The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

He sure plays a mean pinball I I - , Stratford Festival productwn of The Who 5 Tommy afeastfar the eyes and ears DoucOuuou tonic blank stare while the other For the Chronicle actors perform armnd her. i ' Robert Math” as adult Tommy .- wo decades after director . _ _ is clearly the ahow‘s star, defily mp- | Des McAnnff teamed with 7 . . > m turing the character's confused ‘ Pete lbwnshend to produce ' innocence and emerging confi- . The Who's Tommy for the Broad- ' dcnceas a“Pinball Wizard.” way stage. the preeminent rock - ilk appearance near the begin« opera makes a welcome retum to ,3 . r ‘ ning. twirling in on wires or hang- the Stratford Festival. ;‘ . a»; ing from the scaffolding in a stark ‘ Whether the show fits in with - g white suit while his four and 10- ‘ Stratford's other offerings this sea- 3 . 1. 5-; year-old self is still on stage. is exe» son is irrelevant. The epic produc- ‘ cuted flawlessly. tion â€" touted as the biggest musiâ€" -: 2;», fi!‘ ; While in no way equal to Roger ml the festival has ever mounted â€" W ' 34" Daltrey’s unmistakable scream, marks a directional shift that points Markus' voice still delivers the to greater things ahead for the emotion and strength critical to accomplished company. . a. some of the production's most Timing is everything and the ‘ memorable numbers, particularly themes explored in Tommy are “Free” and ‘Sensation." perhaps more potent in the let He’s by no means alone. Jeremy centurythantheywere forthebaby Kushnier lends his exceptional boomers it reflects. After all, our pipes to Captain Walker's songs understanding and acceptance of and Steve Ross injects underlying mental illness. bullying. familydys- charm into closeted pedophile function and celebrity obsession Uncle Emie. has evolved considerably since The Choreographer Wayne Cliento Who's concept album about a . g _ ‘ . helps Paul Nolan bring snarl and “deaf, dumb and blind kid” Robert ' We. - n'ThWTotmwtolifelnflurodtopen beltigflagedatflieWFesfival‘s wit to Cousin Kevin's mod-stomp debuted in 1969. Avon Theatre until Oct. 19. antics. Tommy begins in England at the WWW Mustcaily‘ the show has no par- height of the Second World War. ing him unable to speak or express menta done to add weight to those scenes aliel. Tommy is timeless classic Missing in action and assumed emotion. To the outside world he There are a few minor stumbles Especially since McAnnufl'and set rock. delivered with powerful voicâ€" dead. Captain Walker is rescued appears deaf, dumb and blind. along the way, however. particular- designer John Antone have pulled es and a guitar-heavy orchestra from a German prison camp and Over the next decade. as his par- ly in scenes interpreting the more out all the stops with a heady mix that had me imagining Pete Town- returns home to find the bride he ems search forvarious cures for his lurid and disturbinglyrics of colourful, rear-projection backâ€" shend in the pit. windmiiiing Pin~ left. and the four-year-old son he’s condition. ”1me suifers a series The Gypsy, played by lewelle grounds and digital animations â€" ballWiaard’s powerchords. never met, mocked up with anoth. ofabtises from new family. Blackman. tries her best to amp up for the most part used to brilliant Forget the staid, Elizabethan erman. (basin Kevin mocks Tommy to the LSD-fueled sexuality of “Acid eflcct. lutes and harps you're used to An argument ensues, punches get a risemnofhisfriendsandaffa- Queen," but the audience has to in a lesser production, the hearing at the Festival and brace are thrown and the Captain draws ble Uncle Ernie preys on the boy to listen carefully to understand the actors might have a tough time for an electric jolt before the cur» his gun, killing his wife's lover in satehlsdarlrestdemons Captain has brought his 10-year- competing with thekinetic staging, tain even rises â€" it's the jarring self defence. Young Tommy wit- McAnufi'revisits two of his pas- old son to a prostitute in a deeper but this cast dominates every bump at the top ofa rollercoaster nesses it all through a mirror's sions with Tommy. The co-creator ate attempt to shock him out ofhk scene befnreanexhilatatingdescent. reflection. and director of the Tony-award stupor. Tommy simply disappears Seven-year-old New Hamburg And when it’s all over. Tommy is Fearing they've done irreparable winning Broadway original obvi- as the Gypsy plunges a syringe into actreesAdrienne Pains is one of two a ride you'll want to get in line for damage to their son. Captain and ously ranks Tbmmy near the top of her arm. young performers playing four- 391:; Mrs Walker demand Tommy forget his achievements. Right along side When “wicked Uncle Ernie" is year-old Tommy before and after The Stratford Festival raises the what he’sseen and heard. it is his stint as artistic director at left alone to ‘fiddle about” with the character descends into the bar with Tbmmy. offering an aural But it'stoo late the Stratford Festival. Bringing Tommy. the innuendo is there, but psychological prison of his own and visual feast that leaves audi- Emotionally scarred. Tommy them together succeeds in elevat- the gravitas is missing making, The Grandview student is ences run long after the curtain retreats into acatatonic state. leav- ing both creative accomplish- A lot more could have been very adept at maintaining a cataâ€" close; UNBEATABLE! CW" ‘99 "W “W n of satisfied customers . y ; have trusted as for over : 20 years. . '0' ”I :3 _. EYE EXAMS ON SITE. sh “fizz . it €75" ‘-* 4 Call 519-725-2122 _ in , . for an appomtment . p .3: h“ -~ ; OFInilymdmdopermrl-MhousmicehmmOMWdfiWhmomflmuhflmm-Vkmem r i . a, ‘ g ‘ .- . w ,_ oust:mm6mmwwrmmmmacm-NManmmmmmmymwe