By James V. Ruocco
The success of a theatrical production.....drama, comedy or musical....rests largely at the helm of its director. He or she is the auteur, the visionary, the creator who takes the text off the paper, molds and shapes it into something that brims with life, plays and toys with the senses and lets you bask in all its theatrical glory.
Jonathan Larsen's "Rent," immediately, springs to mind. So does "Dear Evan Hansen" and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."
A fourth, of course, is the original 1993 production of "The Who's Tommy" and it's subsequent West End production in London, three years later.
Both productions rocked its audience into a frenzied stratosphere and acid-trip high that was absolutely unbeatable.
That torrent-filled, drug-induced high permeates Sharon Wilcox' thrilling, emotional staging of "The Who's Tommy" at the Warner Theatre. If anyone was meant to stage Pete Townshend's brazen, quirky, absurdist rock opera, it's Wilcox. She doesn't just recreate "Tommy," she breathes new life into this celebrated musical story that began life as a concept album in 1969, then, was transformed into a kitschy Ken Russell movie musical and finally, a Broadway and London production.
Her inspired take on the material captures both the creator's spiritual, sexual and atmospheric subtext, its emotional frenzy and forgiveness and its rock opera aura. She adds so many swirls, whirls, layers and colors to this "Tommy," Townshend's overly-familiar musical score and story actually struck me anew.
Moreover, there is a terrific, electrifying energy to Wilcox's work that grabs you from the second the production starts and continues through the end of both Act I and Act II. It doesn't drop for a single meg-a-second as her fully committed cast embrace the show's material, its rock concert feel, its high-amped concept and its often quiet, tender, thought-provoking moments.
Wilcox, admittedly, has never been to London. Really? Yes, really. Nonetheless, she puts "the English" back into "Tommy," which, surprisingly, was absent, at times, in both the Broadway and West End production. Here, actors often speak or sing with English accents. Their moves, their stances, their positioning, their manners are reflective of both the men and women who lives across the pond. And lastly, the actual groupings of the characters through both dance and stage blocking, are unmistakably English. Heightening this experience, is the very English set design (superbly executed by Steve Houk) and Wilcox's plucky, imaginative choreography, which recalls elements from various West End musicals including both "Blood Brothers, "Tommy" and those long-forgotten BBC variety shows.
Wilcox is so in sync with "all things English," there were moments in "Tommy," where I actually thought I was back at London's West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre instead of downtown, fucking Torrington. This is also due, in part, to the flawless lighting design, crafted by LBC Lighting; Renee C. Purdy and Aurora Montenero's exceptional, colorful costume design (very Carnaby Street in Act II); and Chris LaPlante's explosive sound design.
There is also a fight sequence in Act I, staged by Wilcox and fight choreographer Rob Richnavsky, which effectively uses strobe lighting to enhance the dramatic momentum. Brilliant, just brilliant.
But wait! There's more.
A movie screen, strategically placed smack, dab, right above the big, panoramic playing area (this is the Warner Theater, folks, not Seven Angels) allows for beautifully designed projections, videos, live action, pop art, posters and news clips to chronicle the passage of time, from Tommy's birth in the 1940's to his cult status in the '60s. This brilliant video/production design enhancement, has been cleverly crafted by director/choreographer Sharon Wilcox and the equally talented Katherine Ray. It is worked seamlessly into the ongoing action without missing a single beat by Ray and her video/production crew Craig Clavette and Randale Nunley.
But things don't stop there.
To keep the story of "Tommy" flowing at breakneck speed, Wilcox, genius that she is, has assembled a first-class running crew (Terry Breen, Kenneth Austin, John Quinn, Liz Glasser, Tori Campbell, Michelle Rinaldi, Craig Clavette, Anthony Esandrio and Scott Iwanicki.) to change and move sets (supervised by Key Grip, Taryn Glasser) faster than you could say Clark Kent. All ten of these people, deserve a standing ovation in their own right. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
The story of "Tommy," if, you may remember, is hardly Ben & Jerry's ice cream or Tiptoe Through the Tulips. It's unsettling stuff but, then again, so was Jonathan Larsen's "Rent." Nonetheless, the story, as envisioned by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, begins with the newly married Mrs. Walker trying to survive in World War II London while her husband Captain Walker is sent off to war in Nazi Germany.
