Theatre Review :: Jersey Boys at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, MD

Jeri Tidwell Photography

The Broadway jukebox musical Jersey Boys had a long, successful run between 2005 and 2017, picking up Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Best Lighting Design of a Musical out of eight nominations. With productions around the globe, a US tour that seemed to go on for several years, a movie best left unmentioned, and a show filled with real life characters and more hit songs than you can shake a stick at, it’s no wonder the show has become such a favorite.

If you’re not familiar with the story of Jersey Boys, the show tells the story of the rise, fall and rebirth of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, from their humble beginnings singing under street lights and in small bars to their rise to fame with a string of hit songs and all the pitfalls that come with that fame. How much of the story is accurate is a question only the original members of the group can answer (and those surviving members at the time of the Broadway opening had a thing or two to say about the show’s ‘facts’), but Tommy DeVito says up front that this story is told from different perspectives. That’s one of the things that makes Jersey Boys a bit more clever and engaging than most jukebox musicals that build a story around the songs rather than using the songs to augment the story (see Mamma Mia! for example). In Jersey Boys, the story is told at first by Tommy, who takes credit for discovering Valli and creating the group, but suddenly shifts to Bob Gaudio’s perspective once he’s brought into the group (Gaudio was the main songwriter for the group). In Act II, the perspective shifts again to Nick Massi, the admitted ‘Ringo’ of The Four Seasons, and finally to Frankie as he (and Bob) struggle to keep the band afloat after Tommy and Nick depart. The story by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman is clever enough to spotlight the group’s major hit songs as performance pieces, while using other lesser-known songs to punctuate scenes instead of using dialogue like a traditional musical does. It is a very well-crafted show.

If you’ve seen Jersey Boys on the Broadway or regional theatres’ proscenium stage, you know there are large set-pieces to fill those large stages. While these productions are engaging, seeing the show in a smaller, more intimate space — and in the round — like Toby’s Dinner Theatre gives you an entirely new perspective on the production, actually drawing you in to the story, being able to see the actors’ faces, the emotion they’re feeling in each moment on that stage (the farthest seats from the stage are about 27 feet). Producing a show like this in this particular space presents its own challenges, but director and choreographer Mark Minnick skillfully moves the players from one place to the next, sometimes quickly changing a jacket without anyone noticing, an actor making an exit on one side of the stage and suddenly appearing again from the other side in mere seconds (and not out of breath from the run). Besides the amazing performances, which we’ll get to in a minute, Minnick has pared the production design down to a minimum save for a few tables and chairs and other pieces of furniture that move on and off the stage, and some video projections for scenery. It’s almost like a ‘black box’ performance and this decision to pare it down and let the excellent lighting design by David A. Hopkins do the heavy lifting allows the audience to really focus on and connect with the characters, major, minor and in-between. The in-house orchestra — there is never recorded music at Toby’s — also does a spectacular job with six pieces in replicating the sound of the songs that are so familiar, and the sound design by Mark Smedley nicely balances the music and voices in one of the best audio presentations I’ve had the pleasure of hearing at Toby’s.

Of course, direction, lighting, costumes, production design and sound can only carry a show so far, and a show like Jersey Boys needs some top flight talent to tell this story. Once again, Mr. Minnick has struck gold in his casting. Right off the bat, Toby’s regular Patrick Gover sets the bar high as Tommy. Gover made his debut at Toby’s in Rocky: The Musical two years ago, and it was a stunning debut. Like Austin Butler as Elvis, though, Gover was stuck for a while with his Rocky voice but now … his performance is a revelation, an elevation of his skills as an actor and a singer. Gover has always had a magnificent voice, but in this show his singing is nothing short of breathtaking (several of us who have seen Gover perform were all blown away by his voice). I don’t think he’s ever sounded better, and he was always good. Even just speaking, I heard no touches of Rocky Balboa. His performance was powerful and nicely balanced since Tommy really does become the villain of the story. With Gover’s skill and Minnick’s direction, you never want to boo and hiss at Tommy even when he is a total prick to everyone around him. If I was doing any awards nominations this year for local theatrical productions, Gover would definitely be in the running.

