Valli, Four Seasons put on a memorable performance

Joe Delaney

Friday, Oct. 8, 1999 | 9:58 a.m.

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, plus a superb horn section, should be doing near-capacity business through Saturday in the Orleans showroom at prices in the $40 range, a tribute to an act that Billboard magazine calls "the longevity champions of rock 'n' roll." Comedian Stewie Stone, who has worked with Paul Anka and Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme through the years, is an unbilled, very pleasant surprise.

Stone tells the truth funny, starting with ethnic pride and a humorous discourse on the things that set the various ethnic groups apart. The comedic territory traversed is familiar, but the journey is different and worth the trip, especially his diatribes on diets, marriage and divorce -- and remarriage.

Valli still retains the flavor of his Newark, N.J., tough neighborhood beginnings, doo-wopping on street corners, first with the Varsity Trio, later the Four Lovers, who had their first hit in 1956, "You're the Apple of My Eye." The group was rechristened Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons because of the 3 1/2-octave range of Valley as lead singer, going from a natural baritone to a spectacular falsetto.

His reception here was immediate and prolonged. Opening with "Working My Way Back to You," he followed with "I'm Begging You" and a Sinatra tribute with "I've Got You Under My Skin." His chat was brief and to the point. "Dawn," "Who Loves You, Baby," then another big hit, "My Eyes Adored You" and "Native New Yorker" led to another narrative session. "Since I Met You, Baby," a blues song credited as one of the forerunners of rock 'n' roll, "Save It For Me," "I'll Be Strong" and the mega-hit "Grease" set up "December, 1963," a No. 1 hit twice in separate decades. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" was accorded a standing ovation, one of many.

There was the usual hit medley; "Sherry," "Walk Like a Man" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" with the audience singing along in tune and having a good time. It was time for bows, another standing O, then two encores, "Rag Doll" and "Let's Hang On," again with the capacity crowd making like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Stone's effective 25 minutes were a perfect lead-in and set-up for Valli and the Four Seasons' super-strong, generous 75 minutes. Musically, this has been Valli's best back-up, vocally and instrumentally, in recent ken.

When one considers that the first hit was 43 years ago and most of the selections from the 1960s, '70s and '80s were still that familiar to the multigeneration Orleans audience, it is easy to understand why Valli and the Four Seasons continue as the longevity champions of rock 'n' roll.

When you attend a performance expecting to enjoy it, then find that it exceeds your fondest expectations, as this one did, you have an entertainment evening to remember.