Full disclosure: I’m no theatre reviewer. Further disclosure: Prior to attending a performance of Jersey Boys at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, I couldn’t name two songs by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Now, I’m not about to say that I was dragged kicking and screaming to the performance by my very much better half, but musical theatre is far higher on her list of priorities than it is on mine. Now, I may have to reevaluate.
Right from the opening number, a French hip-hop mash-up of the group’s hit “December, 1963 (Oh What a Night),” the performance rolled along with incredible energy. In fact, for someone whose attention span has been whittled down to nothing by the Internet—I have a hard time maintaining interest in hour-long dramas on TV—this show was just the ticket.
First of all, I’m not sure what lead actor Jeff Madden (“Frankie Valli”) is on, but I want stock in the company. Throughout the entire performance, his level of energy had just two settings—10 and 11.
