For those who long to learn more about the lives of their favorite popular music icons, two South Florida theaters offer what audiences calls “jukebox musicals” this month with “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” running at The Wick Theater in Boca Raton through February 16 and “Jersey Boys”” running at Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables through February 23.
Jukebox musicals are commercially appealing because the artists (Carole King and Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys”) and their hit songs are so well-known that by the time their biographies were written for the stage (and endorsed by King and Valli), audiences longed to come to these musicals just to hear the famed songs.
Both David Arisco and Marilyn Wick, Artistic Directors of Actors Playhouse and Wick Theater respectively, had to add multiple shows to their normal three to four week run to accommodate larger audiences, which is a testimony to the appeal of both jukebox musicals to audiences.
In Arisco’s case, he has been waiting for 20 years to obtain the rights to stage the two act “Jersey Boys” in regional theater although Wick did not have to wait as long to secure the rights for “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”
To read more on “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” please go to Dale King and Mindy Leaf’s reviews on this website at southfloridatheater.com
“Jersey Boys” is a truthful exploration from the viewpoints of “The Four Seasons” star Frankie Valli and his three musical mates on how “The Four Seasons” musical group came to be, flourish as a group and emerge many bumps on the way to fame.
The Four Seasons were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990- a fitting end to the “Jersey Boys” story. Fortunately, Frankie Valli and his band mates, as well as “Jersey Boys” book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice ditched a rags to riches road to success plot in favor of the real story behind the origin of the Four Seasons as seen by all the members.
From left to right: Actors Domenic Servidio (Nick Massi), Elaine Cotter (Mary Delgado), Joshua Charles Skurnik (Frankie Valli), Lauren Horgan (Francine Valli), Nathan Cockcroft (Tommy Devito), Carolina Ordonez (Lorriaine) are the seven member cast in “Jersey Boys”, running now through February 23 at Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables.
The success of the storyline and the music featuring 32 songs from Frankie Valli as both a solo singer and the lead vocal with The Four Season garnished “Jersey Boys” the 2006 Tony Award for its initial Broadway run that led to extended runs on Broadway through 2017, multiple national tours and a 2014 film directed by Clint Eastwood.
From the first song of the musical “Oh What A Night” the audience is guided by each of the Four Seasons on their version of the origin, growth, expansion and setbacks of the musical group.. What comes across is not the bitterness of the shortcoming of the group members, but rather how each member valued each other as a family, albeit even if some of the family members (especially Nick Massi) are more like black sheep to be avoided.
The story starts off with a very young Frankie (with his long original Italian surname with many consonants and syllables) looking up to Nick Massi as a mentor as Nick picks Frankie with his high-pitched falsetto voice as the lead singer for his four member band.
What follows is a series of misadventures in which Massi emerges as a “bad boy” involving gambling, escapades with police and women which contrasts with Frankie Valli being innocent. Valli desired to be another Frank Sinatra especially given that Sinatra and Valli are both from New Jersey.
Actor Joshua Charles Skurnik, immerses himself into both the life of Frankie Valli and his famed falsetto voice, leading the struggling Four Lovers group that emerged as The Four Seasons by crooning the group’s debut hit songs “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry”.
Along the way, the audience sees young Frankie mature and gain more control as the lead singing voice of The Four Seasons. By act two, Skurnik quits singing falsetto and emerges with a more natural voice in the song “Walk Like A Man” and meets his first girlfriend and wife Mary in the song “My Eyes Adore You.” The audience is also treated to a backstage view of The Four Seasons in front of a camera singing their first hit songs while debuting on the then popular Ed Sullivan variety television show in the early 1960s.
By act two, singer/songwriter Bob Gaudio becomes the primary composer of The Four Seasons hit songs with the success of his self-written songs such as “My Eyes Adore You” and develops tension with Massi in determining the future of the group.
Gaudio (as portrayed by Quinn Corcoran) becomes more crucial to Valli as The Four Season hit songs roll on and Nick Massi becomes less vital to the success of The Four Seasons. Valli becomes more dominant as a singer and forms both a personal and financial partnership with Gaudio, much to the chagrin of Massi.
Act two has a stronger focus on the development of the storyline, the rivalry between Massi and the new partnership of Gaudio and Valli. Tragedy develops for both Massi and Valli, especially concerning Valli’s private life and the end of his marriage with Mary.
However, the biggest crowd pleasing song of the musical emerges in act two with Gaudio writing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You” as Valli is finally in the spotlight performing the song solo, accompanied by trumpets that had the winning formula to produce a hit song for both Gaudio and Valli.
The true and intriguing storyline of Massi in heavy gambling debts and the resolution of Valli to help solve the problems of his one time idol by touring more comes at an unexpected heavy cost to Valli’s personal life.
Overall, although Skurnik and Corcoran are the main characters of stage, actor Domenic Servidio gives a fine performance as the on edge Massi who seems to be picking fights with most of The Four Seasons members throughout the musical. Nathan Cockroft as the easy going Tommy Devito gives balance to the high tension between Massi and other Four Seasons members.
Giving resonance to the story of Frankie Valli’s personal life were actresses Elaine Cotter (as first wife May) and Lauren Horgan as Francine Valli, the daughter of Frankie.
A live nine member band, director David Arisco, set designer Brandon M. Newton’s two platform set, which connected with the separation of Valli’s scenes with his family from the musical performances on the main platform, all together made the musical both charming, tragic and memorable for the hit songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Actor Joshua Charles Skurnik (Frankie Valli) stars in “Jersey Boys”, now running though February 23 at Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables.
Both the music by The Four Seasons and a tragic storyline with the stunning performances by the actors makes one wish for a sequel to “Jersey Boys”.
Given that Valli had a hit song later in his career with “Grease” (not performed in “Jersey Boys”) and in his private life was married four times and issued a restraining order against one of his sons, who had a history of violence and drug addiction, leads to another compelling story and song list.
“Jersey Boys”, a two act musical, is running now through February 23 at Actors Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. Tickets range from $50-85. For tickets, go to actors playhouse,org or call 305-444-9293.
