'Tommy' Rocks Boston

"The Who's Tommy"
Presented by Stoneham Theatre, Stoneham, Mass.
Book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff
Music & Lyrics by Pete Townshend
Additional Music & Lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon
Directed & Choreographed by Robert Jay Cronin
Music Director/Conductor, Angelyn Fullarton
Scenic Designer, Charlie Morgan
Costume Designer, Kendra Bell
Lighting Designer, Martin Vreeland

Cast:
Tommy, Jake Simpson
Mrs. Walker, Robyn Elizabeth Lee
Captain Walker, Thomas Keating
Uncle Ernie, Robert Saoud
Cousin Kevin, Scott Marshall
Tommy (age 4), Emily Sheeran
Tommy (age 10), Connor Barry
Acid Queen, Sarah Corey
Specialist, Andrew Giordano
Chorus Leaders, Elizabeth Asti, Brad Bass
Sally Simpson, Allison Russell

Performances: now through October 3
Box Office: 781-279-2200 or www.StonehamTheatre.org

When a busload of senior citizens from Erie, Pennsylvania gives "The Who's Tommy" a standing ovation, you know it's a good production. That's right. At a recent performance of Stoneham Theatre's clever restaging of Pete Townshend's classic rock opera, an audience full of golden agers visiting Boston courtesy of InnovaTours gave an enthusiastic "thumbs up" to the proceedings. Mind you, at intermission a majority of these mature theater goers did seem a bit bewildered; but by the time the energetic young cast took its final bow, these same patrons were on their feet, clapping to the beat of the band.

The Stoneham staging of this masterwork – originally produced as a concept album in 1969 and later performed in concert, as a ballet, a movie, and finally a Tony Award-winning musical – proves that "Tommy" is both ageless and timeless. Its universal themes of childhood trauma, psychological escape, miraculous recovery, unwanted celebrity, the acceptance of harsh realities, and ultimate reconciliation and forgiveness all transcend any generational definitions implied by the period rock music. Though "Tommy" takes place in London from the 1940s through the 1960s, its ethereal qualities suggest an otherworldliness that is rooted in no specific city or decade.

Director and choreographer Robert Jay Cronin, artistic director of New York's Ergo Theatre Company and associate artistic director of Northern Stage, has fashioned a simultaneously powerful yet intimate portrayal of Tommy's amazing journey from that "deaf, dumb and blind kid" to the sensational "pinball wizard" who is revered and adored by the crowds. Amidst the spectacle of RAF paratroopers descending down firehouse poles and white-coated doctors glowing menacingly under black light, "Tommy" also has moments of real tenderness. Scenes in which the younger and older title character gaze at each other in a mirror reflect Tommy's ongoing attempts to find the understanding and consolation that the real world doesn't give him. There is also the gently hovering presence of the older Tommy as narrator during the younger Tommy's enduring abuses. An almost Christ-like quality in the older Tommy's attentions here conveys an aura of angelic protectiveness that somehow reassures us that there is hope for the young boy's future.

Rising pop star Jake Simpson (2003 and 2004 winner of television's "Star Search" hosted by Arsenio Hall), is very appealing as the tormented but resilient Tommy. His strong voice and even stronger stage presence interpret the complexities of Pete Townshend's superb score with the clarity and confidence of a much more seasoned musical theater professional. A uniformly good supporting cast that combines equity actors with students from Stoneham Theatre's Resident Youth Ensemble also perform with polish and skill.

A real strength of Stoneham Theatre's "Tommy" is the excellent balance struck between the six-piece band's hard-rock edge and the ensemble's powerful vocals. Unlike so many rock operas of the day where musicians seem to compete with singers for attention, this production actually has a band that accompanies rather than obscures its actors. The words to such classic songs as "Amazing Journey," "Pinball Wizard," "I'm Free" and "We're not Gonna Take It" are all articulated beautifully without sacrificing any of the music's energy or drive.

While not performed in a big venue, the four-year-old Stoneham Theatre's current production of "The Who's Tommy" is a big winner. It is an exciting fusion of pop culture and musical theater that celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit. With strong artistic and musical direction, solid performances, and a rocking good band, "Tommy" deserves a big audience.