by Jody Tuso-Key

Ok folks, so this review is going to be a little different. I’m going to start where I usually end and tell you this show is a Speakeysie HOT TICKET and you need to get yours ASAP! It only plays until August 11th and I promise you don’t want to miss this show!! The most exciting thing about this show is it’s the first regional premiere of JERSEY BOYS in the Southeastern United States! That’s a big deal ya’ll, and another excellent reason to see this show.

Tony Award-winning Jersey Boys is a musical with music by Bob Guadio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. This jukebox musical chronicles the lives of the four members of the band The Four Seasons consisting of Franie Valli, Tommy DiVito, Bob Guadio, and Nick Massi. The story begins with narration by Tommy Divito, who informs the audience that when you have four people in a group, you’ll get four different versions of the same story. The show goes on to allow all four characters to take turns and tell their point of view.

The first time I saw JERSEY BOYS was at the Fox Theater, Atlanta in 2019 with my friend Jonatha Marciniak, who also happened to be a voice student of Haden Rider’s (small world, right?). Johnny Wexler played Frankie Valli, and I was blown away at how much time his character spends on stage dancing and singing. This is a super demanding show for all the actors on the stage, and this cast and crew gave an excellent and energetic performance.

Director Shane DeLancey has done a brilliant job assembling this show. One of the most impressive things about this particular show is that rehearsals only ran for 3 weeks. The actors were expected to arrive off book (lines and songs memorized) and be ready to go, which meant advance individual preparation on the part of all the performers. This is a testament to the consummate professionalism of this cast and crew. Even though that seems like a short time, preparations for this show have been months in the making, and this is evident in every detail of the show. While the set may appear to be simple, this is a very technically demanding show. Scenic designer Mike Wood and Justin Gamerl recreated the iconic JERSEY BOYS set I remember from the National Tour: scaffolding with stairs, an LED backdrop that opens up at the bottom to slide set elements in and out throughout the show including the orchestra at curtain call. This type of set allows for quick scene transitions and paints a complete portrait of each setting. Mike Wood’s lighting design complements the set and highlights the performers seamlessly. Anthony Narciso’s sound design is well balanced and lives up to City Springs’ high standards. Amanda Edgerton West’s costume design along with Alycia Berry’s wig design depict the era starting in the early 1950s and going all the way to the year 2000.

So let’s talk about the performers. If you know me at all you know how proud I am of Gainesville Theatre Alliance graduates. Having been a member of the GTA Theater Wings since 2017, I know and love these human beings and it’s always awesome to see them on stage. This show boasts 3 of my favorite GTA Grads in leading roles– Haden Rider as Frankie Valli, Alec Beard as Tommy DiVito, and Chloe Cordele as Mary Delgado and others.

I’ve had a close personal relationship with Haden Rider (Frankie Valli) for over a decade since he was director of Play on Players children’s theater. I first saw him as Link Larkin in HARISPRAY in 2011, then officially met him when he played the part of the maître d’ in CRAZY FOR YOU at GTA. I knew then that this amazing talent would be going places. I’ve since been blessed to see him in almost every production he’s performed. I think the only one I missed was his Jack in INTO THE WOODS at City Springs. Not only is he an amazing performer, he is also a teaching artist, and has mentored hundereds of aspiring artists in North Georgia, myself included. Haden has always absolutely loved JERSEY BOYS, and playing Frankie Valli was a bucket list role for him. From the time he came onto the stage, I had head-to-toe goosebumps. He is a true rare triple threat. His abilty to play a convincing 16 year-old and then morph into a middle-aged man by the end of the show showcases his acting range; His flawless voice with its incredible range is a gift from God; and he’s a proficient dancer. He’s always amazing on stage, and, in this humble reporter’s opinion, this performance rivals his Quasi Modo in HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at Aurora Theatre, for which he won a Suzi Bass award.

Alec Beard (Tommy DeVito) played Skye Masterson in GUYS AND DOLLS with Play on Players in 2016. I worked as POP’s stage manager back in those days, and Alec had a stage presence for a senior in high school that was well beyond his age. The fact that he’s making his Atlanta debut in such a huge and iconic role speaks volumes about his talent. Haden was a mentor to Alec, and they were roommates when Alec was a student at GTA, so the chemistry between their two characters is genuine; however the roles are reversed. Alec’s character Tommy DeVito was the mentor of Haden’s Frankie Valli. I’m so impressed with Alec’s growth as an actor since high school. He was already amazing in 2016, but he’s catapulted into an oustanding perfromer in the past 8 years.

I’ve known Chloe Cordele since she played Mrs. Banks in MARY POPPINS at GTA in 2017. I last saw her in BEAUTIFUL at Aurora, where she delivered a stellar performacne. If you’ve been a regular reader of Speakeysie, you’ve most likely seen many reviews that include Chloe. She’s a workhorse, an incredible talent, and outstanding in every role she plays. Her portrayal of Mary Delgado was another stellar performance along with the other 4 parts she plays (an angel, short shorts, publisher, and American Bandstand dancer. Not only does she have a beautiful voice and is an amazing dancer, she is a master at character roles and has impeccable comedic timing.

While I don’t know Nick Walker Jones (Bob Gaudio) and JD Meyers (Nick Massi) personally, I’ve seen them in other shows in Atlanta and they both carry impressive resumes. Bob Guadio is one of my personal favorite characters in this show, and Nick Walker Jones’s portrayal was genuine and convincing. If he looks familiar to City Springs audiences, he most recently played Warner in Legally Blonde and Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. JD Meyers performance as the easily annoyed Nick Massi showcases his nice bass undertones. I remember him from Jekyll and Hyde at Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and it’s good to see him on stage once again.

The rest of the ensemble play multiple characters adding ambience to each scene. Meg Gillentine’s choreography is fun to watch and accents the scenes nicely. The orchestra under the direction of Miles Plant added to the energy and didn’t hit a wrong note as far as I could hear.

So if you love the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, you’ll adore this show and it’s look into the lives of these musicians whose music has spanned decades and is still well known and covered by other musicians today. Get your tickets at www.cityspringstheatre.com and end your summer on a high note!!