St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the local theater scene

May 7, 2008 at 4:00 am

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Harlem Duet Reviewed in this issue.

Jersey Boys Although this saga about the rise and fall of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons is masquerading as a Broadway musical, it also exploits the mass hysteria of a rock & roll concert, emits the echoing sounds of a studio recording session and employs the spare, minimalist dialogue of a lean motion-picture script to serve up a hybrid entertainment with the power of a thunderclap. As wildly satisfying as Act One is, this primer about ego and vanity doesn't kick into high gear until Act Two. The production is as polished as a shiny gold record, and the cast is sensational. Technology makes Jersey Boys an exhilarating experience; the four lead actors — Erik Bates, Steve Gouveia, Christopher Kale Jones and Andrew Rannells — make that experience human and deeply moving. Through May 18 at the Fox Theatre, 527 North Grand Boulevard. Tickets are $28 to $130. Call 314-534-1678 or visit www.fabulousfox.com. — Dennis Brown