“Jersey Boys, you’re just too good to be true. Can’t take our eyes off of you… Jersey Boys, which opened its national tour Sunday at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre, is every bit as good as you’ve heard it is… Much praise has been heaped on the award-winning Four Seasons on Broadway, but it’s hard to imagine anyone better than the guys in the touring cast. Michael Ingersoll is Nick Massi, the quieter, classier one; Deven May is Tommy DeVito, the gambler and de facto older brother; Erich Bergen is Bob Gaudio, the musical mastermind; and Christopher Kale Jones is Frankie Valli, the voice. The guys sound great and look sharp… I can’t say enough about the fab four at the story’s center… These guys are stars in the making. Who needs Broadway when the tour is this good?”
-Inside Bay Area
“Night after night, the audience in San Francisco’s Curran Theatre doesn’t even ask permission to applaud… they just do! In the middle of songs no less, they’re on their feet, swimming in the ubiquitous sound of The Four Seasons during the first tour engagement of the Tony Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys. This act hits all the right notes… (and) features four knock-out leading men backed by an explosive band… Rounding out the quartet is Michael Ingersoll as the late-Nick Massi. Ingersoll’s controlled, open voice is the perfect piece to the rich and flawless harmonies. His second-act tirade atop an unrelenting bass line is eminent and biting.”
-Broadway World
“This sound of this quartet sparkles because these four singers are matched perfectly. When cut down to a trio for ‘Stay’, the mellower tones of Michael Ingersoll (as Nick Massi) anchor the flow of the song. Later in Act II, Ingersoll delivers a fabulous monologue… As with the songs, Michael Ingersoll’s monologue received a round of well-deserved applause. Ingersoll’s speaking and singing voice is beautiful; his presence on stage is sturdy, his sense of humor is light and dry. We feel the basic truth for his leaving the group – he needs to be a father to his children.”
-San Francisco Sentinel
“The standing ovation that followed the San Francisco opening night of the groundbreaking musical, Jersey Boys Sunday was spontaneous, heartfelt and well-deserved… it emerged from the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, and tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. What the audience had just seen was an astounding musical comedy; a true story of Shakespearean proportion that made poetry of the blue collar American Dream. And then, just as you thought you had the tears under control, the real guys came out on stage – the princes from the lands of Jersey and New York, now white-haired, mostly – fellas whose amazing story had just unfolded on the stage in front of us… It was a remarkably moving conclusion to a stunning opening night that proved, from the second the show started, that Jersey Boys deserved every Tony Award it won and set a remarkably high standard for any writers thinking of venturing into the much reviled, ‘juke box musical’ jungle… The story is as complex as it is engaging, sometimes with several versions of the same incident told by different members of the group. But the piece is always entertaining and energetic, with director Des McAnuff giving the show a screaming pace that slows only to let the audience marvel at how spectacularly well the actors playing the Seasons – Erich Bergen (as Gaudio), Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones (who had Valli’s falsetto down pat) and Deven May – capture the authentic Seasonal sound.”
-Contra-Costa Times
“What works perfectly in this production is the electrifying synergy between the four leads. It not only mesmerizes its audience; it rallies the kind of devotion usually found for the underdog. Scenes are not stolen by any one actor and no one is upstaged. What must also be commended is how these four actors understand their parts are more than cover versions of the real thing, and how they hone in on the idiosyncrasies of their respective characters. Indeed, the opening night audience didn’t even play by typical New York rules. Standing ovations, often reserved for the end of a show, came whenever and wherever the audience wished, which cleverly and quite serendipitously easily fit into the production’s storyline. A particularly strong ovation came during ‘Dawn (Go Away)’, a number that the foursome sings directly to the audience. The cast responded with the utmost grace and modesty, clearly surprised by the feverish response… So much of Jersey Boys hits the heart and the soul that this tour is destined to dazzle audiences wherever it goes.”
-Theater Mania
“The much anticipated touring production of the Tony winning musical Jersey Boys has come roaring into the Curran Theatre with four amazing singers who knock the socks off the audience. Michael Ingersoll as Nick Massi, who defines himself as the Ringo of the band, has a direct and straightforward presence.”
