reviews

“OH WHAT A NIGHT” AT PTC’S ‘JERSEY BOYS’…(RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 52)

| Rachel's Reviews

Way back in 2005 a little jukebox musical first premiered on Broadway telling the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons called Jersey Boys. This musical became a huge critical and financial success going on to win 4 Tony Awards and have over 4000 performances. Despite becoming a phenomenon it somehow eluded me and I had never seen it until this Friday with Pioneer Theatre Company’s new production. While I don’t have anything to compare the it to I left feeling energized and entertained, and I can see why it sets the standard for biographical jukebox musicals.

Jersey Boys has music by Bob Gaudio (the Bob from the band) and Lyrics by Bob Crewe. Of course it features the many hits from the The Four Seasons like “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Sherry,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” which are all a lot of fun to hear performed on stage; however, the real standout of the show is the book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The problem a lot of biographic jukebox musicals have is they are so predictable in their rags-to-riches formula and then take themselves far too seriously. Jersey Boys sets itself apart from these copycats by being consistently funny and endearing throughout.

At PTC our 4 leads seem to understand this strength of the show and lean into the humor creating a believable chemistry as a group that makes us invested in what is happening to them. While they are all more convincing as older versions of the characters in act 2 they delivered the dialogue with terrific comic timing and the charm someone like a rockstar should have. Trevor James pulls off the falsetto needed for Frankie Valli but my favorite is Brent Thiessen as Nick.

I think Nick works the best because his section of the story is the most clearly defined. That’s one thing director Karen Azenberg could have emphasized more is making more obvious who is narrating each of the 4 acts. Nevertheless, they are all great in their roles, and like I said, the comedic elements kept it from feeling tired and cliched.

The technical elements of Jersey Boys at PTC is kept streamlined and simple with most of the backgrounds being stages, brick walls or a warehouse. The costumes are mostly various suits that are swapped in and out of quickly, but I wouldn’t have wanted anything more because the simplicity kept me focused on the actors on stage. The ensemble is also small but capable as they swap in and out of various roles. I particularly liked Timothy Aaron Cooper as ‘Joe Pesci and others’ who skillfully brings out the humor to any scene he is in.

The orchestra conducted by Phil Reno is always a standout at PTC, and they do an excellent job with these classic songs. There are times when the actors on stage are more convincing in “playing” the instruments than others but the actual orchestra is fantastic.

Adam Enrique Hollick and Daxton Bloomquist are also very strong as Tommy and Bob respectively although it feels like Tommy should have been far more grateful for Frankie literally saving him from prison than he was. Bloomquist did a good job capturing Bob’s subtle awkwardness so when he says he wants to stop performing in the band and just produce and write it isn’t a huge surprise.

Evidently down at Tuacahn they did a version of Jersey Boys with cleaned up language. While I have only seen this I prefer the more mature version as it feels authentic to the characters.

In the end, I’m grateful to Pioneer Theatre Company for giving me a terrific first time experience with Jersey Boys. The talented cast brought Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to life with humor, humanity and terrific singing. You won’t want to take your eyes off of the stage! Jersey Boys is playing through Sept 28th and tickets can be purchased here.

Also the humor in this show makes it abundantly clear why the Clint Eastwood directed film adaptation failed so badly…

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UTAH THEATRE LOG 7/24-8/1 (WAIT UNTIL DARK, MATILDA, FRINGE, AIDA, THE LITTLE MERMAID) (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 43)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi theatre friends! I’ve got another quick update for you. I’ve had such a busy July it has all flown by and I certainly packed it in in this last week. Phew!

Make sure you check out my latest episode of OnStage Blog Theatre Podcast. We had director Toni Butler on and asked the tough question- is Into the Woods overrated?

Most of the other shows I saw I reviewed for UTBA but there are a few others so here is the update.

WAIT UNTIL DARK- COVEY CENTER FOR THE ARTS, PROVO

First up is Wait Until Dark at Covey Center for the Arts in Provo. As soon as I heard they were putting this on in their black box I knew it was a brilliant choice and it was. I can’t think of a show more perfect for a black box than Wait Until Dark. The only challenge is the space is small with exits oddly situated so it made the big surprise ending a little challenging but it was still a ton of fun with great performances. I haven’t seen that many thrillers on stage but I feel confident in saying Wait Until Dark is the best one ever. It builds tension so well and it’s so easy to get invested in Susan and her story. So good. You can read my full review for utba here. Wait Until Dark plays until August 17th and you can purchase tickets here.

