Thursday, September 4, 2008

Theater Review: The Who’s Tommy

By John Garcia of John Garcia's The Column

I'm not telling stories out of class by stating that practically everyone in the Dallas/Ft. Worth theatrical community is aware of how badly Richard Hamburger dropped the ball between the local talent and his reign as Artistic Director of the Dallas Theater Center. Instead of casting local actors, he would consistently cast from New York or from his home turf of Portland, Maine. As though NY was the only place in the country to seek new, real talent or that it was the birth place of theater. I think the Greeks would take issue with that.

Just last week the Dallas Observer had as its cover story the history of the Artistic Directors of the DTC, particularly focusing on Hamburger's rough tenure.

During the DTC Hamburger years it snowballed into a vicious, hurtful battle of tension & resentment between the artistic community and him. Even I have my own personal Hamburger story as an actor. But I'll tell you that one personally over a diet coke.

When he would cast local talent, usually they were regulated to minor or ensemble roles. The battle got so bad that Hamburger pulled DTC out of the Dallas Theatre League. In his last tenure year he even had DTC pull out of The Column Awards consideration.

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux

Needless to say when Hamburger left, the wounds were wide, fresh, and very raw with victims on both sides scattered like corpses all over a bloody and emotional scarred battlefield.

This is what the new Artistic Director of the DTC Kevin Moriaty walked into. Last night his directorial debut opened at DTC, The Who's rock opus, Tommy. His first production as the newly minted head honcho of DTC. His first job as director to be viewed by the DFW community. So how was it? Read on my dedicated subscribers, read on.

In 1969 the British rock band The Who released Tommy as a concept album, but never had thoughts of turning it into a stage production. Instead they just did the album as a live rock concert. Then in 1975 director Ken Russell helmed a film version starring Oliver Reed as "the lover", Jack Nicholson as "the specialist", Elton John as the "Pinball Wizard", Tina Turner as the "Acid Queen", and portraying Tommy's mother was none other than Ann Margaret. The role of "Tommy" would go to The Who's lead singer, Roger Daltrey. At the 1975 Academy Awards, Margaret was nominated for Best Actress, but lost to Louise Fletcher in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

I must admit I'm not much of a fan of the film, the only things I do remember was Turner's sexy performance in beaded fringe and my strong distaste for beans.

Finally in March 1993 the rock opera arrived as a full Broadway spectacle at the St. James Theater starring an unknown Michael Cerveris. Here's a fun fact, Cerveris actually performed at the Dallas Theater Center as "Puck" in A Midsummer Night's Dream several years prior.

That year I saw Tommy on Broadway along with Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Blood Brothers, and The Goodbye Girl. It would be though Tommy & Spiderwoman that I thought were both brilliant pieces of musical theater.

At that year's Tony Awards Tommy rocked into the ceremony with 11 nominations (including a nod for Cerveris), but the spell binding Spiderwoman (starring Chita Rivera) would take the lion's share, sweeping all the acting trophies and the coveted BEST MUSICAL award. Nonetheless, Tommy would have a very healthy run of 899 performances, closing in June 1995.

After soaking in the Broadway version, I was very excited when Dallas Summer Musicals brought the national tour a year later, and I was not disappointed whatsoever. The majority of the original version was still left intact on stage. So having seen the original Broadway production and then the national tour, how does DTC's version stand up in comparison?

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux

For DTC's version the score has been dramatically altered and edited from top to bottom. The score has been streamlined here to actually remarkable effect. The show is now intermission-less. The score is performed with sheer resplendence by local Denton band, Oso Closo.

They are a five piece band comprised of Adrian Hulet (lead vocals, keys); Ryan Jacobi (drums); Chris McQueen (Guitar, vocals); Andy Rogers (Bass); and a rocker chick to boot -- Lindsey Miller on Guitar. This band is the vigorous, muscular strength behind the music, pumping glorious new vibrant blood into the score. From Hulet's soothing vocals to Jacobi's heart thumping drums. McQueen brings the house down several times with some ear shattering, mind blowing guitar licking solos that left me screaming and hollering from my seat!

The production elements of this production would rival any current musical playing on Broadway right now.

Beowulf Borritt's scenic design is a contortion of metal, wood, and water. A long, winding metal staircase serves as its centerpiece, while in front is a long, dark & sinister catwalk. Anchoring the stage is wooden platforms, but underneath is flowing water. The entire set is framed by decaying walls with punched holes and metal beams. It's a sublime design that allows so much of the staging to come to life.

