Jersey Boys
At Clear Space Theatre Company, Rehoboth Beach
This production of Jersey Boys at Clear Space Theatre is a huge hit, selling out every performance. Clear Space was founded in 2004 as a non-profit 501 (c) 3. It is committed to teaching, producing, and presenting the performing arts. Their mission is to inspire audiences, artists, and students through high quality performance, and educational experience. They are clearly doing all that, as they entertain appreciative audiences in Rehoboth Beach.
Jersey Boys first opened in New York on November 6, 2005 and by the time it closed over 11 years later, on January 15, 2017, it was the 12th longest running show in Broadway history. No matter how many times you see it, I have seen it eight times in different venues from Broadway, to on a ship going through the Panama Canal. If the voices are good, it’s a great time in the theater, and in this production they are great.
Jersey Boys takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to discover the secret of a 40-year friendship as the foursome work their way from the streets of New Jersey to the heights of stardom. Enjoy chart-topping hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” “Dawn,” and “My Eyes Adored You,” which brought The Four Seasons the highest honor: induction into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
The entire cast in this production is great, they are all extremely talented, and keep you enthralled for the entire evening. You forget they are theater students performing. Two of the standouts for me were Caetano de Sá who plays Frankie Valli, and Harry Sperduto who plays Tommy Devito. They are a triple threat with their great singing, dancing, and acting. They commanded the stage.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with them to talk about their backgrounds, and love of performing. I predict they both have great careers ahead of them. Caetano is a rising senior at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee BFA Musical Theater program. Harry is a rising senior at SUNY Cortland, working towards his BFA in Musical Theater. To get the chance to perform at Clear Space for the summer season, they went through a number of auditions, the final one being in New York. There they auditioned for the incredible Artistic Director of the theatre, David Button, who also directs this production. Caetano told me he sent out lots of audition tapes to various summer stock opportunities, but was really excited when he heard back from Clear Space. Harry was more focused on Clear Space from the beginning. He told me it was his grandpa Nick who first sparked his interest in Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at a young age. The performers selected for summer stock at Clear Space, work in all their productions. They can be leads in some, and part of the ensemble in others. They get a host of great experiences, including working as counselors at a children’s theater camp, as part of their work experience with the theatre. The camp provides a great experience for them, and for the kids.
Both Caetano and Harry are interested in not just musical theater, but in film, and TV. They talked about their varied training including dance, from jazz to ballet. Caetano told me about an Indie short film he did called Trunk, from Apartment 3 Productions. With their talent they can do both musicals, and take on more dramatic roles as well. To find out more about Caetano you can go to either his website or his Instagram @caetano_desa. For Harry go to his YouTube link, or his Instagram @harrysperduto. As I said, I know you will be hearing more from both of them.
I also want to give a shout-out to the great creative team for this production. Musical Director, James Weber; Costume Designer, Christopher Decker; Lighting Design, Brendan Smith; Choreographer, Autumn Schneider; Wig Designer, Eva Gary; and Set Design, Mark Lenard.
I always enjoy the productions at Clear Space each summer, and it’s a bonus when I get to chat with some of the incredible talent like Caetano and Harry. The summer season goes through August 29th and the other shows include Rock of Ages, and The Prom. There are also special events at the Theatre all summer. For more information, and tickets, go to Clear Space Theatre.