Once Frankie Valli enters the picture, Nicky Kaider steals the spotlight, first as the innocent 16-year-old discovered and almost corrupted by Tommy. Once Frankie realizes his voice is what people are drawn to, Kaider brings a new strength and confidence to Frankie, but he never makes Valli cocky. Kaider portrays Frankie as a driven, hard-working man trying to support not just his musical family, but his real family, his wife and kids (although being on the road constantly takes a toll on that family life). Even when Tommy brings near financial ruin to the group, it’s Frankie who stands up and proclaims they will take on and pay off Tommy’s debt because they’re family. Kaider’s body language, facial expressions and dialogue delivery shows that he’s totally invested in everything going on around him. And his voice — close your eyes and you can almost imagine you’re listening to Frankie Valli. Kaider has that same amazing range from the lower register to the high falsetto and he never misses a beat, blending beautifully with the harmonies of the other three members of the group. As with Gover, Kaider would be high on my awards list.

Jeri Tidwell Photography

The third major character is Bob Gaudio, played with a sweet awkwardness by Ben Clark in his Toby’s debut. Gaudio at one point notes that he’d much rather be behind-the-scenes as a writer than on stage as a performer, and Clark really brings that ‘I’d rather be anywhere but here’ attitude when the group is performing. On the flip side, he shows us that Gaudio isn’t just a talented songwriter, a real musical savant who can come up with a hit in fifteen minutes, but a very savvy businessman as well, seeing that the group succeeds or fails on Frankie’s shoulders, seeing an opportunity to enrich themselves as partners without hurting the other two guys (although this deal eats away at Nick). Clark just shines in his role and while most of his singing is with the group, he gets a solo number in Act I with ‘December 1963 (Oh What a Night)’ that makes jaws drop with his beautiful voice. We knew he could sing, but in that moment a star is born. Definitely another awards contender, and I look forward to seeing what else he can bring to the Toby’s stage.

The fourth member of the group, unfortunately, gets short shrift in the story but Benjamin Campion makes the most of the role of Nick Massi, finally getting to shine in Act II when he tells his side of the story and suddenly puts his foot down with Frankie and Bob. What his role lacks in any major singing moments or storyline, Campion more than makes up for with his exuberant performances in the musical numbers, bringing an upbeat energy to the stage. David James is excellent as Bob Crewe, the producer who finally helps put the group on the map; Christopher Decker is outstanding in the small but pivotal role of Joe Pesci (yes, THAT Joe Pesci) with some subtle bits of humor that will make you laugh out loud; Brian Lyons-Burke is perfection as Gyp DeCarlo, the mobster with a heart of gold; Adam Grabau is appropriately menacing as the mobster with a heart of lead; and MaryKate Brouillet and Leela Aviles-Dawson are terrific in their smaller roles as women in Frankie’s life. And as usual with Toby’s, you’ll see one of the hardest working ensembles anywhere on stage taking on a multitude of roles and helping move props on and off the stage.

If you’re a fan of Jersey Boys, you must do yourself a favor and make time to see this production at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia, MD. If you live in the area or are just visiting, book your tickets now because this show is selling out. It’s an outstanding production — and trust me on this because by the time I had finished my third viewing of the touring version I felt I had already seen it one too many times — that will give you a completely new appreciation for the material, headed by four amazing lead actors and a more than capable ensemble. I can’t recommend this production highly enough.

And don’t forget — Toby’s also has a terrific dinner (and brunch for the matinee performances) buffet, salad bar and ice cream bar for your dining pleasure. The corn, roasted potatoes, Spinach Phunque, green beans, stuffed shells, baked tilapia, carving board and more will make your tummy happy. Be sure to come hungry! And as with each show at Toby’s, Jersey Boys has a specialty drink, ‘The Rag Doll’, which is a banana-strawberry daiquiri which comes in a souvenir glass (and it comes in a non-alcoholic version as well), topped with thick whipped cream and a strawberry gummy.

If you’re looking for something different to do for a date night, or if you want to bring a large group to celebrate an event or just experience a night of theatre with outstanding local talent, book your reservations now. Don’t miss out on this production of Jersey Boys. Please note that this contains strong language (although the F-bombs from the original show have been removed) and mature themes.

Jersey Boys runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission. Note that fog and haze effects are used in this production.

Jersey Boys runs through September 1, 2024. Toby’s next production is The Addams Family, back by popular demand (September 6 – November 10).

Jersey Boys (2024) – Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Toby’s Dinner Theatre

 
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.