You ever seen audience members jump to their feet before the final curtain even occurs? It’s a rarity to see, but when it does, it actually warms your heart and informs you how powerful live theatre can be. The people who wound up standing before bows were, from my viewpoint, of an older generation of lovers of The Who. But it was sweet to see how much their love for this band, and assumably this show, has stood the test of time. And it probably moves them to see a show that must mean so much to them being introduced to a new generation of theatre lovers, and boy does this production deliver! Original director Des McAnuff is back with a bold, and maybe slightly debatable, take on one of the musicals that put him on the map, and the the result is a strange, psychedelic, radical, totally awesome rock concert experience that must be seen to be believed. With in sync, mosh-pit like grace and sharpness in Lorin Latarro’s choreography, pitch clear sound by Gareth Owen, surreal and masterfully intense lighting by Amanda Zieve, and some pretty slick projection work by Peter Nigrini, there is nothing on Earth that can stop this production from being short of mind blowing! And the key that keeps that heart of it all pumping like a well-oiled machine comes in the form of a talented, robust, force-to-be-reckoned-with rock god named Ali Louis Bourzgui. Seriously, this guys vocals are amazing and I would never have believed the power and even the mature sound coming out of such a young man; I was impressed all the way! I will say, this is one of those shows where you absolutely must be all ears to fully understand the narrative, even if it can be loud, but I assure you it’s all worth. “The Who’s Tommy” is an excellent gem of a musical, and this new production demonstrates how much it’s stood the test of time, and was ready to make its long awaited return in the grandest of ways possible!
