Oh, What a Night At The Gateway

By Cindi Sansone-Braff

Saturday night’s enthusiastic audience showed their appreciation for the spectacular cast of the musical “Jersey Boys” by singing, clapping, and dancing along to the many chart-topping hits that made The Four Seasons one of the most beloved ‘60s bands. This crowd-pleasing show ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017, winning four Tonys and an Olivier Award.

With music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman, this jukebox musical dramatizes the rise and fall of The Four Seasons. Written like a docudrama with music or a VH1 biopic, the innovative four-part plot structure is based on the seasons of the year.

The Gateway’s Long Island premiere of “Jersey Boys,” brilliantly directed by Larry Raben, held the audience spellbound from the moment the stellar cast stepped on stage, right through the high-voltage finale, “Who Loves You.” A big round of applause goes out to Rachel Armitstead for casting dynamic singers who sounded like The Four Seasons, delivering pitch-perfect renditions of their seemingly endless catalog of hit songs.

These multitalented performers not only replicated the voices, smooth dance moves, and unique style of the fabulous foursome but also managed to capture the essence of the magic that made The Four Seasons score 40 Top 40 hits, including eight number-one singles.

“Jersey Boys” is storytelling at its best, tackling many complex themes, emotions, and behaviors that characterize the human condition. The plot structure uses a narrative style where each band member directly addresses the audience like an old friend telling his version of what it was like to be a part of this legendary quartet.

Act I opens with “Spring,” where wise guy Tommy DeVito tells his side of the story and his role in the genesis of The Four Seasons. Travis Murad Leland gave a tour-de-force performance with his spot-on depiction of the cocky group’s founding member, whose overthe-top gambling problem ultimately led to the band’s dissolution. With his rich baritone vocals, Leland gave a moving rendition of the Doo-wop rhythm and blues song “Earth Angel.”

The “Summer” season gave the keyboardist, who wrote or co-wrote many of the band’s greatest hits, his day in the sun. Lukas Poost gave a riveting performance as Bob Gaudio, a private man who never enjoyed the spotlight, preferring to stay behind the scenes writing and producing music. Poost has a charismatic stage presence, and his upbeat rendition of “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)” was one of the show’s highlights.

Act II opens with “Fall” and features Matt Faucher’s noteworthy performance as the bass singer and bass guitarist Nick Massi. Massi isn’t exactly sure why he walked out on the band, but it had something to do with homesickness, being fed up with life on the road, cramped motel rooms, and bathing with tiny bars of soap. The audience loved the group numbers, such as: “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and Faucher’s rich bass voice added dimension and depth to these beloved songs.

Finally, “Winter” descends with Frankie Valli being the only original band member performing onstage in any capacity as The Four Seasons. Pablo David Laucerica gave an award-worthy performance as the frontman of the iconic quartet. His incredible vocals, complete with the requisite falsetto, blew the audience away. His stellar rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” a song that earned Valli a gold record and showcased his stellar tenor vocals, was worth the price of admission. Laucerica’s heartfelt delivery of “Fallen Angel” is one of those rare theatrical moments that stays with you long after you exit the theatre.

The finale reunites the quartet in 1990, with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As the show draws to an end, each band member delivers a funny, poignant monologue and savors that bittersweet moment when they momentarily put aside their differences to perform the smash hit “Rag Doll.”

The supporting actors in this unforgettable production gave superb performances, including Paloma D’Auria as Valli’s daughter, Haley Hannah as Valli’s first wife, and Aja Goes as Valli’s journalist girlfriend. Mike D’Amico displayed his comedic talent as the actor Joe Pesci, Gateway veteran David Engel’s portrayal of lyricist Bob Crewe garnered some of the biggest laughs of the evening, and Luke Darnell was believable as the mob boss Gyp DeCarlo. Reese Britts, Jason Pintar, Mark Ryan Anderson, and Connor Macchi were outstanding in their many roles.

This spectacular show features outstanding costumes, a fabulous live orchestra, and high-energy choreography. The versatile set and background projections greatly added to the overall success of this show.

The Gateway’s “Jersey Boys” production has powerhouse performers, a great story, and some of the most memorable tunes of all time. You don’t want to miss it!

Content Advisory: This show contains mature themes and adult language and may not be suitable for all audiences.

“Jersey Boys” runs through September 10. To purchase tickets, contact the Box Office at (631) 286-1133, or visit the website at TheGateway.org

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an awardwinning playwright. She has a BFA in Theatre from UCONN and is a member of the Dramatists Guild. She is the author of “Grant Me a Higher Love,” “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships,” and “Confessions of a Reluctant Long Island Psychic.” Her full-length Music Drama, “Beethoven, The Man, The Myth, The Music,” is published by Next Stage Press. www.Grantmeahigherlove.com.