Review: New Jersey Nights
Venue: Grand Opera House, May 3
Having seen The Jersey Boys in London’s West End I was perhaps expecting New Jersey Nights to be something along the same lines. How wrong I was. New Jersey Nights is all about the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons with a bit of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound thrown in for good measure.
Duncan Heather, one of the four leads, is the only member from the American tour and is an accomplished lead. However, unlike that tour, the lead vocals are spread among the four boys and this could lead to some confusion.
All the boys equipped themselves very well showing a good range in vocal ranges with the falsetto parts being delivered with great musicality. The audience appreciated every number and all too soon the first half was over and I was left wondering how on earth were they going to fill another half with the bands hit songs.
I needn’t have worried as the second half started with yet another hit. The four boys showed their talents off well with an a capella number and another not so well when one member started off in the wrong key and whilst the others amiably managed to continue, eventually they stopped.
What followed next was pure magic, with laughter and good banter between the four boys, the audience and even the band. It was at this point I was left wondering whether it was a perfectly delivered, staged, faux pas or it was one of the best recoveries I’ve ever seen. Either way it had the audience in stitches and received a rapturous applause after the number had finished.
This seemed to spur the audience on who became more vocal in their appreciation from that point on. Hit after hit followed which had the audience clapping, singing, and generally having a great time. The evening finished with a medley of hits and the audience gave the whole cast three standing ovations.
The small band accompanied the singers well and the dancers were more than capable. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening.