Port Tobacco Players' 'Tommy' Opens Friday

Port Tobacco Players' 'Tommy' opens Friday

Posted by Dick.Myers_Editor On 07/18/2013

Opening July 19 and running through August 11, the Port Tobacco Players, Inc. production of The Who’s Tommy explodes onto the stage in La Plata.

On Press Night, four days before opening night, the run-through of Tommy clocked in at a mere two hours of non-stop dynamic entertainment (and that includes a 15-minute intermission). Due to the swift and flawless pacing it seemed impossible that an hour’s worth of Act I had flown by.

I was advised upon entering the theatre that a front-row seat might be too close to the orchestra (located invisibly off-stage). This proved to be good advice. I sat about half-way back; for some people, though, a front-row seat may be “too far back”! Yes, the orchestra is loud; and it is excellent.

As a retired music teacher as well as a former instructor of Introduction to Speech Communication courses (in Western Maryland and at Charles County Community College - now CSM - here in Southern Maryland) my favorite examples of oxymorons included (but were not limited to) some of the following (in no particular order): honest/politician; jumbo/shrimp; soup du jour/of the day; and rock/opera. If my students had no clue what oxymoron meant at the beginning of that list, most of them assuredly did by the time I’d reached the end. The Who’s Tommy, dating from 1969, boasts music and lyrics by Pete Townshend with a book by Mr. Townshend and Des McAnuff with additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Kit Lambert and Roger Daltrey. It was originally produced on Broadway by Pace Theatrical Group and Dodger Productions with Kardana Productions.

Tommy was the fourth album released by the English rock band known as The Who (and it was the first musical to be labeled a “rock opera”). This double album related the tale of a “deaf, dumb, blind kid” who becomes an absolute whiz at pinball. At one time, the album was banned by the BBC; but as is frequently the case with anything making a “banned” list, the album ultimately went on to become a commercial success.

Tommy

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