Arousing, roof-raising return for musical theatre
Jersey Boys (The Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons)
The Court Theatre, Christchurch, November 21 – January 23 Director: Stephen Robertson Review by Grant Shimmin
Bravo ... and phew!
As much as the extended house-wide standing ovation at the end of Saturday night’s premiere was thoroughly deserved, for a performance full of energy, passion and talent, there will also have been a thread of relief running through it. Relief for the audience, the exceptional cast, and all associated with getting the Court Theatre’s summer musical to the stage, that it had been possible to do so on schedule andwithout audience restrictions.
A rousing show like Jersey Boys deserves to play to full houses, as it’s already scheduled to do for the next few weeks, and there will be huge appreciation that this is possible here in late 2020. Hopefully contingency plans for a possible Covid-19 Alert Level 2 situation remain just that until January 23.
The sadly devastating impact of the virus on the performing arts sector globally has an upside for Canterbury audiences in the presence of National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (Nasda) graduate Kristian Lavercombe as Four Seasons frontman Frankie Valli. After more than a decade of performing internationally, Lavercombe is playing his first Court
Theatre role in 14 years, and his ability to emulate Valli’s distinctive vocals is remarkable.
The tension between him and Fergus Inder, superb as band founder Tommy de Vito, is one of many high points in a superbly cast show. Another pair of Nasda graduates, Isaac Pawson and Cameron Douglas, excel as Bob Gaudio and Nick Massi respectively, the other two members of the original Four Seasons.
At its heart, of course, Jersey Boys is about the group’s huge catalogue of catchy hits, delivered with style and aplomb. From Oh, What aNight! to Can’t TakeMy Eyes Off You, the show is a thrillingmusical journey.
There are praiseworthy performances throughout the rest of the cast, so much so that it seems unfair to single anyone out.
The remaining cast members switch personas regularly, and they and the ‘boys’ cycle through a staggering number of rapid costume changes, so no surprise to see the odd wide collar sticking out of a jacket, or tie askew. The cast never broke stride, a testament to their sheer professionalism.
It was remarkable to watch Pawson seamlessly narrating while simultaneously donning a whole new outfit at the front of the stage.
The clever use of moveable ceiling-tofloor video screens, and slick set changes in full view of the audience, both added to the sense that an astounding amount of creative thinking had gone into this production. It would be no surprise to see it quickly sell out its nine-week run. Capiche?