I wasn’t able to see the new venue, the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center, until the opening of Jersey Boys from Stages St. Louis. The theater is an absolute winner. Sight lines are good, acoustics are good, and to my immense delight, there’s room for live musicians. It’s quite a lovely building, with parking in several places, including the two lots at Greentree Church. (For any newcomers, St. Louisans, city dwellers and suburbanites, are always concerned about parking.)
Jersey Boys is, to me, the best of the jukebox musicals. There’s an actual story line in there and while it’s not completely accurate in an historic sense - “It’s a play, not a documentary,” snapped someone years ago – it’s close enough to make dramatic sense. And the score is great fun, even if these guys weren’t your absolute favorites at the time the songs were popular. It’s the background music of a lot of those who come to see the show around the world.
I suspect in another couple of decades these shows won’t be done except occasionally as Broadway revivals because the target audiences won’t be around. Gloomy? Realistic? Either way, it’s a secondary kick in the pants for people to go see Stages’ version. Secondary? Yes, because this one is strong enough to stand on its own merits, despite a few quibbles here and there.
The first reason to go is the music, especially the harmony of the group in various iterations. It sounds right, just like it should. The visuals are fun, from the versatile set from James Wolk, which manages to go from jail to a concert stage without breaking a sweat, to the costumes, the awfulness of shiny suits, bouffant petticoats and more courtesy of Brad Musgrove. (How is it that the narrow-as-an-arrow ties still manage to look great, though?)
And then there are the players, all well matched. The Four Seasons themselves, Frankie Valli (Christopher Kale Jones), Nick Massi (Jason Michael Evans), Tommy DeVito (Brent Michael DiRoma) and Bob Gaudio (Ryan Jesse) have different personalities and there’s no question about which is which. DeVoto’s ego, Massi’s pondering whether to start his own group, Gaudio’s composing talent and Valli’s drive delineate them from start to finish. Jones, who at times looks a little like Bobby Darin, to evoke another pop star from the mid-20th Century, is a charmer. At times, his solo work moves from sounding very much like Valli to something close to a country music style, which I assume is a choice of director Michael Hamilton. It’s solely the call of the listening ear as to how this comes across, of course.
Fun from the supporting cast, too, such as Jenna Coker Jones, who plays Frankie’s girlfriend and then wife as well as his mother. She is, in fact, married to Christopher Kale Jones, and they met at Stages. Two local actors fill a long list of roles, and it’s great fun watching John Flack and Steve Isom pop up many times in deep disguise. Isom’s transformation as Gyp DeCarlo, the local leader of the mob, is particularly remarkable. It took a little while to identify him. Maybe the Critics Circle needs to consider a category of Quick Change Artist.
A final tip of the hat to the band, who occupies the top third or so of the stage. Under the direction of Jeremy Jacobs, they’re a most welcome addition to the Stages experience.
Seriously good fun.
Jersey Boys
through October 24
Stages St. Louis
210 E. Monroe, Kirkwood
314-821-2407
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