Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Bristol Theatre Company’s latest show is the Who’s rock opera “Tommy” with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend and book by Townshend and Des McAnuff. Originally written as a concept album in 1969 and the movie in 1975, it was adapted into a stage play in the 1993 and ran on Broadway for almost 900 performances. The story is about Tommy, who as a four year old child witnesses his father kill his mother’s lover in self defense. As he stared at the mirror when this happened, he became deaf, dumb and blind. His parents search for a cure for many years and Tommy finds the one thing that he’s good at is pinball. When his upset mother finally smashes the mirror, Tommy recovers. Now famous for both becoming a pinball wizard and being cured, Tommy gets caught up in his fame, but when he returns, his fans turn on him. However instead of going back, to what he was before, Tommy turns to his family. This high energy show is beautifully executed, wins a standing ovation and it captivates the audience in while weaving a spell with fabulous singing, acting and dancing.
