Review by Emma Jackson – Performance of June 24th 2022

If you don’t know the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, I’d suggest you starting googling and hit up whatever is your preferred music streaming service is now. If you do, then you might have an idea of the level of skill required to pull off the musical ‘Jersey Boys – The story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons’.
Performed at Bunjil Place, the cast and crew of Windmill Theatre Company’s production of Jersey Boys took on the challenge to bring to life the one-of-a-kind sound, of one of the world’s most well-known and most beloved groups of all time. The set, stunning yet minimalist, worked wonderfully to show off it’s stars – Owen James as Frankie Valli, his performance almost faultless in bringing the life and the classic ‘Frankie’ voice we all love, to the stage. Jordan Poyser’s portrayal of Tommy Devitto seemed nearly effortless – especially the accent. Tommy narrates the show for majority of the first act and Jordan was able to maintain both the energy and charisma needed for the character, throughout the performance. Ryan Purdy and Jesse Thomas round out the original Four Seasons, playing Nick Massi (the guitarist who really did deserve his own room) and Bob Gaudio (the man with the words) respectively and both gave strong performances with the vocals to match.

Special mention goes out to Hayley Nissen, Emily Kay, Cathlyn-Rose McKeller and the entire ensemble for playing multiple characters throughout the show – a role that requires a combination of talent and pinpoint precision. The band, lead by musical director Peter Verghagen were sensational, and a shout out must be given to drummer Matt Di Nardo – who played on stage with the cast, for majority of the show!
While there were some small moments where the show lost its itself chasing the gags, it’s highlights made up for it. The smoothness of ‘Earth Angel’, the power in ‘Walk like a Man’ and the perfection of ‘Who Loves You?’.
Overall, a great production that Windmill Theatre Company can be very proud of.

Images courtesy of https://www.windmilltheatre.com.au/