Of course, her handsome husband is captured and presumed dead just about the same time she gives birth to a beautiful baby boy named Tommy. By the time the war ends, Mrs. Walker has a boyfriend, has sex repeatedly (she is a very hot redhead, you know) and before you can say Paulette Goddard, Captain Walker comes home, catches them in the act, shoots and kills the son-of-a-bitch while a traumatized young Tommy witnesses the crime and, for story purposes, drifts into a catatonic state, unable to hear, speak or see. Not "Coronation Street," by a longshot.
As "Tommy" evolves, Captain Walker and his wife search for a cure, never giving up hope, anxiously waiting for a miracle. Unbeknownst to them, young Tommy ends up being sexually abused by his twisted Uncle Ernie and tortured and bullied by his nasty Cousin Kevin and his mates.
But since this is musical theater, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tommy eventually grows up, becomes a very famous pinball wizard, gets his sight back via a second trauma (thank you, Mrs. Walker) and is suddenly transformed into a cultish Carnaby Street rock messiah hero with the same sort of obsessed groupies who once ripped the pants and other unmentionables off the Beatles, the Dave Clark Five and Cliff Richard.
The outstanding element of any musical or rock opera is, first and foremost, the band and its musical direction. For "Tommy," musical director Dan Ringuette (he also conducts and plays Keyboard 1) is the right choice to lead this mammoth production to musical victory at the Warner. He gives pop, pulse, frenzy, dazzle, humor and edge to Pete Townshend's refreshingly melodic, sometimes, twisty, complicated score.
There's lots going on (one musical number after another, some short, some long) because "Tommy" never actually stops. Of course, therein, lies the challenge, but Ringuette is never once daunted.
The sentiments of "Tommy," the harmonies, the frenzied beats and rhythms, the sexual musicality, the chants, the declarations, the irony, the camp, the drama, the passing of time and the bloody oddities of the piece explode with lovingly, precisely interpreted eclecticism.
One minute you get the melodic "It's a Boy" and 'Twenty One," quickly followed by the edgy "Amazing Journey." Or much later, the glorious "Pinball Wizard," the harmonious "I Believe My Own Eyes" and the plot changing "Smash the Mirror."
Smartly interpreted by Ringuette and his very talented seven-member band, Paul Tine (Keyborad 2), Chris King (Keyboard 3) , Mark Garthwait (Guitar 1), Meric Martin (Guitar 2), Dan Porri (Bass), Nate Dobas (Drums) and Dan Borgman (Horn), this production of "Tommy" moves swiftly into the 21st century and hits its audience happily in the face with songs they know and love (lots of "Tommy" groupies were in the audience opening night cheering, texting and taking those fucking ridiculous vanity selfies of themselves) without the datedness and darkness of other productions including several national touring companies that quickly derailed halfway through the first act.
If ever there was anyone more suited to play the pivotal role of Mrs. Walker in "Tommy," it's Roxie Quinn. She is a beautiful, beguiling actress and singer with enough God-given talent to address, tackle and inhabit the part of this gutsy, driven character. Here, she is presented with a plum role that requires depth, range, personality, charm, allure and motherly concern. She inhabits the role intuitively from start to finish. She never misses a beat. And vocally, Quinn's voice is Broadway caliber, giving everything she sings ("Twenty-One," "Smash the Mirror," "Do You Think It's All Right?) the vocal strength, style and shape of a personal confession. She often reminds one of "Rent's" Idina Menzel or a young Betty Buckley.
Adam Boe, ideally cast as Captain Walker, returns to the Warner stage after a 16-year absence. He is a very talented and charismatic leading man, well-matched to play opposite leading lady Roxie Quinn. He's got one of the best male voices in the show and his duet with the vocally perfect Quinn ("I Believe My Own Eyes") is a genuine showstopper worthy of a standing ovation. Elsewhere, Boe exhibits great strength and understanding of his character, the music and his interactions and exchanges with the principals, supporting cast and the ensemble. He also looks as if he was plucked right out of some BBC drama, set in wartime England.
