Passing through overnight on Thursday, I happened to see the electronic billboard advertisement for Jersey Boys. As a Four Seasons fan I was immediately interested, so I jumped online and grabbed a ticket.
My mind was blown by the level of professionalism I was treated to. Having seen the show in Auckland and in London, I hadn’t expected to see such talent in small-town Gisborne.
The comical adolescence of Carlos Latu as a young Joe Pesci, the sassy nature of Kim Mitchell as Mary Delgado, authoritarian yet comical Andrew Stevens as Gyp Decarlo — I was hanging on every word.
And who can forget the leading men? Alex Raines embodied Nick Massi so naturally: his voice, his quiet sensibilities — until it all comes to a head. Bruce Reid’s Bob Gaudio was effortless; Cry for Me gave me chills. Joshua Lobb’s Tommy Devito, the leader of the pack, commanded attention whenever he was on stage.
And Tahi Paenga’s Frankie Valli — from the moment he started echoing in “Silhouettes”, I knew he was going to bring something special . . . and once he joined in on Cry For Me, you could feel the audience holding their breath, a feeling of anticipation embracing each of us. The only time I felt Tahi’s voice falter was near the end of the show, but I have a feeling that was intentional — to emphasise the emotional climax of his character. An emotional climax, I must say, was felt throughout the theatre and it was all I could do not to become a blubbering mess in the aisle.
