The Who's Tommy

It is not an exaggeration to call The Who’s Tommy a seminal rock opera. With another concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar, it signaled a radical shift in direction for musical theater. Its hard-driving melodies and continuous flow of music captivated a generation, and its influence continues. Moreover, the counter-cultural romanticism of its central character—a “deaf, dumb, and blind boy,” a pinball wizard, shocked by the sins of his parents—spoke to an era. While the current MusicalFare production is remarkably subdued, it does provide a nostalgic review of the beloved score. Loraine O’Donnell gives her all to imbue the Acid Queen with a taste of the authentic Tommy flavor. The rest is a happy recital of the tunes, separated into non-flowing episodes in the style of film editing, with charismatic Joe Donohue III in the title role.