Posted by - Lady Beverly Cohn
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Lady Beverly Cohn Pete Townshend Hollywood Pantages Theatre The Who’s Tommy \
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Theatre Review:
Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff’s “The Who’s Tommy” Electrifies on the Pantages Stage
Lady Beverly Cohn
Before I launch into a review of “The Who’s Tommy” currently on-stage at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through Sunday, November 15th, I thought those of you who are not “baby boomers” might find the genesis of this rock opera interesting. Following a series of hit singles, in 1968 Pete Townshend began developing a new concept – morphing from The Who’s string of hits, to his idea of one recording that would tell a complete story. The band’s manager, Kit Lambert, suggested that a rock opera would be most unique. Adding to the mix, was Townshend’s spiritual leanings influenced by Indian mystic Meher Baba. That element alone shaped Tommy’s spiritual journey which is the lynchpin of his evolution.
Collin Matthew Flanagan in National Tour of "THE WHO’S TOMMY. ” Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
The album was released in 1969 and became a sensation both in Britain and in the U.S. It is recognized as one of the first major rock operas. The first iteration began in 1971 when Seattle Opera presented the staged version with a very young Bette Midler playing the role of the Acid Queen. Eventually, Director Ken Russell brought “Tommy” to the big screen with a sterling cast including Roger Daltrey, Elton John, Tina Turner, Ann-Margaret, and Jack Nicholson. However, a memorable theatrical version didn’t appear until Townshend met with Des McAnuff who created a full-fledged musical which made its debut at the La Jolla Playhouse hence paving the way for the eventual Broadway opening in April 1993. It was a sensation and the rest is history. I don’t usually take this much time with a backstory, but this was a ground-breaking rock opera and for the non-baby boomers, who turned out in huge numbers on opening night, this information could give you a historic perspective.
The Company of the National Tour of “TOMMY" Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
My review: The National Touring Company of “The Who’s TOMMY,” currently on stage at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through Sunday, November 15th, swept into town delivering a vibrant and visually stunning evening of musical theatre. With Music, Lyrics, and Book by Pete Townshend, and Book and Direction by Des Mc Anuff, with additional Music by John Entwistle & Sonny Boy Williamson II, the story begins with the unexpected arrival home of Captain Walker (Zach Fogel). He has just returned from serving in World War II and on seeing his wife (Mia Bergstrom) with another man, immediately gets into a fight which ends in Walker shooting her boyfriend.
Collin Matthew Flanagan & Mia Bergstrom. Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
Five-year-old Tommy (Mari Grossmann) witnesses the murder at which point his father and mother drill it into Tommy’s young head that he must never speak about what he just witnessed and with those instructions, Tommy stops speaking and basically morphs into robotic movements. The only time he is comfortable is when he stares into a mirror to make sure he’s still “there.” He is examined by a variety of doctors but no one comes up with a diagnoses or a cure. Being quite vulnerable, he’s sexually abused by his Uncle Ernie (Peyton Cassity,) has an unpleasant encounter with his cousin Kevin (Kyle McFalls) and falls prey to the Acid Queen (Kris Lyons). Eventually the grown-up Tommy (Collin Matthew Flanagan) regains his senses and finds that he excels in playing the pinball machine He becomes a champion player, is followed by mobs of adoring fans, and eventually morphs into a cult leader.
Collin Matthew Flanagan in the National Tour of “TOMMY." Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
To say this production is eye candy would not be an exaggeration as the technical team created pure magic and I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge their amazing contributions beginning with the sensational Scenic Design by David Korins, Peter Nigrini’s eye-popping Projection Design, Sarafina Bush’s vibrant, candy-colored costumes, Gareth Owen’s pulsating Sound Design, with Amanda Zieve’s lighting drenching the stage in an array of kaleidoscopic colors. There are 16 high-energy musical numbers choreographed by Lorin Latarro including “Captain Walker,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Acid Queen,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Go to the Mirror,” “I’m Free” and “Tommy, Can You Hear Me?”
The Company of the National Tour of TOMMY Photos by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
The performances delivered by this talented cast and uber energetic dance ensemble are uniformly excellent with Flanagan delivering a stellar performance as Tommy. In closing, this ground-breaking rock opera is as fascinating today as it was when it was first created and together, Townshend and Mc Anuff created a musical legacy that continues to captivate audiences of all ages and I suspect it will continue to do so.
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