Frankie Valli’s voice was as flexible as a gymnast and as an untrained singer it was what came naturally to him. In this production Michael Pickering is outstanding. The programme notes tell of one singer whose voice could not cope with the demands in an early workshop version of the show. Singing in powerful falsetto and with a vocal range almost off the scale is no mean feat.
With a voice as distinct as Frankie Valli’s it is no understatement that the success of any production of Jersey Boys rests on its lead. Under his guidance, as the band’s success hits the heights so does his personal mounting debt and the band’s tax bill! The creatives interviewed each of the foursome about their memories of how the band formed and the early days, resulting in a documentary-style telling of the band’s somewhat complicated arrangement where manager Tony doesn’t quite cook the books rather sets fire to them. Director Des McAnuff keeps the show on an electric pace with a swiftness that blends one scene into the next with incredible alacrity.
#DALTON LITTLE THEATRE FULL#
Writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elise cram as much as they can into the show, whizzing through years of touring in order to free space for a full rendition of a hit. After the recruitment of songwriter Bob Gaudio (Blair Gibson) and with a smash hit Sherry under their belt, stardom finally beckons.Īs jukebox musicals go, this incarnation tries to tell the story of the rise, fall and height of the band using their original music. Persuaded to change his name to a more dynamic Frankie Valli, he falls in with a group who have more names and reincarnations than Trigger’s brush! Led by the shady Tommy DeVito (Dalton Wood), the chameleon-like quartet (mainly known as the Four Lovers) are embroiled in the underworld of New Jersey and fall in and out of crime whilst trying to be the next big thing. The young Francesco Castelluccio (Michael Pickering) has quite the voice but none of the nous. Jersey Boys tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – a quartet born in downtown New Jersey in 1960 that went on to have many number one hits and whose lead singer, at the age of 88, still tours today. It stops at the Grand Theatre in Leeds playing to a capacity audience. Resident in London’s West End, this accompanying touring version is on the road until way into next year. Taking the musical theatre world by storm since 2004, Jersey Boys has been a firm favourite as a good night out.
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