'Come on the Amazing Journey'

Who could come up with a story as whimsical as "The Who's Tommy?" The question answers itself: Only a rock band such as The Who could come up with this show. The story that began as an album soon evolved into a Ken Russell movie and finally became a successful Broadway musical. Lauren Peccoralo '01 is staging the musical version this weekend in Richardson Auditorium.

"'Tommy' is one of my favorite musicals," Peccoralo said. "It has broad appeal, and it is a very powerful show." The story takes place in a charged atmosphere — post-World War II London. A young married couple, the Walkers (played by Arthur Whitman '01 and Giselle Woo '02), plan to have a baby, when Mr. Walker is suddenly called away to war.

Just after the birth of their son, Tommy (Tyler Richards), Captain Walker is reported missing in action. Some years later, Captain Walker returns unexpectedly, which leads to a tragic turn of events. Tommy witnesses the whole episode.

Frightened, Mr. and Mrs. Walker instruct Tommy: "You didn't hear it, you didn't see it, you won't say nothing to no one ever in your life." It is a self-fulfilling prophecy—the little boy becomes deaf, dumb and blind shortly thereafter.

From here, the musical follows Tommy's adolescence through a whirlwind of psychedelic characters. Jason Kessler '02 and Dan Huron '00 take over the role of Tommy for this ride, with Huron, who portrays the oldest Tommy, also serving as the story's narrator.

No one has any idea what to do with the unique boy, and his parents try all possible means to cure him, taking him to various doctors and specialists. His father even goes so far as to take Tommy to a prostitute known as the "Acid Queen" (Kaz Phillips '01) to see if she can awake Tommy's senses.

His mother leaves him at the mercy of terrible babysitters. Tommy's Uncle Ernie (Rob Accordino '03) molests him, and his Cousin Kevin (Rob Cross '00) tortures him mercilessly.

It is his masochistic cousin, however, who discovers Tommy's particular gift: The boy is a "Pinball Wizard." After Tommy's "miracle cure," he gains cult status because of his virtuosity. His fans hail him "a new messiah," and look to Tommy for the answers on how to live their lives.

Written in 1965, "Tommy" expressed in many ways the angers and emotions of the Woodstock Generation. When it debuted as a musical in 1992, The London Times noted its "sung-through story that was composed at a time when to be young and stylish was mandatory and to be humbly born and rebellious highly desirable. Who better fitted the period's often self-pitying, sometimes self-flaunting, and always self-absorbed fantasies than the London boy, liberated by his wizardry in pinball and transformed into a showbiz messiah?"

"There definitely are many elements of the 'free love' generation in this show," Peccoralo said. But she also reminds audiences of its timelessness. "The messages in ["Tommy"] are particularly strong and relevant to today's society. It's about our own personal searches for self. Just like Tommy, in order to find our realities, we must look within ourselves. This message is timeless."

The show has a message for all eras, and its one-in-a-million plot could hook an audience of any era, too. Peccoralo recognized this when she proposed the show. "I love it because it touches on so many important issues, including individualism, materialism, introspection, family and abuse," she said.

Tommy's music, of course, is the medium that conveys these important themes. Like "Jesus Christ Superstar," PUP's Richardson show of last year, "Tommy" is a rock opera, which means that the whole piece is musical—all lines are sung.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Pete Townshend's legendary lyrics and music made for an amazing album, and they are even more impressive when animated by actors on a stage. The show's band director, Geoff Gentile '01, nourishes the interplay between music and drama.

"The energy in the score serves to drive the action on stage at an aggressive pace, as well as invigorate all those involved in the pit, the cast, and especially the audience," Gentile said.

Just as the plot of "Tommy" is brought to life by the show's music, so too is the music brought to life by cast and band members. Rock operas call for a different kind of voice than most musical theater productions, but that didn't prevent Peccoralo from assembling an incredible cast.

Quite the opposite, in fact — members of the cast were all the more eager and available to do this kind of show.

"Because it is a rock opera, all of the voices have to be very strong in their upper ranges, particularly the males," Peccoralo said. Tommy's principle cast is almost entirely male, so it is a good thing they handle any difficulties as well as they do.

Accordino makes for an eerily licentious Uncle Ernie. Cross' portrayal of Cousin Kevin calls to mind Alex, the gleefully sadistic hero of "A Clockwork Orange." All three Tommies live up to their roles, too: 8-year old Richards, Kessler and Huron, who can definitely fill the show's title role.

Look forward to Woo, a veteran of Princeton rock musicals, as Mrs. Walker. She shines with Whitman — their second act duet "I Believe My Own Eyes" is one of the show's highlights.

Peccoralo knows what quality she is working with. "This show is about the cast," she said. The Broadway version of "Tommy" was enhanced with psychedelic effects — sparks, levitating pinball machines, flames and Magritte-like slide projections. Understandably, the people at Richardson were hesitant about such extremes, but Peccoralo trusts her cast and band.

"We don't need any explosions to put on a great show," she says.

Peccoralo is taking care of that, with the help of her production staff, all of whom are deeply commited to the success of this technically-difficult show.

Gentile, who was in charge of assembling the orchestra for "Tommy," explains how this passion for the show pays off: "The music for Tommy is sensational because everyone in the pit has a love for the music. For those who have been fans of it for a while, it's wonderful for them to be able to help bring the score to life. For those who were unfamiliar with the music, like me, you get hooked right from the beginning."

This production of "Tommy" has all the potential to hook audiences from the get-go, too. For two and a half hours next weekend, it will be one "amazing journey."

Princeton University Players presents "The Who's Tommy." Fri., March 31 at 8 p.m., and Sat. April 1 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Call (609) 258-5000 for reservations.