Tommy- the Musical, at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre

Ct Rep is offering Tommy, the Musical, by the Who this spring. The director is Gabriel Barre, a talented man of many excellent skills in the theatrical profession. I am very fortunate to be able to count him among my friends. Several of us joined Gabe and his family for dinner prior to the opening night show and were able to have a quick chat about what to expect. We also met the choreographer, Matthew Neff. Matt is a very talented young man whose work on the show was beautiful. I will have to keep my eye out for his future work.

For those of you who don't know the story of Tommy, it is a dark one. Young Tommy witnesses a murder and stops communicating with people ("that deaf, dumb and blink kid"). He is also sexually molested by his Uncle Ernie. But he eventually regains his ability to communicate and..... I don't want to give the entire plot away. The story has a few changes in it from the rock opera to the musical stage but these don't affect the message.

The production itself was fascinating. The sets were minimal and came and went as needed. Shadow puppetry was used very effectively to tell parts of the story and move it along. And it was wonderfully done. Costumes were great! There were a few I'd love to have for Halloween this year. And, as mentioned earlier, the choreography was delight to watch. The only drawback was the sound production that overwhelmed the singing from time to time. I'm sure this will be worked out quickly. For me, I know the songs. For others, it may get in the way.

Overall, I loved the show. I'd go see it again if I could and take lots of young people. Unfortunately, I live in Boston and the stage is in Storrs, CT, not exactly a 20 minute ride. If you get a chance to go see it, Go!