-Talkin’ Broadway
“It’s almost too good to be true, and you won’t be able to take your eyes off it. This Tony-winning musical bio of the iconic 1960s pop-rock quartet the Four Seasons is every bit as wonderful as the hype generated by its New York run would suggest. Courtesy of the inspired efforts of visionary director Des McAnuff, librettists Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, magnificent triple-threat performers, and the glorious legacy of music in the Seasons songbook, Jersey Boys is among the most exhilarating Broadway tuners of recent years… This touring edition features four other prodigious performers, who invest their portrayals with consummate singing abilities, crisp characterizations, and boundless energy… As Nick Massi, the self-proclaimed ‘Ringo of the band,’ a stalwart member suppressing dissatisfaction, Michael Ingersoll is superb.”
-Backstage
“…Michael Ingersoll is endearing and arrestingly understated as the late Nick Massi, the quiet, often overlooked Season, the one who left fame behind when he came to the realization that ‘if there’s four guys and you’re Ringo,’ there’s only so much glory one can attain.”
-Entertainment Today
“On Sunday night’s opening in Chicago, the audience was on its feet at least three times, including once before intermission… And the likable Michael Ingersoll makes for a more neurotic, less mellow Nick Massi, which is probably closer to the real thing… This is a show that walks like a hit, acts like the big man in town and deserves to stay. People here will understand where these guys were coming from.”
-Chicago Tribune
“This show is platinum… At Sunday’s opening, Valli and Gaudio came up on stage to take bows and hug their remarkable doppelgangers, giving the audience a chance to see precisely how shrewd and accurate the casting of this production has been …And Michael Ingersoll is an ideally quirky Nick Massi, ‘the Ringo’ of the group, who finally walks away.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
“The rags-to-riches tale of this dazzling musical is irresistible… Yet when it comes right down to it, the show soars because of its featured performers, who sound just like the singers they’re playing, and a band that has the Seasons’ original beat down pat… Michael Ingersoll brings humor and pathos to the role of Massi.”
-Daily Southtown
“…this exuberant bio-musical about the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, in a superb touring production that opened Sunday at Chicago’s LaSalle Bank Theatre, …delivers on its promise as one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the season… But what makes this show are the four leads who play these blue collar boys with conviction and charisma.”
-Daily Herald
“Jersey Boys, you’re just too good to be true. Can’t take our eyes off of you… Jersey Boys, which opened its national tour Sunday at San Francisco’s Curran Theatre, is every bit as good as you’ve heard it is… Much praise has been heaped on the award-winning Four Seasons on Broadway, but it’s hard to imagine anyone better than the guys in the touring cast. Michael Ingersoll is Nick Massi, the quieter, classier one; Deven May is Tommy DeVito, the gambler and de facto older brother; Erich Bergen is Bob Gaudio, the musical mastermind; and Christopher Kale Jones is Frankie Valli, the voice. The guys sound great and look sharp… I can’t say enough about the fab four at the story’s center… These guys are stars in the making. Who needs Broadway when the tour is this good?”
-Inside Bay Area
“Night after night, the audience in San Francisco’s Curran Theatre doesn’t even ask permission to applaud… they just do! In the middle of songs no less, they’re on their feet, swimming in the ubiquitous sound of The Four Seasons during the first tour engagement of the Tony Award-winning musical, Jersey Boys. This act hits all the right notes… (and) features four knock-out leading men backed by an explosive band… Rounding out the quartet is Michael Ingersoll as the late-Nick Massi. Ingersoll’s controlled, open voice is the perfect piece to the rich and flawless harmonies. His second-act tirade atop an unrelenting bass line is eminent and biting.”
-Broadway World
“This sound of this quartet sparkles because these four singers are matched perfectly. When cut down to a trio for ‘Stay’, the mellower tones of Michael Ingersoll (as Nick Massi) anchor the flow of the song. Later in Act II, Ingersoll delivers a fabulous monologue… As with the songs, Michael Ingersoll’s monologue received a round of well-deserved applause. Ingersoll’s speaking and singing voice is beautiful; his presence on stage is sturdy, his sense of humor is light and dry. We feel the basic truth for his leaving the group – he needs to be a father to his children.”
