The Who's Tommy

By Joseph Cervelli

In the middle of the explosive and mesmerizing revival of "The Who's Tommy" at the Nederlander Theater, Ali Louis Bourzgui in the title role breaks into "Sensation." A most apt song for this young performer to sing for he is quite sensational. Well, there is nothing that is less than breathtaking here. I fell in love with the original which I saw back in 1993. I could not imagine that this production could be better, but it is. There is a modern feel to it thanks to changes in the book and the direction by Des McAnuff who was at the helm of the original production. 

A huge amount of credit has to go to projection designer Peter Nigrini who creates a dizzying array of nonstop shapes in various directions that are significant because it is the way our hero envisions what is happening around him when he can no longer speak, hear or see. Adding to the projections is David Korins smartly intricate set design. 

The story takes place in Britain in which Captain Walker (Adam Jacobs) is sent to war and his pregnant wife (Alison Luff) is given the tragic news of his death. Some time passes and she and her four year old (played  by Cecilia Ann Popp at the performance I attended)  are living with her brutish lover (a perfectly menacing Nathan Lucrezio). When Captain Walker who is very much alive comes to the door there is a fight and he kills the lover. This is when Tommy is so affected by this he goes into a kind of stupor. Brought to different hospitals for treatment he has lost all three senses.  Six years pass and Tommy (played at this performance by Quinten Kusheba) has not improved. Both children are wonderful in not very easy roles. True no dialogue but their faces need to be blank and they accomplish this most admirably. With their curly haired wigs they look so much like the grown Tommy. 

Tragically, Tommy goes from being sexually abused by "Uncle" Ernie (a scary John Ambrosino) to one quack doctor to another but suddenly at a pinball arcade he becomes a genius at playing. As time goes on he has a following. To the pseudo adoring crowd he becomes a hero, savior, prophet, etc. That is until he returns to normal again. That is when they turn against him and want nothing to do with a man who can offer them nothing. 

While the Nederlander is smaller than the St. James Theater where the show originated it works better here. You feel yourself drawn more into his world and the spectacle of the brilliant lighting by Amanda Sieve is never overdone. While the sound design is loud we need to compliment sound engineer for being able to understand all the lyrics clearly. And Peter Townshend's jaw dropping score sounds as fresh as when it was first written. 

All the performances are on the top of their game. Bourgzui not only has a powerful voice but his body movements touchingly exhibit his inner feelings. Christina Sajous is the best Acid Queen I have seen. As much as I adored Tina Turner, she overplayed the role in the disastrous movie version. Here Sajous plays it in a seductively frightening manner which works perfectly. I was excited to see what the always terrific Bobby Conte ("A Bronx Tale" and "Company") could do with the role of Cousin Kevin. Let's not forget this talented young actor come award time. 

I would be truly amiss not to mention Lorin Latarro's wildly varied stunning choreography. This talented young choreography never seems to get the recognition she has deserved in previous musicals. Let's hope this is not the case here.

Thanks to all involved in this production of  "Tommy" which feels fresher and even more moving than I imagined it could be. 

PHOTOS: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Tickets are available at the Nederlander Theater 208 West 41st Street.