The Jersey Beats – Oh What A Nite!
Format: Variety Show
Genre: Rock & Pop
Review Date: February 25 2020
Performance: February 25 2020
Location: Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
Duration: 150 Mins incl. An Interval
Having previously enjoyed The Jersey Beats – Oh What A Nite! in 2018 and 2019, they were back in Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre, and once more they were joined by Leye D Johns and The Viva Showgirls.
Description
The Showgirls began with a dance number, before “Tommy Devito” discussed how it all started for the band. The stage was quite darkly-lit at first, before Silhouettes by the four vocalists opened things properly. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love and Short Shorts were performed as part of telling the story about how the group formed, which included recruiting Frankie Valli and Nick Massi, a great songwriter and performer. After changing their name to The Four Seasons, the group released the next song to be performed, Sherry, which put them on the map.
The popular Rag Doll was sung, and this led us to Leye D Johns’ first segment of the evening, which was quite rightly described as being “outrageous”! He had everyone laughing out loud with some great one-liners. The Seasons returned to sing Let’s Hang On and Stay, with the Showgirls dancing along. A few classic tunes were sung acapella (Johns wanted to join in, creating a funny moment), and he eventually sang Memory from the musical Cats while dressed as a cat, which further pleased the audience! Remember Then rounded out the first half, along with the chance for attendees to follow and share on Facebook to potentially win a prize.
The second half saw the story of the band continue with hit after hit, including Beggin’, C’mon Marianne and Dawn. A Grease number included Leye D. Johns coming on as what could only be described as Sandie! Again, he had the crowd in stitches. Blue Moon and the firm favourite Can’t Take My Eyes Off You had everybody joining in. Big Girls Don’t Cry was followed by each member singing a song of their own (including Why Do Fools Fall In Love and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. All four came back together to sing Walk Like A Man, leading to the big finale of Bye Bye Baby and Oh What A Nite! The host Leye D Johns thanked the audience and invited everybody to meet them afterwards in the foyer.
Analysis
This is the perfect definition of a variety show. You get music, dancing and comedy, with the three elements occasionally intertwined to make specific parts of the evening stand out. Of course, it is the performers themselves who make the night a real success: Matt Andrews, Johnny O’Connor, Michael Cosgrove and Toby Beal all shone in their roles by demonstrating excellent voices, great harmonies and generally top-of-the-range singing as a whole. Leye D Johns, meanwhile, was hysterical: he has the sense of humour which is familiar yet side-splitting, and even those who have seen this show before were still laughing at his increasingly-naughty material. And The Viva Showgirls proved their value to the production with some first-class dancing skills, helping to add a further level of prestige and class to the performance.
Summary
The Jersey Beats – Oh What A Nite! have already announced a return to the Epstein Theatre for 2021, and based on this event, we’d be more than happy to see it again (incidentally, those hoping to see the show next year can catch it at Viva Blackpool throughout the spring and summer, but if you want to experience it in Liverpool, make sure to buy tickets early as this was a sell-out). Whether you’re coming for the music, the comedy or the dancing, this show has it all and ticks every box for a thoroughly enjoyable night with a fantastic host, awesome singing and eye-catching moves.
Notes
Target Audience: Adults Aged 35+
Content: Some Mild Innuendo
Recommendation?: Yes
Overall Rating: 9/10 – Outstanding
Further Details
For more information about The Jersey Beats – Oh What A Nite!, click here.
