Jersey Boys at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Feels Too Good to Be True, But Oh Man, What a Night!

I finally saw Jersey Boys a little over a year ago when the national tour came back through town on probably it’s fourth visit. I really loved that production, but I’m thrilled to say that for the second show in a row, Chanhassen has surpassed the National Touring productions. I’ve always had an affinity for this music. Maybe it was listening to the oldies station on the car radio with my Dad growing up or maybe it’s just my kind of music. For a Jukebox Musical, which can be hit or miss, this show has become a favorite. I think it has to do with the fact that it’s their story and music plus most of the songs are performed as if the characters are performing as they did in real life. Jersey Boys is filled with classic songs, what a period in music to draw from and string of great songs The Four Seasons had. But all the great music in the world isn’t going to carry the show if you haven’t got the cast. Chanhassen has the cast.

...for the second show in a row, Chanhassen has surpassed the National Touring productions.

The show was written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice with music by Bob Gaudio and Lyrics by Bob Crewe, featuring the songs of The Four Seasons and others from the period. It tells the story of the formation of the band, their success, and breakup. The story is told from the points of view of the four men who made up the band. Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi, and of course Frankie Valli. What’s interesting, is the way in which they tell their story. The show is divided into four seasons, beginning with Spring and ending with Winter, each season told from the point of view of a different one of the guys. While the story always moves forward, they do reference back to bits that happened before and try to set the record straight from their perspective. It’s an interesting story containing a lot of details I didn’t know anything about the first time I saw it. The script does an excellent job of pushing the story along without feeling rushed, never getting bogged down in one section but you also never feel anything was skipped over. Punctuating the story with humor in just the right amount. It’s fun, informative, and overflowing with great songs.

I told you Chanhassen had the cast and they do, for now. The first character to narrate the story is Tommy Devito played by David Darrow, who has to leave the show at the end of August to return to his graduate studies. The moment he opens his mouth you hear ‘Jersey’, which makes sense as apparently, he’s from there. He’s so strong and the perfect performer to start the story off as he has the audiences confidence from word one. The second Season to take over the telling of the story is Bob Gaudio played by Sam Stoll followed by Nick Massi played by Shad Hanley. The final slot is held for the front man of the group, and the one who to this day is touring with The Four Seasons, Frankie Valli, played by Will Dusek. When casting Frankie Valli, the most important question of course is, does he sound like Valli? The national tour I saw at the Orpheum in February 2022, the answer to that question was not quite. The answer when evaluating Dusek’s performance is a resounding hell yes!!! The four leads do such a great job of recreating the sound of The Four Seasons, each has a strong voice and they are all great on their own, but when they harmonize it’s transportive. I felt if I closed my eyes I would be back in Junior high in my Dad’s car riding next to him listening as he sang along, always reaching for, but never quite making it to Valli’s high notes. The show is supported by great musicians led by Musical Director Andy Kust and a fantastic company of supporting performers.

If you have any appreciation for the music of The Four Seasons, do yourself a favor and get out to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and check out this production.

The show is Directed by long time Chanhassen Artistic Director Michael Brindisi who has been in the role now for 35 years. You can tell he has an affinity for this material, it’s staged with confidence and affection. Brindisi recognizes the importance of the iconic image of young men singing under the streetlamp, he not only gives us that moment early on, but calls back to it throughout the show. He ends with each of the Seasons having gone their separate ways spotlighted under their own streetlamp. It’s one of the key design elements in Scenic Designer Nayna Ramey’s contribution to the show. The other striking element of design is the large full moon that hangs stage right, it’s a beautiful set piece. The Choreographer Tamara Kangas Erickson gets the synchronized moves of the singing quartet just right, they are just as they were back then, clean and sharp, but not too athletic, as they need to be able to sing. There are some nice period costumes by Rich Hamson, though I thought they could have gone a little farther in evoking the period. I also wanted to point out the work of Lighting Designer Sue Ellen Berger, there were several lighting queues that I found very effective.

If you have any appreciation for the music of The Four Seasons, do yourself a favor and get out to Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and check out this production. I don’t know who will be replacing Darrow at the end of August, but I wouldn’t take the chance. I’d get out there and see it while he’s still with the company. If I can, I’ll try and revisit the production when his replacement takes over and let you know how it holds up. Really, any excuse to see it again, it’s that much fun. This is the jukebox musical that redeems and validates the concept. I also recommend getting seats as close as you can, on stage if possible, it’s one of those shows that you want to feel like you are right there in the front row of a concert. For more information and to purchase tickets for Jersey Boys which runs until February of 2024 go to https://chanhassendt.com/jerseyboys/. I highly recommend getting on Chanhassen Dinner Theatres email list, they frequently send out promos to save money on dinner and show tickets.

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Production photo by Dan Norman.