He may not be Frankie Valli, but when it comes to hitting high notes and entertaining Villagers, Clark Barrios is a singer for all seasons.
Barrios and the Atlantic City Boys – Sammy Pawlak, Jeremy James and Dustin Fisher – delivered two, high-powered, thoroughly entertaining shows Monday in the Savannah Center.
“Clarkie,” as the Atlantic City Boys like to call him, flashed his falsetto range on such Valli and Four Seasons’ classics as “Walk Like A Man,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Dawn” and “Rag Doll.”
Barrios is a regular on The Villages entertainment circuit and one of the most versatile, talented and likeable singers here. He will be starring in “Forever Plaid,” running from Aug. 2 until Sept. 2, at the Studio Theatre in Tierra Del Sol.
But let’s not forget the other fellas in the Atlantic City Boys, who played before a nearly-packed house on Monday. This is a group in every sense of the word. They have been performing together for years and their exquisite harmony, nifty choreography and comic interaction with each other and the audience is a joy to behold.
These youthful and exuberant performers pay tribute to Valli and the Four Seasons, but their music goes far deeper than that group.
The Atlantic City crew paid homage to The Five Satins, “In Still of the Night;” The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows;” The Drifters, “Save the Last Dance;” Neil Diamond, “Sweet Caroline” and, last but not least, The Monkees with “I’m A Believer.”
It was a nostalgic delight for those who remember those songs.
“I loved it,” said Villager Jan Van Allen, who found herself as the fifth member of the Atlantic City Boys during one segment. The guys came out in the audience and, suddenly, Jeremy James and then Barrios were serenading Van Allen, during “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.”
She even joined in the singing and the choreography.
“It was wonderful singing with these guys,” Van Allen said. “They’ve got so much energy and they’re so much fun.”
James was digging the crowd.
“It’s great to be back in The Villages; this is home for us and we love it,” he said. “And this crowd is a wild bunch.”
The guys nearly tamed the rowdy bunch with a gorgeous acapella set but kept things rocking with such numbers as “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Oh What A Night.”
Put it all together and you have baby boomer’s jukebox stew of magical memories served up with style by the Atlantic City Boys.
