Working My Way Back to You

Jersey Boys

Can you believe that this National Tour marks the 20th Anniversary of the wonderful jukebox and biographical musical called the JERSEY BOYS? Time can’t diminish the pure power and entertainment value of this magnificent musical. Repeated viewings don’t lessen the drama and emotional impact of how a young phenom named Frankie Valli, and his buddies, the Four Seasons, evolved into the most popular singing group of their era. And the music? “Oh, What a Night!” Every song is a hit. Each tune has the audience bopping their heads, shaking their shoulders, tapping their toes, snapping their fingers and eventually singing along. These are the tunes that evoke so many fond memories of our teenage years, a more innocent time, when pop music stirred our souls and made everyone simply just want to get up and dance!

Jukebox musicals often get a bad rap. The genre has been around, at least since the early 1970’s; but the new millennium has witnessed the creation of even more jukebox musicals than ever. However, with JERSEY BOYS an entirely new high standard was set. Instead of a fictional tale inspired by or fashioned around the songs of a composer or pop/rock group, Marshall Brickman (Tony winner for JERSEY BOYS on Broadway) and Rick Elice (THE ADDAMS FAMILY, THE CHER SHOW) created a documentary style musical about the legendary Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, depicting the formation of the group and using their own music, composed by Bob Gaudio with lyrics by Bob Crewe, as the score. This 2006 Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning musical is back in Chicago once again for two weeks, after having played here several times before. This much-welcome new production, which feels just as fresh and professionally acted and produced as the original, and is every bit as good as the original Broadway success.

For those who might be unfamiliar with their story, Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi were a quartet of blue collar, Italian-American bad boys from the Garden State, who wrote their own music and invented that unique, harmonic Four Seasons sound. Together they struggled, fought to be recorded and eventually evolved into one of pop music’s most original and universally famous boy bands. Their smash hits, most of which are featured in this energetic, entertaining and slickly polished musical, include early classics like “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man,” as well as many of their later beloved songs like “Big Man in Town,” “Working My Way Back to You,” “Rag Doll,” “Dawn,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and, during the show’s emotional finale depicting their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, “Who Loves You?”

The original Tony Award-winner, Des McAnuff, directed this superb National Tour, which features a stellar cast of talented actor/singer/musicians, all pitch perfect and sharp as lighting. It showcases the crisp and in sync choreography of Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, as well as the beauty of Gaudio’s songs, performed as they were meant to be sung. The cast is beautifully led by Coby Oram as Frankie Valli, Peyton Schoenhofer as Bob Gaudio, Harry Sperduto as Tommy DeVito and Owen McCredie as Nick Massi. Each of these four terrific performers brings to the stage the passion, drama, heartbreak and humor, as well as that incredible 60’s and 70’s sound. This musical is guaranteed to spark fond memories for every Baby Boomer in the audience. Great performances are also turned in by Andrew Sattler as the flamboyant Bob Crewe, Eliza Levy as a feisty Mary Delgado,  Alexis Aponte as lovely reporter Lorraine and Sarah Coleman as Frankie’s youngest daughter, Francine. Jason Winfield is terrific and a little scary as godfather Gyp DeCarlo and Grant Weathington brings humor and  energy to his engaging portrayal of young Joe Pesci. Kudos, as well, to gifted Nicholas Dion Reese for the many songs and characters he brings to life on the CIBC stage.

Audiences who’ve seen this show before, as well as any theatergoers attending this Tony Award-winning musical for the first time, are guaranteed to leave the CIBC Theatre happily humming many of the Four Seasons’s hits. There’s so much to love in this returning, 20th Anniversary National Tour of one of Broadway’s most kinetic, best-written and slickly-produced musicals. The show offers a talented ensemble cast telling the backstory of this internationally acclaimed musical group, whose falsetto lead singer and closely blended harmonies made the Four Seasons so unique. The musical’s pumping, brassy musical accompaniment recreates their signature sound and keeps toes a-tapping. A visit with this joyous, powerful, heartfelt biographical song fest is sure to bring audiences to their feet clapping, dancing and singing along. It’s a not-to-be-missed spectacle and “Oh, What a Night!”

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented November 11-22 by Broadway in Chicago at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., Chicago.

Tickets are available at all Broadway in Chicago box offices, by calling the Chicago Ticket Line at 800-775-2000 or by going to www.BroadwayInChicago.com.

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com.