-San Francisco Sentinel
“The standing ovation that followed the San Francisco opening night of the groundbreaking musical, Jersey Boys Sunday was spontaneous, heartfelt and well-deserved… it emerged from the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, and tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. What the audience had just seen was an astounding musical comedy; a true story of Shakespearean proportion that made poetry of the blue collar American Dream. And then, just as you thought you had the tears under control, the real guys came out on stage – the princes from the lands of Jersey and New York, now white-haired, mostly – fellas whose amazing story had just unfolded on the stage in front of us… It was a remarkably moving conclusion to a stunning opening night that proved, from the second the show started, that Jersey Boys deserved every Tony Award it won and set a remarkably high standard for any writers thinking of venturing into the much reviled, ‘juke box musical’ jungle… The story is as complex as it is engaging, sometimes with several versions of the same incident told by different members of the group. But the piece is always entertaining and energetic, with director Des McAnuff giving the show a screaming pace that slows only to let the audience marvel at how spectacularly well the actors playing the Seasons – Erich Bergen (as Gaudio), Michael Ingersoll, Christopher Kale Jones (who had Valli’s falsetto down pat) and Deven May – capture the authentic Seasonal sound.”
-Contra-Costa Times
“What works perfectly in this production is the electrifying synergy between the four leads. It not only mesmerizes its audience; it rallies the kind of devotion usually found for the underdog. Scenes are not stolen by any one actor and no one is upstaged. What must also be commended is how these four actors understand their parts are more than cover versions of the real thing, and how they hone in on the idiosyncrasies of their respective characters. Indeed, the opening night audience didn’t even play by typical New York rules. Standing ovations, often reserved for the end of a show, came whenever and wherever the audience wished, which cleverly and quite serendipitously easily fit into the production’s storyline. A particularly strong ovation came during ‘Dawn (Go Away)’, a number that the foursome sings directly to the audience. The cast responded with the utmost grace and modesty, clearly surprised by the feverish response… So much of Jersey Boys hits the heart and the soul that this tour is destined to dazzle audiences wherever it goes.”
-Theater Mania
“The much anticipated touring production of the Tony winning musical Jersey Boys has come roaring into the Curran Theatre with four amazing singers who knock the socks off the audience. Michael Ingersoll as Nick Massi, who defines himself as the Ringo of the band, has a direct and straightforward presence.”
-Talkin’ Broadway
“It’s almost too good to be true, and you won’t be able to take your eyes off it. This Tony-winning musical bio of the iconic 1960s pop-rock quartet the Four Seasons is every bit as wonderful as the hype generated by its New York run would suggest. Courtesy of the inspired efforts of visionary director Des McAnuff, librettists Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, magnificent triple-threat performers, and the glorious legacy of music in the Seasons songbook, Jersey Boys is among the most exhilarating Broadway tuners of recent years… This touring edition features four other prodigious performers, who invest their portrayals with consummate singing abilities, crisp characterizations, and boundless energy… As Nick Massi, the self-proclaimed ‘Ringo of the band,’ a stalwart member suppressing dissatisfaction, Michael Ingersoll is superb.”
-Backstage
“…Michael Ingersoll is endearing and arrestingly understated as the late Nick Massi, the quiet, often overlooked Season, the one who left fame behind when he came to the realization that ‘if there’s four guys and you’re Ringo,’ there’s only so much glory one can attain.”
-Entertainment Today
“On Sunday night’s opening in Chicago, the audience was on its feet at least three times, including once before intermission… And the likable Michael Ingersoll makes for a more neurotic, less mellow Nick Massi, which is probably closer to the real thing… This is a show that walks like a hit, acts like the big man in town and deserves to stay. People here will understand where these guys were coming from.”
-Chicago Tribune
“This show is platinum… At Sunday’s opening, Valli and Gaudio came up on stage to take bows and hug their remarkable doppelgangers, giving the audience a chance to see precisely how shrewd and accurate the casting of this production has been …And Michael Ingersoll is an ideally quirky Nick Massi, ‘the Ringo’ of the group, who finally walks away.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
“The rags-to-riches tale of this dazzling musical is irresistible… Yet when it comes right down to it, the show soars because of its featured performers, who sound just like the singers they’re playing, and a band that has the Seasons’ original beat down pat… Michael Ingersoll brings humor and pathos to the role of Massi.”
-Daily Southtown
“…this exuberant bio-musical about the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, in a superb touring production that opened Sunday at Chicago’s LaSalle Bank Theatre, …delivers on its promise as one of the most eagerly anticipated shows of the season… But what makes this show are the four leads who play these blue collar boys with conviction and charisma.”
-Daily Herald
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