The lighting design by Tyler Micoleau is mouth-watering, jaw-dropping eye candy from start to finish. There is so much "emotional lighting" that bathes the sets that it almost overdosed me in subtext. The rich, textured, layers of lighting for so many of the songs are just so overwhelming to experience. From the stark, blinding whites to the precise, pinpoint of light on an actor's face, to the glorious colors that washed over the house -- it was spectacular. Watch closely how director and lighting designer closely worked in sync to bring forth so much subtext. I won't spoil the riches here for you, but if you love subtext (like I do!) -- Micoleau's lighting design is a dream come true!

Greg Robin's costumes are complimentary to the sets and lighting as well, completing a trio of dazzling design elements. But once again, delicious subtext crisscrosses here. Robin's subtle hints enrich the story in his costumes. Example. Notice that when Capt. Walker comes home, he's wearing a yellow beret. His wife's dress has a simple yellow satin trim and little Tommy is wearing a T-shirt with yellow sleeves and yellow tennis shoes. When the violence strikes horribly on stage, Borritt does not bleed red lighting onto the stage, instead he pours golden yellows. Then later when Tommy is an adult, there is a golden halo gobo following him on stage. That's subtext and theater magic all rolled into one, folks!

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux

Technically the production is marvelous. From the water that pours onto the stage floors, the use of magically sending down a yellow blanket, hospital coats, etc. to the cast, to the brilliant idea of unscrewing light bulbs that become candles, to the final downpour of rain on stage. It was magic. Absolutely pure theatrical magic.

When you've seen as much theater as I have, you want more from shows you've seen before. New colors, shades, subtext, themes, etc. Nothing makes my creative mind turn into coma mush than a paint by number, "been there-done that" production. The direction by Kevin Moriarty is positively splendid and awe-inspiring. The staging alone is worth endless reams of praise.

Using the stage like a chessboard of emotion, he breathes powerful subtext with characters and musicians moving in and out of sync emotionally to give the lyrics and music bold vitality. I was constantly taken aback with sheer enjoyment watching the subtext seep and pour out from his staging, blocking, and direction.

Moriarty completely retooled emotionally the book and score to such new heights that left me speechless. He steered completely away from British accents and World War I. Instead he thrusts the story into real timeline. Thus we see Capt. Walker as one of today's marines being brutalized by Iraq soldiers. Instead of teenage kids at the soda shop where the pinball is located at, it is a group of today's hip-hop youth culture. He takes away the Gypsy queen motif and turns her into a therapist, and so on. There are endless new concepts, themes, perceptions, and ideas thrown onto that stage by Moriarty that would make even The Who say, "Damn. We should have thought of that!"

To use the band Oso Closo as Tommy's muses and/or angels is another smashing idea that works impeccable magic that is interwoven beautifully within Moriarty's cloth of musical theater. Then to use water (representing for me rebirth, baptism, or the calmness of a mother's womb) as emotional subtext is yet another terrific technique here.

Another stroke of genius from Moriarty was actually casting non-traditional. An African American Tommy? Who would have the cajones to do that? Moriarty does and the end result is superb. Take notice directors; look at the talent, not the color of someone's skin.

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux

Because of Moriarty casting this way, it once again added a fresh coat of subtext paint to his emotional canvas. I saw new meaning and depth to the piece that was missing from other productions of Tommy that I've seen…including the Broadway version.

Moriarty's direction is a maelstrom of powerful subtext, staging, and direction. Not to spoil it for you, but the last half is darkly emotional, raw, honest, and vivid in reality. That final sequence actually made me gasp in the darkness from the stark, dark truth that revealed itself, only to find light at the end. I've never seen Tommy done like this. Ever. This is one HELL of a directorial debut by Mr. Moriarty. The man won me over big time. BIG time!

The entire cast is flawless, without a scratch seen whatsoever within their glistening, pristine, glorious performances. From leads to ensemble, they were all fantastic. The stage is littered with such talent it would be impossible to spread the wealth of accolades here. But there are even stand outs within stand outs here.

Within the ensemble, the two outstanding dancers were Luke Longacre (a Broadway performer who just relocated to Dallas) and Tucker Ty (who has several national tours under his dance belt). Observe the eye blinding energy and stage presence these two dancers possess in several numbers. Ty has a beautiful solo in the second half, while Longacre is the scene stealer during "Pinball Wizard" with his hypnotic, dazzling dancing.

There is exceptional work also provided by Chad Daniel as "Cousin Kevin" (whoever came up with the idea of turning him into a drunken frat boy is a genus!); Joshua Doss as "the Lover/the specialist"; Jordan Hall as the "Hawker"; Christian St. John Chiles as the 10-year old "Tommy" and his counterpart Heath L. Williams II as 4 year old "Tommy".

