BWW Reviews: Standing Room Only Productions' THE WHO'S TOMMY Thrills and Entertains

Standing Room Only Productions is producing THE WHO'S TOMMY. It's the story of, you guessed it, Tommy, a young boy who becomes, deaf, mute, and blind after he witnesses his father murder his mother's lover. Tommy is then subjected to a whole new array of abuses from his family before he finally becomes an international pinball star.

Like any opera, the emotions are manic-depressive, the character motivation is dubious, and the plot is more cobbled together than Frankenstein. And, like any rock album, as the title would suggest, THE WHO'S TOMMY is more about The Who than Tommy, which in this case is perfectly fine. I've said it once. And I'll say it again (and probably many more times before I shuffle off this mortal coil), the strength of this piece is in the music and the performances.

The show rides in on a wave of song in "Overture". The music, played deftly by The Whom, the production's band, and the staging add complexity, set the mood and tone when the story is simple.

Director Michael Allen Taylor's pacing is pitch perfect and his ability to create the mood of a grand opera in an intimate space is remarkable. William Michael Luyties' musical direction allows the cast to add emotional depth to The Who's sometimes surfacey, psychedelic-tinged tunes. And Liz Tinder's choreography is a fun complement. The dance seasoning is slight, but without it, the show would be bland.

Justin White (Captain Walker) and Ronna Mansfield (Mrs. Walker) shine in each scene they're in. Compared to the other characters, they're not given much to say (or sing), but they make a big impression nonetheless. Mansfield nails the silently pining soldier's girlfriend, silently pining soldiers' widow and then, finally, the long-suffering war-hero's wife.

Tommy, Tommy, and Tommy: Isaiah Scott Heck (4-Year-Old Tommy) is adorable. Gareth Bell (10-Year-Old Tommy) handled the portrayal of a hearing and vision impaired boy subject to physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his family with maturity and skill.

The post-pubescent or adult Tommy, Michael Chiavone, serves himself up on a platter in his performance - his vocal ability, his energy, his juju itself. Earnestness is vulnerability. And vulnerability is risky. And if I were betting on Chiavone, I'm sure I'd win.

Seth Cunningham (Cousin Kevin) plays his part well. As a villain, he is oddly charismatic. There were mic issues during his most-featured piece (what's a musical without a sound issue) but he didn't need a mic because 1) his performance was so rock(abilly) and 2) I was sitting very close.

Crystal Sharadin, primarily The Acid Queen but also quite a few others, gives a great performance as The Acid Queen. I thought she was Lisa Fischer with the Rolling Stones.

Daniel Rosales (The Harmonica Player/Pinball Wizard) is interspersed throughout, weaving his rich voice through the production. I'd like to hear him as a lead sometime.

It's hard to talk about Brad Zimmerman's Uncle Ernie. I want to say I enjoyed him. But he is portraying a despicable human being. So, I'll praise him obliquely: It's unfortunate that such a hateable character would have such a loveable voice. I found myself wanting him to sing more, but also wanting his character to get his comeuppance and die.

I enjoyed the ride of TOMMY. By the end of the show, I wanted to buy the album. That's a compliment. To The Who. To the cast. To the house band, The Whom. And to Standing Room Only Productions.

Performance dates are October 30, 31 and November 1, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22. Evening curtains are at 8:00 pm. There are also two matinees on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 16 with curtains at 2:00 pm. Performances are at Obsidian Art Space, located at 3522 White Oak Dr. in the heart of the Heights and White Oak dining and entertainment district. To purchase tickets to THE WHO'S TOMMY, visit www.sro-productions.com or call 713-300-2358 for more information.

Photo courtesy of Nicole Nesson.

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