‘The Who’s Tommy’ opens at Springer

When the rock opera “The Who’s Tommy” opened on Broadway in 1993, a review in Newsday said at the end of the show the audience was “on its feet, whooping and cheering.”

A New York Times review called it “stunning.”

Beginning tonight at the Springer Opera House in Columbus, audiences can see for themselves what others have found so exciting.

Tommy will run for three weeks with the final show being a matinee on May 15.

The show features music and lyrics by Pete Townshend and had 899 performances on Broadway. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards and won five.

Tommy began as a concept album in 1969. Upon its release, famed conductor Leonard Bernstein called it a “powerful performance that outstrips anything that has ever come out of a recording studio.”

The show is a story of hope and healing, the tale of a young boy who is so shocked by witnessing his father accidentally kill a man that he loses the ability to see, speak and hear. As his family and doctors attempt to break through his isolation, the boy is tormented by experiments and cruelty. Eventually, however, it is discovered Tommy has an uncanny talent for playing pinball and he acquires worldwide fame.

Tommy is played by three performers.

Brookstone School student Sophia Boyanchek and Columbus High School student Patrick Chappel play Tommy as a child.

Chris Tipp makes his Springer debut playing Tommy as an adult. For the past seven months, he has been touring with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

Nate Wasson, who plays Captain Walker, recently performed with the Nebraska Theatre Caravan’s national tour of “A Christmas Carol.”

Alison Rose Munn from New York City plays Mrs. Walker. Munn, described by a critic as having a powerhouse sound, has appeared at the Springer and on tour with “The Taffetas.”

Returning are a couple of familiar faces to Springer audiences, the popular Jim Pharr and Robert Briscoe Evans.

Pharr recently played Cogsworth in “Beauty and the Beast” and Franz Liebkind in “The Producers.”

Evans, who played Max in “The Producers” and Oscar in “The Odd Couple,” includes among his television credits appearances on “Malcolm in the Middle,” “Ally McBeal” and “Ellen.”

The Who, an English band, originally consisting of Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon and had several hit songs including “My Generation” and “Pinball Wizard,” the latter of which is from Tommy.

A film of the show was released in 1975 and had good reviews. Actors in the film included Ann-Margret, Elton John, Jack Nicholson and Eric Clapton. The band’s Daltrey played the lead role.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 2:30 PM with the headline "‘The Who’s Tommy’ opens at Springer."