Tommy, you are a sensation!

The Who's Tommy - Stadttheater Bielefeld, 2nd February, 2013

"Tommy" was released as a concept album in 1969 and became a major seller selling more than 20 million copies worldwide since. The masterpiece has some most remarkable songs that are full of emotions and is most intellectually stimulating.

The first visualisation of the album was the 1975 movie starring Roger Daltrey as Tommy Walker, Ann-Margaret as Nora Walker and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen among plenty of other well known names.
It wasn't until early 1990's when a stage production of the it, co-written by The Who's Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, made it to Broadway, winning five Tony Awards.
There are some plot and lyrics changes between the film and the show, which follows the concept album more closely, but they share the same storyline about a psychosomatic deaf, dumb and blind boy who recovers his senses and becomes a spiritual cult leader before learning the true values of life.


In the grand opening scene which is told rather wordlessly the story of Tommy's parents' wedding and separation as his father is off to fight in the war is told.
As a young child Tommy witnesses his presumed-dead father kill his mother's lover in apparent self-defense when returning from war even though his mother turned him away from watching the fight between his dad and the lover by seeing it in a mirror he is facing. His parents demand that he "never heard it, never saw it" leaving the child so traumatised that he develops psychosomatic deafness, dumbness, and blindness.
His petrified parents take Tommy to every kind of medical and religious possibility in hopes of a cure to no avail as they usually turn out to be hustlers.

Meanwhile, his relatives as his cousin Kevin and the alcoholic uncle Ernie torture, rape and exploit him. One day Kevin and his friends take Tommy to a youth club to continue their insults but where he  surprises them and plays pinball brilliantly.
Over the following next years despite his state he eventually becomes the pinball champion and hero of the local youth.

When his mother, totally frustrated with herself and Tommy, destroys the mirror he once stared into when witnessing the death he regains consciousness and is free leaving home.
He continues to play pinball and becomes a majorly idolised figure with a huge following.
One night when he notices though how he is caught up in the celebrity machine he rejects to be a saviour as the flattery he receives is hollow and confronts his worshippers who abandon him.
Staying by his side though is his family he had returned to reconciling with them.

Considering the various recent headlines of teenagers being bullied etc. the story and its supporting music despite their age seems to be more than current with Townsend and McAnuff delivering a felicitous message that what matters are the human spirit and individuality of each and everyone should be accepted for what they are.

And this message is told well in this production directed by Götz Hellriegel who's also in charge for the choreography and who kept the action flow and without any risks sticking to the material and focusing on the story and especially the music (with German lyrics you may like or not, am not too much a fan of them as I think they lost a bit the bite) being the focus.

The choreography as the dancing is satisfying and fulfils its need, not always matching the pace of the production IMHO, but is pleasant to watch and never dull and repetitive.

Cast wise the production lives massively of Philipp Dietrich’s staggering vibrant performance as the adolescent Tommy (plus narrator), who expressively sings and performs with such a passion and great force seeming to have endless full energy.
With his angelic looks having most perfect cheekbones and the blond hair and a matching white outfit he is sympathetic when Tommy is to be but also a bit scary when his power and influence grow and singing of "I'm A Sensation" (slightly missing the rock and a bit too "Glee"/"Smash" like but that is only a minor nitpick though it certainly works well with The Who's score) just simply being one.
Philipp, a 2012 graduate, has such a stage presence that caught my eyes and I could just feel the fervour.

At his side Leon Herbst (Tommy, age 4) and Daniel Linde (Tommy, age 12), both from the theatre's ballet school, give agitating portrayals. Their turns of the young Tommy's were marvellously blank and full of apathy.
Alexander Franzen as Captain Walker, do not get me wrong, I totally adore him, has  a voice better suited for musical (or opera) than rock but has heart giving the part the right balance between pathos, care, frustration and despair so he can deliver a persuading characterisation.
At his side Carina Sandhaus as Mrs Walker is the one letdown in the production for me. She often seemed more disinterested than her son with her singing being most stiff. Especially in her big solo number "Smash The Mirror" she totally lacked anger. Neither can she impress in the duett "I Believe My Own Eyes" when Alexander gives all and does not get much back.

I so did not want to "like" Carlos Horacio Rivas as uncle Ernie knowing who was beside him among the final two at auditions (yeah a bit childish I know ;-) ) but he gave a most convincing performance of the creepy weasel-ly uncle bringing some rare humanity, even with that squeaky voice, to the child-molesting character acting like a tortured man losing a battle between decency and his demons. "Fiddle About" certainly is a rather uncomfortable scene but it’s not played for laughs as I had seen before in other productions nor is the ick factor too exaggerated.

Nicky Wuchinger is deliciously despicable as Tommy's bullying sadistic Cousin Kevin who with David Jakobs and Nico Gaik gives a great performance of "Pinball Wizard". I must say though that David Jakobs is once again, after seeing him in Jesus Christ Superstar in Bremerhaven in January, too much for me. Yes, technically he IS great but there are just way too many big gestures and massively overacts as the specialist doctor.
Katrin Lièvre who took over from Rebecca Stahlhut (whom I really had wanted to see after liking her in Company) in January is affecting in the small but important role of Tommy's devoted follower Sally Simpson.

Brigitte Oelke as the Acid Queen (among other roles) slightly lacked brassiness for me and was more camp tramp than as a ominous sex-siren drug addict unlike e.g. Tina Turner in the movie(though I can live with that interpretation) though she clearly has the voice for the part.

The rest of the ensemble, as leads dressed in largely vintage cool costumes, does a most satisfying job not just being the too often common decoration but adding their own little touches and actions. Most notably for me was Johannes Kiesler who was among other parts Mrs Walker's lover adding breath to the small part. 

The set (by Dietlind Konold) largely consists of two symmetric scaffoldings looking like houses with additional props being moved on the stage when needed as family Walker's house that is moved between the scaffoldings working effectively.
There was a board at the top of the  proscenium on which the year appeared the action took place in. Apparently the year was also noted with chalk by a member of the cast on the stage floor but sitting in the second row of the stalls I could not see that. What a stupid idea if more than half of the audience cannot see it anyway??
What I missed though was a bit more psychedelic mood and life through a more suitable visual lighting and surround sound concept. The actual lighting was too simple and just too dull for me, here a spotlight, there some bright lights but that was pretty much it.
While the sound concept could have been more surrounding the eight piece band though rocked the house. Getting their own "stage" entry with the orchestra pit/proscenium being moved up, the band enter the room to take their places blocking a bit the view on the stage and during the overture it moves down to free the view for the audience. Nice touch.
Conducted by William Ward Murta gave a solid, powerful clean performance, sounding less edgy and raw than the original but harmonising well with the ensemble most of the times (there was just the odd moment when the they were too loud or the performer too quiet when I could not hear the singing too well) but with the exhilarated music speaking for itself there is not much you can do wrong anyway.
At the end of the show/at curtain call when the ensemble did their encore, a medley of the main songs, it was like at a rock concert.
Overall a fantastic evening with the actual show and Philipp Dietrich being the stars of the night.

All pictures © Matthias Stutte and taken from the Theater Bielefeld website.