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Fast, Feisty 'Jersey Boys' Hits Peaks And Vallis

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By CURTIS ROSS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2008

TAMPA - Somewhere between "American Bandstand" and "The Sopranos" sits "Jersey Boys," a musical about the messy lives of '60s pop stars the Four Seasons.

The production won a Tony for Best Musical in 2006 and Friday's opening night performance at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall left little doubt as to why.

The musical, briskly paced and packed with familiar tunes, doesn't skimp on the story - or stories - to rush to another crowd-pleasing hit.

The result is a show that winds up in the feel-good category, but goes down several dark byways to get there.

The four band members - Tommy DeVito (Erik Bates), Bob Gaudio (Andrew Rannells), Nick Massi (Steve Gouveia) and Frankie Valli (Christopher Kale Jones) - take turns telling the band's history from their own viewpoints. The stories clash, and so do the bandmates.

DeVito founds the group and keeps it going through several lineup changes until it finally hits the charts with "Sherry" in 1962. But his extracurricular activities put the group's future in jeopardy.

Gaudio is the outsider, the only one not from the neighborhood, and none too enthusiastic about what he calls his bandmates' "drama." His songwriting prowess gives the band hit after hit, but threatens DeVito's claim as leader.

Massi is an enigma at best, a cipher at worst. Aside from a line alluding to his talents as an arranger, his function in the band is never defined as well as the other characters'. It's the story's weak spot, but a sympathetic performance by Gouveia gives the character more heart and soul than does the script.

Valli is the nice kid who becomes a star, a naïve teen who comes under the tutelage of streetwise DeVito. He wants a family but his on-tour philandering wreaks havoc with his relationships and sets up a tragic incident toward the show's end.

Bates' DeVito is a likable shyster, even as his true (lack of) character is revealed. Rannells has the clean-cut looks of a '50s teen idol and his Gaudio is equal parts wide-eyed innocent and steel-willed musician.

The ensemble performances are well-balanced, and each of the four principal actors was capable of commanding the stage. But it was Jones' flawless vocal performances - his falsetto sounded even more effortless than Valli's - that provided the evening's biggest thrills.

And if you've ever dismissed the Four Seasons' music as lightweight pop, come prepared for a re-think. The majestic, anthem-like quality of hits such as "Walk Like a Man" comes through loud and clear.

"Jersey Boys" runs through March 15. Call (813) 229-7827 for ticket information.

Reporter Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com.

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