Oh, What a Night: The Jersey Seasons Bring the Magic of the Four Seasons to Greensburg
Courtesy of Jersey Seasons
The legacy of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will be celebrated when the Jersey Seasons hit the stage at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m.
The music Valli and the Four Seasons created has enjoyed a resurgence in interest in recent years thanks to the hit Broadway musical “Jersey Boys,” which won four Tony Awards and was brought to the big screen with Clint Eastwood in the director’s chair. The Jersey Seasons will perform the big hits, like “Rag Doll,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”
Playing Frankie Valli
Guy Schryer, who performs as Frankie Valli, credits the songwriting duo of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio, who wrote many Four Seasons hits, for allowing the Jersey Seasons to shine.
“The songs talk about breaking up, making up, winning the girl, losing the girl-a lot of teen angst. That taps into nostalgia and people remember what they felt when they heard the songs,” said Schryer. Such songs showcased Valli’s impressive range.
“In the beginning, that was a massive challenge for me,” he said, emphasizing the importance of vocal care to keep his voice from being overstressed. “It’s important to warm up too,” he said.
Schryer said that he figured out early on how to tap into that “Jersey cool” persona that Valli personified. “I learned by listening and repeating, trying to represent him as best I can with the tools I have,” said Schryer, adding that Valli has a mid-range growl. “Rather than mimicking that, I focused on the emotion he’s trying to convey, like frustration, for instance,” he said.
One of Schryer’s favorite songs to perform is “Let’s Hang On.”
“It’s one that works well with my voice. I hold one note for 15 seconds and it’s a lot of fun. The song does a good job of tapping into the band’s energy,” he said.
Schryer toured with tribute bands before, more recently performing in Las Vegas for seven years doing a Beach Boys tribute. He understands what stars need to align to make such a lasting impression on the public. “As a collective, they made it happen, with their harmonies, talents and chemistry, but the timing has to be right also. All of these things have to fall in place for a group to have staying power,” he said.
Schryer said that if he could sit down with Frankie Valli, who will turn 91 on Saturday, he’d ask him if he enjoyed the journey.
“I know that every time I get on stage, I get nervous, which just means I care, so when the audience says positive things afterward, I feel great. I hope he’s enjoyed the journey all these years,” said Schryer.
Producing the show
Fernando Curcione, another member of Jersey Seasons, said that their tribute differs from “Jersey Boys.” “What we wanted to do with the Jersey Seasons was to emulate exactly what they were at the very beginning from 1962-just four guys who played their own instruments and sang songs straight from the studio recordings,” he said.
To purchase tickets, visit the Westmoreland Cultural Trust webpage at Westmorelandculturaltrust.org/events.