“Jersey Nights”at the Reno Eldorado
A Review by Kevin Reeves
Staff Writer
A sexy revival of venerable chart-toppers has leapt onto the arts and entertainment scene, welcomed by the standing ovations and awe-struck approval of young party-goers and nostalgic music fans alike, in “Jersey Nights,” currently showing at the Reno Eldorado. Admirable feats of singing, dancing, and theatrical synergy have revitalized and re-imagined classic songs with surprisingly hip new energy, which will continue to bounce and pop through Nov 13th, paying equal parts ho-mage and transformation to the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
 If you’re like I was (prior to having seen this show), you might risk making the unfortunate mistake of assuming that Frankie Valli’s music is now just an echo from a closed chapter of music history. However, this sizzling, fast-paced extravaganza proved completely the opposite when my sister and I found ourselves simultaneously taken back in time while witnessing fresh new twists. How else could a sparkly-dressed, high-energy brunette beauty like dancer Jennifer Bermeo twirl into the audience and capture everyone’s eyes with electric moves, while the four velvety voiced dapper gents, Vince Ricco, Jamie Sampson, Jeff Wait, and David Wyatt, hypnotize listeners with their romantic, syrupy harmonizing? Jersey Nights, L to R: Vince Ricco, Jeff Wait, David Wyatt, and Jamie Sampson. Courtesy photo provided by the Eldorado
In this age of creative cannibalism where films and songs are being remade and remixed almost immediately after the originals, the thought of giving old tunes a flashy reboot feels like it could be a train wreck, but instead, a winning combination of expert choreography, story-weaving voices, and character-driven performances has catapulted Valli’s music into modern times. “We’re …celebrating the music through our own interpretation,” fresh-faced singer Ricco explains, highlighting that this is no stodgy tribute. The Jersey native’s slick shiny hair and sharply-arching eyebrow harken back to a time of eager-yet-honorable male suitors, driving old romantic sentiments home with a present-day feel. Not to mention that Ricco’s voice killed every last one of us when he nailed Valli’s falsetto, which we’d naively been led to believe was only possible by Wait, who had already been consistently hitting those high notes throughout the show, before Ricco did the same.
As Ricco showed us he can do it too (carefully side-stepping what could be an obnoxious sound), I saw more than one audience member’s jaw drop open. Backing up that voice was Ricco’s personal connection to songs such as “Big Man in Town” and “Walk Like a Man.” Ricco later told me: “Making your own way in the world is a topic that I really relate to.” Confirmed by the show itself, we’re also reminded by dancer Courtney Copper (whose winning smile glows on-stage and smacks of a more innocent era): “We’re projecting how the Franki Valli fans felt, and how they would want to have danced to this music. My parents are both from Jersey…and it’s great to bring that energy back to a lot of the folks who are coming to see it.”
As a former Rockette herself, Copper’s no stranger to classy top-notch performance, but also recognizes the unique allure of Jersey Nights’ more intimate feel. Tumbling, break-dancing, back-flipping Noah Gouldsmith (who stole our breath by seamlessly juxtaposing his modern moves with the singers’ phenomenal performance of “Grease”) verbalized to me what everyone in the showroom could feel: “What’s cool about this show is that we get to play characters…We can change it up, …so it’s not…staccato.
It’s an amazing cast…I can’t stop talking about how well everyone gets along.” Bermeo supported this statement when she told me, “…our cast, with a bunch of different personalities, manages to click both on-stage and off-stage…That genuine enjoyment comes through.” The obviously well-meshed ensemble’s pleasure definitely pours off-stage and into our awareness. Although the only non-musical lines are a handful of quickly interjected historical references, which singer Wyatt smoothly uses to paint Valli’s career timeline for us, the whole show feels like a piece of storybook theater. We see pairs of dancers flirt and court one another, from song to song, and there’s subtle yet palpable character growth in stand-out singer Wait’s projected confidence and bravado, as he mirrors the mounting confidence that grew within Valli himself, over the years.
Flexing a range that evokes the feel of a male Minnie Riperton (whose epic octaves nearly shattered glass, while still remaining oh-so-sweet), singer Wait provides the auditory lynchpin that makes this show such a crowd-pleaser. Trust me, I wouldn’t ooze about this voice if it wasn’t well-deserved. It’s no hyperbole: Wait is the real deal. “This fits my voice exactly…done correctly, it can be very attractive,” Wait told me, which his performance had already proven by the time I caught up with him for our interview. He elaborates, “…as I looked into the character of Franki Valli, [I found] he was basically a guy who had an amazing voice…was groomed…and eventually became this larger-than-life character.”
Given how well Wait embodied all of that onstage, it would have surprised none of us if Valli himself (now 78 years old) had shown up to shake Wait’s hand and join him for one or two verses. From the well-designed old-school radio station set erected for the guys’ performance of fan-favorites “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” to their sugary-sweet “Blue Moon” and “December 1963 (Oh What A Night),” to the dynamic choreography blended with classic heartfelt music, this show should NOT be missed. Performances: Tues-Sun. $19.95; dinner/show packages from $29.95 Info, www.eldoradoreno.com
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