Oh What A Night was had at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton as Jersey Boys took to the stage for a brilliant new UK Tour of the legendary show. Following the legend that is Frankie Valli, and his musical counterparts, we track their history (the good, bad, ugly, and legendary) through the music they made on a stage where they belong.
With a hit new cast and a new injection of energy, it's time to see this cast as they work their way back to us and into our hearts again!
Based on the true story of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame band The Four Seasons, you are introduced to the characters and sent on a whirlwind trip down their memory lane to see the true highs and lows of the bands career. Set against the backdrop of New Jersey you meet all of the people that played a part in creating, promoting and being part of the band that we know today. Whilst we all know and love this show as a musical, I think it’s fair to agree with the creators of the show who have stated that it’s not just a musical. It’s a play about musicians, set to a backing track of their most beloved songs. It’s full of fun, heartache, sadness and joy with everything else in between. It’s a show that appeals to the masses and is still full of themes relevant today.
The show itself is split into four seasons, each one narrated by a member of the band. As a result you get a unique insight into their points of view, how they felt everything was going as a band and ultimately how they felt things fell apart. Done in a chronological order, you learnt about their formation, signing and fallout. It’s worth noting that the show is incredibly fast paced throughout the first half of act 1, this allows you to get to grips with the background and basics. But once the band have been signed, the pace is much slower and you really get to understand what happened to this group.
To say that this show is slick is an understatement. From the precise perfect singing and harmonies that left the audience speechless (I still can't get over the range that Frankie Valli has!), to the fantastic chemistry on stage that made you feel like they had been playing these roles for 30 years. I was even blown away at how seamlessly the band moved around the stage, with the drummer not even missing a beat as he swept across the stage on a platform.
Dalton Wood treated us to a mean yet caring imitation of Tommy Devito, the man that’s the self-proclaimed starting point of The Four Seasons, yet the one that almost ruined the whole band at the end. Whilst Norton James kept me laughing as the silent Nick Massi, who only seemed to utter something when he wanted to leave the band, and truly was a star in the show. Both Blair Gibson and Michael Pickering blew me away as Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli. From their mannerisms to their singing, it was something to truly be marvelled at. Their partnership on stage was utterly brilliant and their range of singing and emotion was spot on.
Jersey Boys is a show that can appeal to the masses. It's truly remarkable how they manage to condense 30 years into less than 3 hours without missing anything important out. It’s amazingly paced and it flows brilliantly. Whether or not the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is something you are interested in or not, will never take away from the fact that this show is timeless. There will be something for everyone young and old to recognise and dance along to in their seats. It’s a must see show that will leave you appreciating this complex tale of music and the downfalls of fame.
Jersey Boys is on at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton until the 16th July 2022 before continuing on a UK Tour.
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