Critics say 'Jersey' is a joy

The “Jersey Boys” tour launched two weeks ago in Omaha, Neb., and the critics are already singing its praises.

Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star critic JeffKorbelik noted the show “is a true story with a soundtrack ofrecognizable, singalong music. And it’s a must-see.

“This isn’t ‘Mamma Mia’ with ABBA’s hitmusic infused into a piece of fiction. With a book by Marshall Brickmanand Rick Elice, ‘Jersey Boys’ is a real story about real people,chronicling the rise of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, includingthe road bumps along the way, such as the death of Valli’s daughter andmember Tommy DeVito’s gambling addiction. …

“The touring cast is exceptional,sounding just like the Four Seasons. Joseph Leo Bwarie leads the waywith a dead-on falsetto of Valli. Matt Bailey (as Devito), QuinVanAntwerp (as Bob Gaudio) and understudy Adam Zelesko (as bassist NickMassi) also were impressive. The script allows for each band member toshine, letting them to tell the Four Seasons story as they remember it.”

Bob Fischbach, reviewer for the Omaha World-Herald, was equally effusive.

“So here’s the thing about ‘Jersey Boys,’" he wrote. “If the music doesn’t get you, the story will.

“And the truth is, whether you’re oldenough to remember the hit tunes when they hit or not, the music isgonna get you. Forty-five minutes into the show, a quartet of vocalwonders rips into ‘Sherry,’ ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’ and ‘Walk Like aMan,’ and the roof comes off the place.

“And, thanks to one of the best booksfor a musical out there, by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the truestory of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is gonna get you too. Jailtime, mobsters, women, loan sharks, a genuine fondness for the f-bomb.They weren’t the four angels.

“Brickman and Elice condensed 40 yearsof the group’s history brilliantly, from singing under a street lamp tothe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame — and packed it with profane humor, agritty peek behind the curtain of show biz and the high personal dramathat goes with selling a hundred million records.

“Add the brilliance of director DesMcAnuff’s structure and staging, and oh, what a night. A crowd of 2,385Friday night at the Orpheum leaped to its feet before the first castmember trotted front and center for a bow.

“When you have a story this strong andthat powerhouse score of hits, it’s all you need. And a big chunk ofthe fun is feeling the crowd around you rolling around in memories,mouthing the lyrics, pulling for these street kids to keep it together.

“No worries. This ‘Jersey Boys’ pretty much has it all together.”