"The Who's Tommy," a ground-breaking concept album from 1969, has split into a variety of entertainment forms. First, as noted, was the album, with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend. In 1975, there was a movie version, loaded with special effects, directed by Ken Russell and starring Roger Daltrey. In 1992, a stage version opened at the La Jolla (California) Playhouse, with book by Townshend and Des McAnuff, who directed; and additional music and lyrics by John Entwhistle and Keith Moon. It moved to Broadway a year later and ran for 899 performances.
That's the one that opened last night as a strong, vibrant and loud production of Stray Dog Theatre, before a full house at Tower Grove Abbey. It will run through Oct. 22.
Though ears may ache, it's an extremely entertaining evening, sung through like an opera, with fine vocalists and extremely good work from the quintet, led from the keyboard by Chris Petersen. Other musicians were Sean Lanier on drums, Michael Monsey on electric bass, Adam Rugo on guitar and Sallie du Maine Cole on synthesizer.
Justin Been and Gary F. Bell, Stray Dog's artistic director, served as imaginative, effective co-directors, with Been also designing the projection work, which was satisfactory but which added little, and co-designing (with James Volmert Jr.) the highly effective set, which worked well for a larger-than-usual cast of 14. That cast, by the way, got plenty of exercise because there is a great deal of running up and down the aisles while singing energetically. The six-member ensemble also danced, with J. T. Ricroft's choreography emphasizing jumping. Alexandra Scibetta Quigley designed effective costumes and Tyler Duenow's lighting design worked very well.
The story is simple. Tommy is born to Captain (the excellent Jeffrey M. Wright) and Mrs. Walker (strong performance from Paula Stoff Dean) while he is serving in World War II. His plane is shot down and he is captured. Mrs. Walker takes up with a lover, and when the captain returns, he and the lover get into a fight, which results in Walker shooting the lover. Tommy, who is about 4, sees the whole thing and eventually (after abuse from a relative) enters a catatonic state, with no vision, no hearing and no speech. Everyone makes fun of him, bullies him.
Things change in the second act, after he becomes a genius on a pinball machine (nicely constructed with pipes that the imagination immediately accepts). Someone also designed a wonderful and funny-looking television camera that shows up in the second act.
Tommy, by the way, is played by three actors. Audrey Manalang is perfect as the 4-year-old, Braden Phillips is excellent as the 10-year-old, beating on the pinball machine as if it were a real one, and Antonio Rodriguez is practically a show-stopper as the adult. His voice is rich, and he delivers with real style. There also is fine work from Anna Skidis, with a passionate delivery as the Acid Queen, and Sarah Porter delivers powerfully as Sally Simpson. Josh Douglas is fiercely evil as Uncle Ernie, and shows a delightful touch in the sarcastic song, "Tommy's Holiday Camp." Ryan E. Glosemeyer is Cousin Kevin, a junior version of Uncle Ernie.
The story touches on many issues of compassion, love and understanding, but with the entire cast delivering a fine ensemble performance, it's first-rate entertainment as well.
(Photo by John Lamb)
The Who's Tommy, a production of Stray Dog Theatre, opened last night at the Tower Grove Abbey and will run through Oct. 22
— Joe