Liz Mikel is both outrageous and sensational as the "Acid Queen". Using that lion roar like singing voice of hers, she devours her big solo, resulting in thunderous response from the audience. Last season Ms. Mikel devastated Dallas audiences with her beautiful performance in Theatre Three's Caroline, Or Change, earning her a Column Award for BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL. With her electrifying performance here in Tommy, she just might be making a second appearance on that Column Award stage come March 2009.

Gregory Lush provides a sick, demented, twisted, scene stealing performance as pedophile "Uncle Ernie". I've never seen this actor on stage before, so the first thing that impressed me immediately was what an exquisite set of vocal pipes this actor possesses. His two big numbers are first rate from start to finish. Using the rubber duckie as a sadistic, disturbing visual of his disgusting crime on the boy is unnerving to say the least. Talk about a play on symbolism here. Think about it. Remember Sesame Street and Ernie the puppet? What song is that cloth puppet remembered for? What else but "Rubber Duckie". Now look at Lush's character's name again.

Portraying Tommy's parents are two Broadway performers who are both magnificent in this rock opera - -Nehal Joshi as "Captain Walker" and Betsy Wolfe as "Mrs. Walker". These two thespians have rock infused, powerful, gorgeous singing voices that blend perfectly within the score of booming rock and ear shattering guitar licks. However, it is their chemistry and subtext within each other and their child that truly impressed me. Observe all this during their duet, "I Believe My Own Eyes". I was seated so close to them during this number that I could touch them. Thus I was able to see within their eyes and body the strength of their love for each other, their marriage, and the illnesses of their boy. The audience was so floored by this duet that there was actual silence in the theater as patrons soaked their pain deep within themselves. Joshi and Wolfe are just sublime in DTC's Tommy.

Photo by Brandon Thibodeaux

Leading the company is Cedric Neal as the adult "Tommy". Usually this character appears much earlier on stage in past incarnations of this musical, but not here. Instead Moriarty keeps Neal hidden until midway the production. This creates Neal's performance to hit the audience like an eye blinding fireworks explosion finale. And boy does he ever! Neal has already delivered glowing performances around town in Aida, Tick, Tick ... Boom! and The Normal Heart. For his performance in Tommy, he has outdone himself. First to hear Tommy's solos sung in a powerful, rich, bold, vibrant, and soaring voice is just remarkable to listen to from the darkness of the theater. I've never heard this score sung so marvelously like Neal's vocal work here. Each of his solos glides and sails into the audience like a glorious rock/pop/soul layered revival. Examples of these include "Mother and Son"; "Sensation", and the tour de force spectacular "I'm Free".

Then there's Neal's deeply emotional, cathartic, and heartbreaking acting within his characterization. Observe how his face displays in vivid detail his heart and soul. To complete the package there is that eye blinding stage presence. Something tells me that if Neal continues to produce stage work like this, Broadway will soon be calling him.

Speaking of songs, the production is chock full of show stopping numbers, from solos to full company numbers. Too many to list here, suffice to say wait till you see this cast take hold of "Pinball Wizard", which has to be one of the most outstanding full company numbers I have ever witnessed. The singing. The band. The dancers. The acting. The passion. The commitment. How good was it? It was met with such ear shattering, thunderous applause, screams, and hollers that the cast had to hold what seemed forever for the audience to subside. Another magnificent company number is "We're Not Gonna Take it". I'll let you experience it yourself, for it is sheer musical theater bliss.

So that's what I thought of Kevin Moriarty's directorial debut with the Dallas Theater Center. Casting some of our smashing talent in leading and supporting roles has greatly repaired the damage Hamburger left between this theater community and DTC.

For this actor/critic, DTC's Tommy actually surpasses by milestones the film version, the national tour, and even yes, the original Broadway production.

It's a version of Tommy that I've never sat through in a theater. If DTC was smart, they would call up some Broadway producers to come see this production and transfer it to the great white way -- with this original company intact.

I mean with such over bloated dreg like Grease and Young Frankenstein currently playing on Broadway, DTC's Tommy would shake the great white way to its very core. Luckily for us Dallas-Fort Worth audiences, we get to experience it first on our own home turf.

You will forever kick yourself in the face if you miss Tommy. Why? Because I predict people will be talking about this rock opera around town for months!

GRADE: A+

The show runs through September 28 and tickets can be purchased online or by calling 214-522-8499.

Pegasus News content partner - John Garcia's The Column

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• Arts > Popular Music > Rock