MATILDA- DRAPER HISTORIC THEATER, DRAPER

I technically have already given my quick thoughts on this production of Matilda but it was the other cast called the Revolting Cast. With the invitation of the lead Rosie Darling I came to see the other Miracle Cast and it was super cute. It basically gives you everything you want from Matilda. Rosie is adorable in the role and I’m amazed that both of them can learn all these lines and not miss a beat. I also thought both Trunchbull’s were excellent with Boston Anglesey playing that role in this cast. I’ve realized after seeing this show so much recently my favorite number is “The Smell of Rebellion.” We don’t get many dishy villain songs any more on Broadway or in the movies and I think that’s why I really enjoy that one. I also thought it was staged very well here and they use the small stage to its full effect getting the choreography to be effective despite limited space. The adults in the other cast were probably stronger on the whole but it was still a fun time if you like Matilda (which everyone knows I have my issues with but it’s fun enough). Draper Historic is quickly becoming one of my favorite local theaters and you will definitely want to get season tickets here.

GREAT SALT LAKE FRINGE FESTIVAL- 2 SHOWS

Previous to this year I had only seen 1 play at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. This year I had the opportunity to see 2 and they both proved to be a lot of fun. If you didn’t know Fringe is a workshopping festival and a chance to see new plays and theatrical experiences as they get developed by local playwrights and companies. The 2 I reviewed for UTBA are Wonderland Awaits and Hark! and the thing that makes me the most excited about these productions is I learned about 2 companies I was previously unfamiliar with- Salt Lake Children’s Theatre and the Salt Monster Theatre Company. You can read my reviews for both here and here. Fringe ends Aug 4th and you can find more information here.

AIDA- OGDEN MUSICAL THEATRE, OGDEN

I am sure there must be some explanation for why Aida is rarely done. Until they put it on at Ogden Musical Theatre (a new company to me!) I hadn’t seen it since the new Hale Center Theatre put it on in 2017 in Sandy. That’s crazy when I think of shows with similar casting requirements like Sister Act or Hairspray that are done so much. Let’s not wait 7 years to see this again!

It’s a shame because I really do love this musical. It’s such a beautiful love story between Aida and Radames- doomed love story- but honest and authentic with gorgeous songs like “Elaborate Lives” and “Written in the Stars.” I also think it balances the melodrama out well with some humor especially from Amneris and “My Strongest Suit.” If there is a weakness to the show it is in the villain and his songs like “Another Pyramid” and “Like Father, Like Son.”

At OMT they have 2 terrific leads with Alexsys Campbell and Jordan Strong as Aida and Radames. I also loved Allie White as Amneris. Some of the other casting was more mixed in both singing and acting but if the 3 leads are good that goes a long way in this musical. The sets (Marilyn Montgomery) and costumes (Stephanie Petersen) (and headpieces!) were also very impressive. The whole thing is directed by Mark Daniels and it deserves a more full house. I was so bummed to see so many empty seats. It is worth the drive to Ogden to be reminded the power of true love. Aida is playing through Aug 10th and you can purchase tickets here.

THE LITTLE MERMAID- EMPRESS THEATRE, MAGNA

If you follow my social media you know my reaction to this production of The Little Mermaid at The Empress blew up a bit. It wasn’t my favorite and even though I didn’ tag anyone involved it got seen by a lot of people. I never mean to be discouraging but I do have to be honest in my opinions- and it is just that my opinions.

The good aspects of this production is I think the Sebastian was very strong. Setu Lealaogta doesn’t try and imitate the Sebastian from the movie but gives the character their own flair and personality and I appreciate the costumes, particularly his were more of an homage to the film rather than a direct copy. It was kind of like The Little Mermaid meets Vegas which is fun. They even had aerolists performers which is ambitious for a small theater like this.

The problems came in the direction of Ariel and Eric. The program said this was Marcus Michalek’s first time acting and he is more of a dancer so I will try and give him some grace (this is why programs are very helpful!) but it was not the strongest performance. And Hannah Burke as Ariel has a decent voice but it was so rarely allowed to come forward. I was truly baffled by the decision to have her portray Ariel as a meek and softspoken rebellious daughter of Triton. I was in the first row and there were times I could barely hear her and it wasn’t just microphone problems. It was an acting choice even for her dramatic moments like “Part of Your World.” It was really strange and did not work for me and if Ariel doesn’t work it’s hard to salvage the production. I don’t even blame Burke because when she was allowed to actually sing I could hear some talent there. I guess give them credit for trying something different but it needs to be executed better than this was. But again, it’s just my opinion and every company has their misses. I look forward to The Empress’ next production of Fiddler on the Roof. The Little Mermaid plays until August 10th and you can find out more about the entire company here.

