JERSEY BOYS REVIEW: Ross Chisari shines as Frankie Valli in The Very Popular Theatre Company production

8 October 2022

When Daniel Stoddart and Dan Wilson combine forces for a musical, you know you’re in for a good time. So expectations were pretty high as we took out seats at the Civic Theatre for the opening night of The Very Popular Theatre Company’s production of Jersey Boys.

The jukebox musical tells the story of the ’60s group The Four Seasons in an almost documentary style.

From the group’s formation in New Jersey through to their success and eventual breakup – no stone is left unturned.

Bob Gaudio‘s songs, the same ones that turned Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons into household names, serve as big production numbers and intimate moments that literally take you behind the scenes of some of the group’s biggest milestones.

And while it’s the music that everyone comes for, it’s the depiction of interpersonal relationships, especially between Frankie Valli (played by Ross Chisari) and his first wife Mary Delgado (played by Katie Blaxland), that really lift the production to another level.

Ross Chisari’s Frankie is almost flawless

PHOTO: Peter Stoop

Even if you purchased a ticket just to listen to Ross sing, it would be money well spent.

All the right notes are hit and the falsetto is on point. To put it simply, Ross sounds just like Frankie Valli and it’s impressive.

Jarrod Sansom as the earnest Nick Massi is also a highlight.

If his effortless performance of dialogue and pin-point harmonies don’t land him a City of Newcastle Drama Award nomination, something is wrong.

The show packs a lot of content into its four acts and at times it can feel like it’s lagging a little but the narration, delivered by band leader Tommy Devito (played by Luke Power), quickly gets everything back on the rollercoaster.

Luke is the perfect choice to play Tommy. The pace of the show often rests on his skill and, with years of theatre experience, he handles it with ease. His New Jersey accent is best on stage and while his dancing is often a little wooden, his vocal performance and comic timing shine.

Hunter School of Performing Arts graduate Thomas James, on the other hand, looks right at home with the dance moves. He is fluid and confident in his embodiment of Bob Gaudio and plays the perfect yin to Ross’ yang.

A world-class production brought to life for local audiences

PHOTO: Peter Stoop

Production-wise, Jersey Boys is another example of Director Daniel Stoddart’s peerless presence in the local theatre scene.

While the spiral staircase seems like a mistake and some of the comic book backgrounds are quite jarring and out of place, there really is no one in the local scene that does theatre production quite like Daniel does it.

The whole show is another triumph, another visual feast, another example of local theatre excellence and another world-class production brought to life for local audiences.

The band, led by Musical Director Dan Wilson, also sound amazing – Although could someone please turn the whole thing up a little?

It’s also great to see some people actually playing instruments on stage during a musical production – a special shoutout to the horn section.

For fans of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, the show is a must-see. And for everyone else, it’s one hell of a night at the theatre.

Jersey Boys plays at the Civic Theatre until Saturday 22 October 2022. Visit civictheatrenewcastle.com.au for show dates and tickets.