By Stub Estey
I had the pleasure last week of being part of a full house of enthusiastic patrons at Fauquier Community Theatre’s production of Jersey Boys. I expected to be one of only a few in the audience who had actually heard this music on the radio back in the 1960s, but there were lots of other old souls who came out to be moved by it. As well as a few old souls in young people’s bodies — everyone loves this music!
The jukebox musical Jersey Boys opened on Broadway 20 years ago, but it hasn’t lost any of its appeal. With book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, music by Bob Gaudio, and lyrics by Bob Crewe, it tells the story of four Garden State guys with big dreams in the early days of rock ’n’ roll. Their band “Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons” produced distinctive harmonies no one had heard before, and captured the hearts of people all over with their iconic sound.
After selling an estimated 100 million records worldwide, the band achieved ultimate recognition by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (and the Hollywood Walk of Fame), but they experienced rocky patches on the road to stardom.
Directed by Matt Moore and produced by Mary Beth Balint, the story is presented as four “seasons,” each brought to life by a band member offering his perspective on the group’s history and music. Vocal Director Cate Murray honed the company’s musicality to energetically deliver a whopping 31 songs that move the story along smoothly. Gabrielle Tessier designed dance routines that worked so well the audience couldn’t help but move right along with them. Late in the show, I counted 18 people on stage, and they were all moving together like a well-oiled machine. Very cool.
An interesting aspect of this cast is that most played more than one part. I counted 19 names on the cast list, but 72 different roles. Accounting for the fact that the four main characters in the band stayed with that role exclusively, that means the other 68 parts were played by the remaining 15 actors, or an average of 4.5 roles each, which is astounding.
The entire company was marvelously entertaining, making it difficult to select a few standouts, but here are some notes I made in the darkened theater.
Luke Tessier does an awesome job playing Frankie Valli. His melodic tenor tones slip seamlessly from chest voice to head voice and back, something very difficult to do — especially considering the ultra-high register that Valli practically invented. When Frankie sings a duet (“My Eyes Adored You”) with Mary Delgado (Melissa Pieja), their harmony is exceptional, and when the arrangement segues to add the other members of the band, the effect is remarkably pleasing.
In fact, the quartet meshes so harmoniously throughout the show that the audience feels transported back to the 1960s, listening to the real Four Seasons. And — most of the time — those singers are also accompanying themselves with instruments, something rare onstage. Nick Villacorte was a welcome sight returning to FCT as Tommy DeVito, and Daniel Ferguson, an FCT newcomer, was a pleasure to hear and see as Bob Gaudio. Noah Sarinana, as Nick Massi, rounded out the Four Seasons quartet, all doing a fine job singing as well as earning special applause when they delivered poignant monologues.
The 10-piece orchestra directed behind the scenes by Cathy Drummond makes the show much better than it would have been with a recorded track, layering its lively accompaniment onto songs as the actors phased out their onstage playing. The orchestra was invisible to the audience except when Jack Dusek (trumpet) and Joe MacFarlane (saxophone) delightfully ambled onstage to add emphasis to Luke Tessier’s amazing rendition of “I Love You Baby.”
Other standout musical numbers were the iconic Four Seasons’ very first number one hit, “Sherry Baby,” and “Walk Like a Man,” which had an appealing key change at the end.
Ryan Balint, normally found behind the scenes stage-managing, producing, or assistant-directing, tried his hand at acting this time and was terrific as Joe Pesci and later as a replacement for one of the Four Seasons quartet members. Fans no doubt will want to see more of him on the boards. The number “Workin’ My Way Back to You,” featuring Ryan with Luke Tessier and Hunter Elliot, was an absolute pleasure to see and hear.
The trio of Elizabeth Steimel, Jessica Mabry, and Samantha Wong was outstanding on “My Boyfriend’s Back.”
Costume Designer Ruth Williamson hit the mark with several sets of bright jackets for the quartet (and the wonderful “older quartet”) as well as colorful dresses for the ladies. With over 100 costumes needed for all the costume changes, assistants Joy and Gloria Williamson and Robin and Mia Dalusung were also part of the wardrobe team.
The production kept its authentic ’60s vibe with rock ’n’ roll before the show and Kingston Trio music during intermission. Lights designed and operated by Jack Tessier and Stacy King were cool when they needed to be, smoothly coming up to bright when required, with spotlights run by Nikole Schlevensky and Kaitlyn Nelson. Sound designed by Frankie Stamps and operated by Lex Hartung added realism when the situation called for those effects.
Peter Marsh’s set design was a winner. An eye-catching matched pair of spiral staircases made it possible to establish the two-level set needed in several scenes. It’s hard to describe; come see for yourself how nice it is with the black-and-white diamond stage floor. Also, Doug Barylski’s creative set dressing added much to the show. Utilizing the actors as stagehands, Stage Manager Debbie Martin’s set changes were so unobtrusive they seemed like part of the show.
One of several show-stopping numbers was “Oh, What a Night!,” expertly executed by Daniel Ferguson and the ensemble. At the end of the evening, as I was standing with the other patrons while everyone clapped and cheered, that was exactly the thought that came to mind.
Running Time: Two hours and 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
Jersey Boys plays through May 18, 2025 (Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm), presented by Fauquier Community Theatre, performing at Vint Hill Theater on the Green, 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA. All tickets ($16 youth, $18 seniors, $20 adults) are for reserved seating. Purchase tickets online or call the box office at 540-349-8760. Tickets sold out very quickly in advance for every performance after opening night. An additional performance was added for Sunday, May 18, at 7:30 pm. Printed playbills are available at the performances and online.
Stub Estey is a retired business executive, published author, and local actor/musician in northern Virginia.