Jonny Wexler plays Frankie Valli in “Jersey Boys” and that role has taught him an invaluable lesson.
“Life is never what you expect it to be,” Wexler said Wednesday in a telephone interview. He will be on stage in The Sharon for sold out shows on Friday and Saturday.
Wexler — who comes from London, Ontario — has played in “Jersey Boys” for the past four years, nearly 1,000 performances.
Frankie Valli is a demanding role. During this rock and roll drama with Shakespearian influences, Wexler sings nearly 30 songs, and ages from 16 to 70.
“There are constant character traits that age with him, from a young kid to the end,” Wexler, 33, said. “This show doesn’t pull any punches. It’s an honest look at the success of these four guys and the cost for them and their families.”
In some ways, Wexler said, Valli is a tragic figure akin to Hamlet. He strives for success and sanity but becomes a victim of forces he can’t control. “It’s an internal,” struggle, Wexler said. Valli learns that all the achievements pale compared to family tragedy and friends’ betrayal.
Valli grew up dirt poor in a Newark, New Jersey housing project. Tommy DeVito (played by Corey Greenan), who started the group, was street thug as a kid who did jail time. Nick Massi (Chris Stevens), another member, had scrapes with the law. Bob Gaudio (Tommaso Antico), who wrote many of the hits and bonded with Valli, joined the group later on.
Valli and the rest of them overcame poverty and their delinquent years to become music stars.
“I look at my life and realize how lucky I was that I didn’t end up in the trunk of a car or in jail,” Frankie Valli told www.grammymuseum.org. “It was a hard time, when all you had was dreams.
“But it was really important, that if they were going to do our story, it had to be real and true. And I think that has a lot to do with the success of ‘Jersey Boys.’”
Jonny Wexler met Frankie Valli and fleshes him out on stage as much as possible.
“I’m not trying to do an imitation of Frankie Valli,” Wexler said. “(The role) encompasses a vast human experience. I’m trying to bring myself to the role, and working from the outside in.”
Music is, of course, vital. From the tender, “My Mother’s Eyes,” that Valli sang as a youngster to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” much later in his career, Valli’s vocals were the heart and soul of the Four Seasons.
Such numbers as “Walk Like A Man,” “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “December, 1963 (Oh What A Night),” “Rag Doll” and “Who Loves You,” provide plenty of musical juice.
“I first saw ‘Jersey Boys’ about 12 years ago when it came to Broadway,” Wexler said. “I loved it. The next day I downloaded all the Four Seasons songs.”
More than music, the essence of “Jersey Boys” is the telling and staging of their stories. “I think it’s the pinnacle of musical theater in America,” Wexler said.
Villager Wally Libenson has seen the show numerous times in New York and around the country.
“You learn so much about the Four Seasons you never knew before,” said Libenson, who performs as a magician in The Villages. “Like everybody, I enjoyed the Four Seasons music but I never knew their story.
“The way that story is told is so entertaining. The staging and music is great and the whole show is very powerful.”
Wexler feels the same way playing Frankie Valli.
“Doing this show is a real challenge but there is a rush being on stage,” Wexler said. “When it’s over, I feel successful, like I have gone up and down the mountain.
“It’s hard work but I feel a responsibility to the audience. I know they paid a lot of money to come and see it and I don’t take that lightly. I give everything I have to it.”
One of the highlights for Wexler comes in the first act, when the group sings “Walk Like A Man.” He also, singled out “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” in the second act, after two members leave the group.
Wexler didn’t know it 12 years ago when he first saw “Jersey Boys” on Broadway, but the musical – like life — would touch him in unexpected ways.
And now, 1,000 performances later, he is captured by the sounds of Jersey Boys.
“The Four Seasons music is a big part of my life,” Wexler said.