From Pat Craig: One Hand Clapping
By Pat Craig, Contra Costa Times (December 6, 2007)
"JERSEY BOYS," the musical about the Four Seasons, makes a final holiday bow in San Francisco before wandering out into the desert of Las Vegas, where the cast currently onstage here will be featured at the sit-down production in the new Palazzo resort, hotel and casino on the strip between the Venetian and the Wynn.
The show opens in Las Vegas in April, but will play at San Francisco's Curran Theatre through Dec. 30. And it is a show well worth seeing, or seeing again. The cast has been assembled beautifully, and it is every bit as skilled as the two other ensembles that performed in the nearly one-year San Francisco run that ended last September. This is a full-length production, by the way. No word yet if it will be chopped to the 90-minute Las Vegas standard.
An added bonus for local theater fans is the appearance of Jeff Leibow as Nick Massi, one of the Seasons. It was not that long ago that Leibow was appearing on Bay Area stages, including Concord's Willows Theatre, where he performed in "Aida." Here he's a glove-perfect fit at Nick, and should enjoy a nice, long run in the role.
'Jersey Boys' Struts in for the Holidays
By David Wiegland, San Francisco Chronicle (December 4, 2007)
...The rest of the cast is terrific, especially Rannells as Gaudio, who not only looks like the guy but also nicely conveys the blend of youthful innocence and premature business savvy that made Gaudio the key figure in the group's success. McElroy is a convincingly sleazy DeVito, and Leibow does a good job with Massi as well... (Read more --->)
New 'Jersey Boys' Here For The Holidays
By Chad Jones (December 1, 2007)
...Nick Massi, the “Ringo” of the group in his words, is played by local boy Jeff Leibow, and his performance is striking for how different it is from the two we’ve seen here before. This Nick is more thoughtful and more idiosyncratic than his predecessors. He somehow seems more real.... (Read more --->)
Jeff Leibow's Big Break
Written by Chad Jones of the Oakland Tribune and InsideBayArea.com (November23, 2007)
It’s not often that a performer goes from gigs at the Willows Theatre Company in Concord, TheatreWorks in Mountain View and Pleasanton Playhouse in Pleasanton to one of the hottest Broadway musicals in recent memory.
That’s exactly what has happened to Jeff Leibow, a former Pleasanton resident who now lives with his wife, Melody, in East Palo Alto. (Read more --->)
Jersey Boys Opens in San Francisco...for the 3rd time!
(Tuesday, November 20, 2007)
After an abrieviated rehearsal process, the Vegas company of Jersey Boys opened to a wildly appreciative crowd. The cast had a chance to work on the stage for a week, but the first performance was the first time they had run the show without stopping for notes or adjustments.
It was an exciting night. The energy in the theater (both on stage and off) was electric. Des helped get it there with his rowsing curtain speech. By the time the show was over, the cast was riding high. No words can prepare an actor for that kind of audience reaction! It was an awesome, humbling, indescribably emotional ride.
Working My Way Back: Jersey Boys Tour Returns to San Francisco Nov. 20
By Ernio Hernandez for Playbill.com (November 20, 2007)
Jersey Boys returns to San Francisco's Curran Theatre Nov. 20 for a special holiday run scheduled through Dec. 30.
Rick Faugno (Frankie Valli), Jeff Leibow (Nick Massi), Bryan McElroy (Tommy DeVito) and Andrew Rannells (Bob Gaudio) will play The Four Seasons opposite Jonathan Hadley and Ken Krugman. (Faugno played Joey in the original San Francisco cast.) (Read more --->)
Back to Top
|
