Jersey Boys
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Bergen, Faugno, Kushnier, Leibow
Photo by Joan Marcus
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By Ben Miles
Some pop-culturalists maintain that a dead spot lingers between the early, rebellious days of rock 'n roll and the uplifting, shape-shifting British Invasion of a decade later. The earliest period in rock 'n roll offered players in their raw, creative élan, as exemplified in the outrageous performances of Little Richard, the tune-changing innovations of Bo Diddley, and the king-making sounds of Elvis Presley. But, by time the Invasion landed on America's shores in the mid-1960s, groups such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones had already, through harmonic riffs and lyrical themes, elevated this homegrown musical style to an art-form.
This theory is a tidy and succinct one: rock 'n roll developed in two bursts, starting, more or less, with Elvis and reaching an aesthetic apex with the Fab Four. What's missing in this formulation, however, are the unique stylings of proto-typical boy bands, such as The Beach Boys and The Four Seasons. This is where so-called juke-box musicals like Jersey Boys can bridge the gap, fill-in-the-blanks, and show and tell that which goes largely unshown and untold in rock's rollicking history. One thing, among many, that's wonderful about Jersey Boys, specifically, is that it reminds us of the subliminal effects that The Four Seasons had on those of us who heard sixties top-forty play-lists as the sound track of our budding years.
Songs such as "Walk Like a Man," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," is each rendered by The Seasons as melodic vignettes full of youthful intensity, rhythmic vitality, and (thanks to lead singer Frankie Valli) high-pitched, narrative drive. The music is chalk full of angst and romance, as seen through the perspective of callow young men. Jersey Boys-- onstage at the Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, indefinitely,--dramatizes the unlikely rise of The Four Seasons. With a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio (one quarter of The Four Seasons, himself), and lyrics by Bob Crew, we are given a winning lulla-biography of the boys from Jersey.
When founding band member Tommy DeVito (the extraordinary and multifaceted Jeremy Kushnier) addresses the audience, he assures us that a young guy growing up in Jersey has just three possibilities in life: join the army; get "mobbed-up"; or, become famous, "like Sinatra." Tommy and his cohorts--Nick Massi (an endearing Jeff Leibow), Frankie Valli (the nimble and falsetto-fit Rick Faugno), and Bob Gaudio (Erich Bergen in a commanding portrayal)--all chose the third way. And though, as the story goes, that choice had its costs and took its tolls, the pay-off was rock star status.
There's no denying that for pop music enthusiasts, trivia regarding The Four Seasons is fascinating. Like the fact that Bob Gaudio, having written at age 15 the song-sensation "(Who Wears) Short Shorts," was introduced to Tommy and his crew by groupie and wanna-be actor Joe Pesci (a hyper-kinetic Jonathan Gerard Rodriguez). Gaudio quickly embeds himself as the authorial force of The Four Seasons, penning their first mega-hit "Sherry." Also noteworthy is how the naïve Francis Castelluccio is transfigured as the band's front man, Frankie Valli, and how The Four Seasons eventually morphed into Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
While the back-life and underbelly of these Jersey boys is revelatory and an important link in the continuity of rock 'n roll, it's the music that drives this bedazzling theatrical vehicle. With more than thirty song routines, backed by the "Jersey Boys Orchestra" (conducted by Keith Thompson), Jersey Boys is a dramatically engaging musical. Directed by Des McAnuff, with choreography by Sergio Trujillo, the show gives us concert-like acoustics (Steve Canyon Kennedy provides the sound design) and a stadium performance experience. By the time these faux Four Seasons, in the finale number, pose the melodic query, "Who Loves You?"--we in the auditorium are ready to reply in kind. Seeing and hearing Jersey Boys jump-starts and reinforces a love of The Four Seasons.
Jersey Boys continues in the Jersey Boys Theatre at the Palazzo Resort, 3325 Las Vegas Boulevard, in Las Vegas. Shows are at 7 p.m. nightly. (No performance on Wednesdays.) On Tuesdays and Saturdays there's also a 10 p.m. showing. For reservations, dial 866 - 641 - 7469. For more details, visit www.JerseyBoysVegas.com.
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