"Tommy" marks the first time I've been privy to seeing the wonderfully charismatic Peter Bard on the Warner stage. As the bullying Cousin Kevin, Bard is a confident, multifaceted performer, so bloody well connected to the role, one quickly forgets he's an actor in a big stage musical. Bard is the real deal, folks. He owns the part of Cousin Kevin. His main vocals ("Cousin Kevin," "Tommy Can You Here Me?") are consistent and impressive. His moves, facial expressions and quirky persona are "spot on" and completely in sync with Townshend's vision of the character. And, to his credit, Bard's characterization far surpasses that of Anthony Barrile from the 1993 Broadway production of "Tommy" and Hal Fowler, who played Cousin Kevin on the West End stage.
Josh Newey, who rocked the Warner Stage Company studio theatre last year as the manic Ash in the wild and deliciously wacky "Evil Dead: The Musical," brings enough energy and twisty panache to the part of Uncle Ernie to fill not just one, but five different auditoriums. This is not a likeable character. After all, he does sexually abuse young Tommy. But Newey is an actor and a magnificent one at that. Here, he cuts looses, goes hog wild and adds more color and shading to the part than both Paul Kandel on Broadway and Ian Barthlomew in London. I, for one, can't wait to see what he does next. And, I will be there on opening night to cheer him on. Like Bard, Newey is the real deal.
The part of the older catatonic Tommy, who also doubles as Narrator, is certainly a difficult role to pull off. Musically, there's a lot of different vocals terrain to address. Acting wise, you have to be completely in sync with the character's deaf, dumb and blindness. Noel Roberge who was wonderfully charismatic in the Warner Stage Company's thrilling production of "Assassins," is ideally cast as Tommy. He rarely disconnects from the character's troubled mental and physical state and is quite comfortable vocally in the show's big, swirling moments "I'm Free," "Sensation," "Welcome" and the closing anthem "We're Not Gonna Take It."
Roberge has also done his homework. He often sings and speaks with an English accent and shows impressive range toward the end of Act II when Tommy is transformed into a pinball wizard media celebrity/rock star and eventual messiah of the people. There's no doubt that this Tommy is plucked right from 1960's London, Carnaby Street and the BBC. Roberge executes all the right moves, the right stances and positioning and lastly, the right celebrity overkill.
In the role of the Acid Queen, made famous by Tina Turner in the 1975 Ken Russell musical film adaptation of "Tommy," Kate Chamberlain is sexy, pitch-perfect and alluring. She slinks about the Warner stage with acid-induced gusto and commands your attention with her vocally perfect interpretation of the dynamically rousing "Acid Queen."
A show of this size and caliber needs a very strong ensemble cast and Wilcox achieves that with many of her casting choices. Bronwyn Hamill, for example, has a variety of roles, which she plays with just the right amount of poise, depth and personality. Nicole Bard, who thrilled audiences last season as Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" at the Thomaston Opera House, is in fine form here. She too plays multiple roles, each one different from the next. Catlin Barra, who was absolutely terrific as Shelley in "Evil Dead: The Musical" at the Warner, is also in fine form. Then, there's Lauren Jacob who looks and acts as if she stepped out of a Carnaby Street fashion magazine, circa, London, 1964.
"The Who's Tommy" is one of the most ambitious productions to be showcased at the Warner Theatre in recent years. It is a crisp, savvy, insanely rousing musical porridge of Englishness with healthy and absurdist dashes of psychedelic daydreams, Christ-like symbolism, nostalgia, acid trips, time travel, murder, sex, bullying, homosexuality, obsessive groupies, Carnaby Street fashion, romance, cover ups, traumas, miracles, and oh, yes, a pinball machine.
"The Who's Tommy" is being staged at the Warner Theatre (68 Main St, Torrington, CT). Performances are 8 p.m. Feb. 10 and 11 and 2 p.m. Feb. 12.
For tickets or more information, call (860) 489-7180.
(Jim Ruocco welcomes your comments. You can contact him at JimRuocco@aol.com)
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