by guest blogger and Tommy fan, Jennifer Godwin
As far as guitar-shredding rock operas go, The Who set the bar early and high with Tommy. The Rep saw fit to meet that bar with its boisterous, high-powered staging of Pete Townsend’s story about a deaf, dumb and blind boy who achieves pinball glory and a near-religious awakening.
- Pinball glory
Led by a golden, captivating Brian Hissong as the titular character, the ensemble cast never missed a beat, hitting (nearly) every wild note and mastering the demanding choreography.
Much credit for the rock and flow of the musical goes to the superb casting in the supporting roles. As Captain and Mrs. Walker, actors Brad Little and Amy Halldin create exquisite harmonies and palpable tension. Likewise, Ethan Paulini and Vincent D’Elia deftly play their tormentors (Cousin Kevin and Uncle Ernie, respectively) with just the right amount of subversive glee.
But it is the three Tommys at different ages who provide the show with its emotional center and driving force. As the 4-year-old Tommy who witnesses an act so disturbing that he shuts himself off to the world, Julia Landfair is a wide-eyed marvel. Ten-year-old Tommy is played with a delicate deftness by Henry Melhorn, whose moments with Hissong (the elder ego Tommy) make for some of the most moving of the show.
Hissong triumphs in his role as the adult Tommy. He commands your attention from the first moment he appears onstage. He makes us want to join his rebel yell in “I’m Free,” and shines in a giddy rendition of “Sensation.”
The second act, which has always seemed the weaker of the two, failed to match the intensity of the first. That’s probably because the first concludes with the Acid Queen, here played to perfection by Christina Sajous, who injected the part with a banshee junkie personality who quivers and quakes with salacious intent. This would be a good time to point out that parts of this production are decidedly not PG.
That said, the violence of the ending is toned down considerably from the movie version. The finale will still send a shiver down the spine, but not for the reasons you think.
The set by Mike Nichols is a sparse one: At first glance, it looks unfinished. But the versatility becomes obvious in the opening number — scaffoldings are meant for jumping off of, the lazy susan set piece obscures what we need not see, then turns to reveal a preacher, a judge, a rock star. Set pieces roll in and out without distracting from the narrative. Yes, pinball machines make multiple appearances, as do gigantic pinballs in one particularly high-spirited dance number.
Clever usage of still and video images superimposed on the back wall gives the audience a sense of the time and place, sometimes, quite literally.
There were some sound issues with the performance we went to; it was more rock concert than theater production at times (one could make the point that it was intentional, but try telling that to the woman next to me).
The Who’s Tommy continues at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock, through June 28. More information is available at www.therep. org or (501) 378-0405 or (855) 684-3737.