immersive for a front-on musical. Taking us from the dark and dingy Jersey clubs ablaze with neon signs, to the bright lights of Hollywood can’t have been an easy feat, and yet with some clever staging and seamless transitions scenic designer Klara Zieglerova and lighting designer Howell Binkley made it seem like an absolute walk in the park. Transporting us straight into the audience of the boys’ first TV appearance with a full set of filming equipment and a black and white projected livestream was a stroke of genius – although again not something that hasn’t been done before, this worked so perfectly within the context and created a great juxtaposition of image with the boy’s barely-lit. And despite being almost blinding, an absolute can’t-miss moment was just before the end of the first act; I’d never have thought simply turning around the staging and having your actors face away from the audience to take us ‘backstage’ could be so dramatic! But seeing the silhouettes of the four boys playing together - lit from the front by a backdrop full of twinkling lights designed to show a sold-out audience, with blinding auditorium lights lining their stage – the energy in the room was utterly electric.

The posters for this show joke about ‘running to grab a ticket’ but honestly, I'd take that as gospel. If you’re a big music fan and you have a chance to see this show, I wouldn’t give it a second thought. Although it might be a story you’ve heard a thousand times before, you’ve never heard it quite like this. All four versions.

Reviewer - Hazel Kaye
on - 9/3/22


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