What have you been seeing? I would love to know! Aside from the shows I reviewed for UTBA I paid for all of these logged shows out of pocket. I’d love to cover as many local shows as possible but I need your help to do so. If you’d like me to review more theatre and appreciate what I do please check out the patreon here

THOUGHTS ON JUKEBOX MUSICALS- DO THEY SUCK OR ARE THEY FUN? (RACHEL’S THEATRE LOG 36)

| Rachel's Reviews

These days if a musical is not based on a movie more likely than not it is of the jukebox variety and this can be a bit of a mixed blessing. This was always the case with shows like Aint Misbehavin’ being critical and commercial big hits back in the 70s. However, the genre got a big bolt of energy in 1999 with a little hit called Mamma Mia and then in 2005 with the Tony Award winning hit Jersey Boys. Since then countless shows have been trying to imitate both of these shows to varying degrees of success. 

Of course both Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia represent the two paths a production can take in using a performers songs. They can do the biographical approach like Jersey Boys or they can craft a story around the songs like in Mamma Mia. I’m inclined to think I prefer the latter approach because it leads to more originality but they can both be done for good or ill. 

I was thinking about this because I recently saw 2 jukebox musicals that try both approaches to varying successes: American Idiot and MJ: The Musical. While I thought both shows were passably entertaining they also presented the problems the genre can have. 

American Idiot takes the songs of Green Day’s American Idiot album and tries to weave a story through the songs. It purports to be about 3 disaffected young men in the early 2000s but I found the narrative to be confusing and I had little idea what was happening between the various songs. Granted I saw it in a tiny black box so that may have factored into it but the attempt to string together the songs into a plot was not very successful. 

Then we have MJ: The Musical and this takes the more traditional biographical approach telling the story of Michael Jackson’s career through his big Dangerous World Tour and looking back at his childhood. Honestly given Michael’s controversial life-story this is about the safest, most crowd-pleasing way they could have gone for this musical. I might have considered the narrative approach for Michael Jackson’s songs since a surface level look at his music feels inconsequential but they are also trying to sell tickets so it can only be so dark. 

The most impressive part of MJ: The Musical is how many songs they pack into the book with 3 different actors playing Michael at different ages. If you are a fan of Michael’s songs you’ll have a blast hearing his songs performed and seeing the amazing dancing. However, this approach lacks creativity and anything fresh or exciting and at 2 and ½ hours it starts to feel more than a little tedious. 

What I wish is that more productions would take the approach of Million Dollar Quartet in crafting their jukebox musical. This show recreates the impromptu jam session between Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash in 1956. What makes this show fresh and exciting is you get music from not just one artists catalog but 4 and you get to imagine what it would be like for all 4 to interact together. It makes it feel like more than just a karaoke session and since it’s about just one night it avoids most of the cliches of the ‘rise to fame’ musical biography. 

Another underrated take on the narrative jukebox musical is All Shook Up. Which takes the songs of Elvis and applies them to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This gives the musical a narrative structure which something like American Idiot is missing while still giving us the songs we know and love. It ends up being a lot of fun. I know it got poor reviews from critics but I also enjoyed Head Over Heels. It took the music of The-Go-Gos and moves it to the 16th century and the plot of The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia. This was something new and inventive I’d never seen before. 

I do think if I was forced to pick between the two styles of jukebox musicals I would lean to the storytelling variety over the biographical version. At least this style of musicals allows for fresh and new storytelling where the tough life of musicians and bands tend to follow the same basic patterns. If you’ve ever seen the movie Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story they poke fun at these tropes in the stories of bands and musicians. It’s the same in the stage versions. That’s why something like Million Dollar Quartet at least subverts the formula a little bit. Or perhaps like Walk Hard a musical could tell a musician’s story but also poke fun at the familiar tropes? That could be delightful. 

I suppose we all have our favorite jukebox musicals but hopefully as they continue to get made we can get some variety in their production and better quality in how they bring our favorite songs to the stage. 

What do you think of jukebox musicals? What are some of your favorites and do you prefer the biopic variety or the story types?

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