Displaying items by tag: Adrian Aguilar

‘Jersey Boys’ is back in Chicago, bringing with it a little East Coast to the Third Coast. The hit Broadway musical about the lives of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons played for over two years in the mid-00s at the CIBC Theater and helped establish Broadway in Chicago as more than just an importer of touring shows. Now ‘Jersey Boys’ will see another open-ended run at Mercury Theater.

Believe it or not, there was once a time when biographic, jukebox musicals were novel. While ‘Jersey Boys’ certainly wasn’t the first, it was one of the earliest and arguably better than some of the shlocky stuff plaguing Broadway these days. Digression aside, the music of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons effortlessly lends itself to musical theater. Afterall, Frankie Valli did provide the title track for the film version of ‘Grease’. 

Co-directed by L. Walter Stearns and Brenda Didier, this production is every bit as good as the Broadway in Chicago sit-down. Mercury’s revival scrubs off all that Broadway gloss and presents a grittier, if not more authentic version of this Italian-American flavored drama. Is it family friendly? Sure, if you don’t mind the ubiquitous use of the F-word akin to the mob wife aesthetic of ‘The Soprano’s’. 

Though Frankie Valli was the frontman and eventual breakout star of The Four Seasons, their origin story is told equally from all four players. However, Adrian Aguilar as Tommy DeVito commands the stage as the main narrator.

Few grown men can hit the notes Frankie Valli was capable of, but Michael Metcalf does so with seeming ease. To look at him (or hear his speaking voice), you’d never expect he could go that high, but that and his performance as an actor showcase what a multi-purpose talent he is.

‘Jersey Boys’ doesn’t often address the personal lives of the band members, but instead tells the story of how they came to be, their rise to fame, and all that comes with it. However, it’s not empty in the way that so many of these jukebox musicals end up being. That’s likely due to a book co-written by Marshall Brickman, who helped write some of Woody Allen’s most iconic films (‘Annie Hall’, ‘Manhattan’), and Tony Award winner Rick Elice. Brickman writes from a place of personal experience as he was working in the entertainment business around the same time as the head writer for Johnny Carson. The result is a really fun, ‘VH1 Behind the Music’ of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

Though Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons made bubblegum pop, their story is far from saccharine. What’s surprising about this story, and the likes of the Rat Pack, is how intertwined their successes were with organized crime. The title says it all. There’s something about this show that non-musical people will find really appealing, in the same way ‘Grease’ appeals to nearly everyone.

Wonderful performances, hot choreo, great costumes and a full-blast band make ‘Jersey Boys’ at Mercury a heavy hitter for the Wrigleyville theater company. You’ll be clapping in unison by the end (whether you want to or not).

at Mercury Theater. 3745 N. Southport Avenue. 773-360-7365

*extended through July 28th

Guys, it’s time to dig into your closet and shake the dust from your polyester, large-collared, chest-exposing dance shirt. Divas, grab your sequin-studded blouse and bell-bottomed slacks or favorite jumpsuit – it’s time to disco! Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook hosts an electric 1970’s dance party to remember with their current production of Saturday Night Fever the Musical. Following the 1977 hit film that catapulted John Travolta to superstar status for his portrayal of Tony Manero, a troubled kid from The Bronx who finds escape from his dilemmas by lighting up the dance floor on Saturday nights, we are thrust into an exciting time capsule when disco was king.

As the story goes, Tony, who works a dead-end job in a hardware store, just wants to be somebody. And he is – on weekends. He just wants to dance! He’s got the hair, good looks, charisma, and dance moves that make him an instant celebrity whenever he walks into 2001, the neighborhood disco hotspot, all the girls lining up to partner with him, all the guys wishing they had half his talent. With a couples’ dance contest coming up that awards a cool thousand bucks to the winning team, Tony searches for a partner, of course seeking out the one girl who is not overly impressed with him. Saturday Night Fever the Musical, keenly directly by Tony-nominated Dan Knechtges, is a well-rounded story that delves into Tony’s stereotypical New York Italian home life, his life on the streets hanging out with his close-knit gang and his quest for love, that, for once, doesn’t come so easy. Adding a humorous spin to the classic film, this dazzling production offers a good amount of laughs while holding onto the integrity of the film. 

The music is half the fun. While the soundtrack is heavily driven by the music of The Bee Gees implementing favorites like “Staying Alive”, “How Deep Is Your Love”, “More Than A Woman” and “Jive Talkin’”, were also turned onto other disco staples that include “Boogie Shoes”, Disco Duck” and “Disco Inferno”. And as good as the music is, the dancing is just as impressive, getting spectacular individual and ensemble performances that make it difficult for audience members to restrain from taking the stage and join in the disco celebration, also encouraged by the tremendous set that recreates a captivating 1970’s dance club – strobe light, red velvet walls and all. 

Adrian Aguilar is seemingly made for the role of Tony Manero. The Jeff Award nominated actor who once starred as Rocky Balboa in Broadway’s Rocky, is nothing short of sensational. The search for the perfect Tony was widespread, with auditions held in not only Chicago but also New York, Houston and Los Angeles, and it was right here in Chicago that the production found its seamless fit. Says Kyle DeSantis, President of Drury Lane Productions, “Out of the many talented artists we saw, no one came close to Chicago’s unparalleled Adrian Auguilar as Tony.” And DeSantis could not have been any more correct as Aguilar delivers a strong performance bringing with him the comic chops and astounding dancing ability needed for the role. Aguilar is also able to tackle the demanding vocals required to take on the many numbers to which his character is highlighted and adds just the right amount of dramatic precision that give us a believable Tony Manero. 

Aguilar, whose dynamite performance is worth the cost of admission alone, is surrounded by a heaping helping of talent. Landree Fleming, who recently knocked the socks off of theatre goers in her performance as Kira in American Theater Company’s Xanadu, is back, this time delivering solid support as Manero’s clingy wannabe girlfriend Annette, while Erica Stephan does an admirable job as Stephanie, the dancer who has captured the starry eyes of our story’s star. Making his Drury Lane debut is standout actor Alex Newell, best known for his portrayal of transgender student Wade “Unique” Adams on Fox’s hit series Glee. Newell is rightly cast for the role of Candy, a disco diva who truly belts, delivering a handful of drop-your-jaw moments. In Saturday Night Fever the Musical, we also get a consistently strong boost from an ultra-talented ensemble that is not only able to bring a disco to life on several occasions, but can add credible depth to this classic story thanks to a slew of strong acting and vocal performances. Yet we cannot overlook Ryan O'Gara's stunning lighting design (disco ball included) and Rachel Laritz' spot on 1970's costume design that so well breathes life into Kevin Depinet's lavish red-velvet laden set. 

This new, reworked North American version, scripted by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti adds even more style and flair to an already stage proven production that made waves after its London mount in 1998 and invaded America with a Broadway run in 2000. An era of pop culture poked fun of so often (and a handful of parodies are certainly present in this production), this is a musical that also celebrates disco and reminds us of the pivotal part it played in our musical history and of its ever-perpetual influence that remains.  

Saturday Night Fever the Musical pulls out all the stops, delivering a show that has it all – dancing, singing, visuals and humor, while distributing a plethora of 1970's nostalgia. Songs you may have long forgotten will be stuck in your head days afterward – in a good way. Running at Drury Lane Theatre through March 19th (now extended through April 9th), this is a production that is sure to bring the boogie out in each of us no matter how buried inside it may be.

Recommended.

For tickets and/or more show information, click here.