We love to cheer for the young underdogs who make it big under the bright lights. We love it right until the debts pile up, the mob gets involved, and the group begins to split apart. Jersey Boys avoids the usual glossy pop formula. Instead, it focuses on the real grit behind the music, making for an exciting night out.
Staged at the Palace Theatre, this 20th Anniversary Tour gala had huge energy right from the start. The theatre was packed, setting the scene for a classic rock-and-roll story.
The plot charts the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in New Jersey. Luke Baker is brilliant as Frankie. Having previously seen Luke in An Officer and a Gentleman, I became a big fan of his acting, and watching him play Frankie was fantastic. Sitting in the stalls, I even heard people nearby saying he was the best Frankie they had ever seen. His performance alone makes the show worth catching. He handles the high notes with complete ease and brings real emotion to the darker moments when Frankie’s family life falls apart. Alongside him, Carlo Boumouglbay brings plenty of charm and bite to Tommy DeVito, the hustler who formed the band before running up massive debts.
Lewis Kennedy is great as Nick Massi, supplying the deep bass lines that hold their sound together and delivering his deadpan lines with perfect timing. Toby Miles is just as good as Bob Gaudio, the young songwriter who gave the group their biggest hits and kept a level head in a cut-throat business. There were a couple of minor sound hitches during the opening number, but by the second song, everything was cleanly sorted and sounded great for the rest of the night. When all four sing classics like “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, and “Walk Like a Man”, they sound incredible. Musical Director Lauren Ronan and the live band keep the pace moving with serious drive.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. The dynamic between the four leads works brilliantly from start to finish, showing exactly what it took for them to break out of their neighbourhood and make music history.
The crowd loved every minute. When “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” kicked in, the whole room joined in, and the finale had people dancing in the aisles before giving the cast a standing ovation.
Jersey Boys runs at the Palace Theatre Manchester until Saturday 19 September. You can book tickets at atgtickets.com/shows/jersey-boys/palace-theatre-manchester/.
By James
For Canal Street Media