There is a moment in Jersey Boys when the lights, the music and the unmistakable sound of Frankie Valli’s voice come together, and suddenly the stage at His Majesty’s Theatre feels less like Aberdeen and more like a recording studio from another era.
And that is what Jersey Boys does particularly well. It doesn’t just put the band’s greatest hits on a stage; it takes us behind them.
The musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, following four young men from New Jersey as they go from trying to make a name for themselves to becoming one of the biggest musical groups of their generation. But this isn’t simply a greatest-hits concert. Along the way, we see the friendships, disagreements, money problems and personal pressures that sit behind the success.
And with songs such as Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, Beggin’, Oh, What a Night and Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, there is certainly no shortage of familiar material.
For me, Ellis Kirk as Frankie Valli was the standout performer of the evening. His vocal range was superb, particularly when reaching those demanding high notes that are so closely associated with Valli. There was a real confidence to his singing, and he did justice to some very challenging material. The iconic hit Sherry was one of my personal highlights of the night.
Carlo Boumouglbay as Tommy DeVito was another favourite. His comedy timing was excellent, and he brought a real sense of personality to the character. His ability to land the smaller comic moments added plenty of humour without taking away from the more serious side of Tommy’s story.
Lewis Kennedy as Nick Massi and Toby Miles as Bob Gaudio completed a strong central quartet, each bringing their own personality and vocal style to the group.
The wider cast – Aiden Carson, Artemis Chrisoulakis, Sydnie Hocknell, Michael Levi, Olivia Mitchell, Jarryd Nurden, Oliver Tester, Damien Winchester and Fed Zanni, alongside the ensemble, all helped create the constantly changing world around The Four Seasons.
Most importantly, the cast did the music justice. These are songs that people know extremely well, so there is always a risk that a production could feel like an imitation of the originals. That wasn’t the case here. The performers put their own energy into the material while still respecting what makes the songs so memorable.
One of the creative visual choices I particularly enjoyed was the use of old-fashioned television cameras and black-and-white television imagery on the screens.
It was a really clever and nostalgic choice. Rather than simply being a decorative nod to the period, the cameras and monochrome images helped make the audience feel as though we were watching The Four Seasons during that era. At times it felt like we had been transported into an old television studio, which added another layer to the production.
For me, this was one of the visual highlights of the evening and one of the elements that made the production feel particularly immersive.
The set design works well around this, providing a flexible backdrop as the story moves between different locations, while Howell Binkley’s lighting helps separate the quieter scenes from the larger performance moments.
The period costumes by Jess Goldstein also add to the overall look, charting the group’s changing fortunes and helping establish the different periods of the story.
Des McAnuff’s direction keeps the story moving and gives each of the four members their own perspective. There are some really effective choices throughout, although I did feel that some of the directorial choices became slightly gimmicky at times. They don’t ruin the production, but occasionally the staging felt as though it was drawing attention to itself when the performances and music were already strong enough to carry the moment.
The music itself is where the production really shines. The live arrangements capture the spirit of The Four Seasons while giving the cast room to make the songs their own. One thing that did affect the overall impact for me was the sound balance. There were moments when the microphones didn’t seem quite loud enough, particularly when compared with the bigger musical numbers. This meant that the energy occasionally dipped – not because of the actors or their performances, but because the vocals didn’t always come through with the full impact they deserved.
When the sound was right, however, the difference was noticeable. The bigger numbers had exactly the punch you want from Jersey Boys, and the cast showed that they had the voices and energy to deliver them. Overall, I came away thoroughly entertained.
Undoubtedly it was big shoes to fill but the cast managed to do justice to the music and songs of The Four Seasons which the audience was completely swept up in.
Jersey Boys is running at His Majesty’s Theatre from the 7-10th October. Get your tickets here: https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/jersey-boys-2/
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