I loved the single scaffold-style set for “JERSEY BOYS”. It allowed me to see Iris McBride hard at work and all over the place. I got my tickets from Iris, I saw her setting up three chairs in the front row for ticket holders and could see her beating the drums on tune after rock and roll tune. She is amazing.
Jon Douglas Rake did his welcome presentation as Managing Artistic Director and then snuck in for a little cameo role later in the play.
The mostly barren stage was perfect. It allowed movement and posing. The entire production just sailed along. There didn’t appear to be any rough spots. We got to see step by step the ups and downs of the music business and the songs that still stay with us.
Jake Atwood handled the part of Tommy DeVito very nicely. DeVito with his baritone voice was a founding member as well as the lead guitarist of the rock band from “The Four Lovers” to the “The Four Seasons”. I think we last saw Jake in the excellent TMP production of The Music Man.
Jonathan Bill played the part of Gyp DeCarlo. We last saw him as the “King in Cinderella”. It was a shame we didn’t get to see him as Henry Higgins in the TMP production of “My Fair Lady”.
Peg and I have seen Mauro Bozzo in three of our favorite local productions: “A Chorus Line” at Tacoma Little Theater, and “Singing in the Rain and “The Music Man”. In this production he played the part of Bob Crewe American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He co-wrote and produced 10 singles with Bob Gaudio for the Four Seasons.
Frankie Valli was played by Lucas Delamarter. Lucas was recently seen in the TMP production of “The Music Man”. I think Lucas had the toughest job on the show. Every one knows and recognizes the distinctive voice of Frankie Valli. Frankie Valli’s voice is a tenor. Tenors have the highest range of all the male voice types. Lucas did a nice job.
Nick Massi, Nicholas E. Macioci (September 19, 1927 – December 24, 2000), was a songwriter, and bass guitarist as well as a bass vocalist for The Four Seasons. Massi was played by Jesse Geray who has appeared at TMP in “Cats”, “The Music Man”, “Titanic the Musical”, and “All Shook Up”.
The Jersey Boys deserved the complete Standing Ovation. There is a limit of 460 people in the house. I think the limit was filled.
Braeden Linkenback, a junior theatre major at Pacific Lutheran University played the part of Bob Gaudio, one of the song writers from The Four Seasons. Braeden is looking forward to getting a master’s in teaching to pave the way to teaching high school drama.
Bob Gaudio of The Four Seasons touched my thirteen year old heart and spirit with the song “Short Shorts,” which was written and performed by Tom Austin, Bill Crandell, Bill Dalton, Russ Viers, and Bob Gaudio, members of The Royal Teens. “Short Shorts” reached #2 on the U.S. R&B chart and #3 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958.
Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOfFB5QF4iQ
JERSEY BOYS runs through the 24th of March. Get your tickets ASAP – https://tmp.org/index.php/2023-2024-tmp-mainstage-single-tickets/
This was a wonderful show! We so enjoyed it. The singing the dancing. Just a fun time and great story!