Tommy
Tonight I attended a production of The Who’s rock musical Tommy at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City, performed by the Catalyst Acting Company (of Iowa City).
There were two slight problems with the show, the main one being sound issues (it was often difficult to hear the singing/speaking over the drums and other instrumentation, because there were no stage microphones in sight, and only a few of the actors wore wireless mics). Secondly, Tommy is a “PG-13″ rated musical (to use the words of the concert program), meaning that it contains some harsh language and questionable content which sorta prevents it from being a family-friendly show.
But aside from that, I enjoyed it. The musicians were excellent, and they did a great job of capturing the “feel” of The Who’s music. There are some very powerful/moving songs in Tommy, and the actors did a great job of conveying the emotion (I can’t get “It’s a boy, Mrs. Walker” out of my head). The pivotal scene in the song “1921″ (where Captain Walker returns home from the war only to be greeted by a rather unpleasant surprise) totally sent shivers down my spine.
Another classic moment was when the 10-year-old Tommy came out on the stage and and sang “See Me, Feel Me.” It was heartbreakingly beautiful. You should have seen the look on that kid’s face. He was perfect for the part.
Other excellent songs included “Smash the Mirror,” “I’m Free,” and of course the inevitable “Pinball Wizard.”
Best of all, the musical had a decidedly happy ending (which, if I recall correctly, is not the case in The Who’s original album).
Posted: March 14th, 2008 under Music.