www.bushnell.org
through March 26, 2017
by R.E. Smith
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Photo by Jeremy Daniel |
To everything there is a season, and, so too, it goes in the
story of the boys from New Jersey who would become the most popular rock &
roll act prior to the advent of "The Beatles": “The Four Seasons.” As
the show’s name implies, their story is as rooted in the rough and tumble
culture of the Garden State as it is in their unmistakable musical talent. In
fact, there is a warning at the door that the special effects include
“authentic” NJ language!
The four leads each take a turn recounting the stages of the
group’s history. Tommy DeVito, played with volatile humor and swagger by
Matthew Dailey starts things in motion more by trying to make an easy buck than
an artistic statement. Dailey lets the audience know that under the machismo is
a clearly a guy who is often over his head. DeVito’s polar-opposite,
partner-in-crime is Keith Hines’ Nick Massi, with his stoic demeanor and
deadpan, audience-tickling delivery. Cory Jeacoma’s earnest and levelheaded
composer Bob Gaudio provides a lightness needed to offset some of the darker
elements of their journey from rags to riches.
Despite equal emphasis on each member’s contributions to the
group, the success of the quartet is only going to be as strong as the voice of
the show’s Frankie Vallie. Aaron DeJesus literally hits all the right notes as
the singer who would make The Four Seasons stand out from the crowd, and
eventually eclipse the group itself. It is rare that a mid-show solo elicits a
standing ovation. But make no mistake; each is a talented actor, singer,
dancer, and musician, making the non-stop pace and momentum of the show seem
effortless.
If the against all odds story, rock and roll setting and
snappy choreography weren’t enough, there is of course the eminently tuneful
music. Even those under the age of 50 will recognize the songs from movies, TV
shows, and commercials. Classics like “Walk Like A Man,” “December, 1963,” “My
Eyes Adored You,” and “Who Loves You”, just to name a few.
If there is any question from regular theatre-goers as to
whether this group really warrants musical-theatre treatment, one only has to
look around at the audience, evidently made up of a good number of patrons more
accustomed to concert venues than proscenium shows and visibly fighting the
urge to dance in the aisles.