The cast performs during the media night performance of MHMT's Jersey Boys.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Musical Theatre’s rendition of Jersey Boys may take older viewers on a trip down memory lane, but it far from relies on nostalgia to tell a story to remember.
When portraying the stories of real people or events, there is a unique pressure to perfect the characterization; unlike a purely fictitious character, there is less room to bring something new to the role, to help the actor tailor their character to suit them. In fact, the opposite needs to be true: the actor needs to tailor themselves to fit the often very specific figure of who they’re pretending to be.
This is a challenge that all four leads rise to with so much grace it looks almost effortless.
David Jeffery, Nick Kush, Gord Hawker and Joey Sabourin create such a compelling quartet that it feels wrong to introduce them apart from each other, but each stands well on their own.
From Sabourin’s DeVito and his perpetual self sabotage to the quiet calculation of Kush’s Gaudio, the four artists all feel very beautifully alive and well as they must have for fans decades ago.
All the characters in Jersey Boys are loud and passionate, in a way that sometimes makes the theatre feel very small and intimate. Viewers should be prepared to flinch from expressions of anger, to share in moments of joy, and become very comfortable with a sitting knot of dread as they continue to watch fractures from in the Four Seasons’ bond as their fame grows.
The prolonged moment with Frankie Valli’s back to the audience following the news of his daughter’s death is a punch to the gut not often felt from the safety of the upper seats.
This effect is enhanced by a simple set – relying on quick-changed furniture to set the scene -working real magic with microphone stands sliding in and out of the wings, seemingly of their own accord, and heavy use of a screen behind an elevated walkway for club signs, or warnings of recordings in progress
Seeing the faces of the actors projected as old black and white TV cameras were pointed at them was a surprise and a delight that truly made it clear what MHMT can do with its prop and background work.
Of course, any review of a musical would be remiss not to mention the music.
The same as portraying real people, jukebox musicals come with a different kind of challenge, as any mistakes will be noticed, especially when the score comes from a prolific group like the Four Seasons. This can sometimes be offset with less technically challenging pieces, but this is far from the case with Gaudio’s music.
The co-ordinated harmonies and daring tenor notes simply need to be heard to be believed, and will remind older audience members why they loved these classic songs, as well as convince younger ones to add something new to their playlists.
The Medicine Hat News had the pleasure of speaking with Jeffery prior to the opening of the show, in which he expressed hope they would be able to do the group some manner of justice. We are pleased to be able to say they certainly have.
