Victorian Opera Has Delivered A Stunning New Production of ‘The Who’s Tommy’

After two years of pandemic delays The Victorian Opera’s production of The Who’s Tommy has premiered in Melbourne and it is stunning.

What sets the Victorian Opera’s Tommy apart from previous productions is the inclusion of dialogue, screens and visuals for the audience to easily follow the story. With the musical ensemble on stage with the cast, the words complete the music.

The cast has been perfectly curated. Paul Capsis as The Acid Queen is spectacular. The Acid Queen is a one song role best known by Tina Turner in the 1975 Ken Russell movie and Patti Labelle in the 1989 live performance in Los Angeles. Paul Capsis takes that one song and owns the stage for its duration.

Paul Capsis as The Acid Queen in the 2022 Victorian Opera production of Tommy – photo by Jeff Busby

Two of Australia’s most profound actors play the principal characters of Tommy’s mother and father. Matt Hetherington, who plays Captain Walker, has appeared in ‘Hair’ (2003), ‘The Full Monty’ (2004) , ‘Shane Warne The Musical’ (2008) and ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ (2009). Amy Lehpamer as also appeared in ‘Shane Warne The Musical’ and ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ as well as her starring role of Maria in ‘The Sound of Music’ (2015) and ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ (2017).

The 2022 Australian Cast is:

Narrator / Tommy Mat Verevis
Captain Walker Matt Hetherington
Mrs. Walker Amy Lehpamer
Cousin Kevin Vincent Hooper
Uncle Ernie Kanen Breen
The Gypsy (Acid Queen) Paul Capsis

The original album by The Who was released in 1969. ‘Tommy’ was a rock record performed by The Who initially as part of their set. It was first developed into a rock opera in Seattle in 1971 and orchestrated in 19972. Ken Russell gave the story a visual with the 1975 movie and in 1992 Tommy became a Broadway musical.

The story covers 1940 to the early 1960s. Captain Walker, Tommy’s father is sent to war and goes missing. When he returns years later, Tommy’s mother has moved on and has a new boyfriend Frank who is killed by Captain Walker upon his return. Tommy witnesses the killing and withdraws into himself, shutting his senses making him death, dumb and blind to the world. (This show is based on the original album story. In the Ken Russell movie version Frank kills Captain Walker).

As he ages he is abused by a pedophile uncle and a sadistic cousin. Doctors try to bring Tommy out of his inner-self which eventually happens and Tommy becomes “a sensation”.

Fun fact: The Who’s Pete Townshend wrote the song ‘Sensation’ about a girl he met on The Who’s 1968 Australian tour.

The Victorian Opera had a massive have taken one of the first rock opera’s and done it justice. (The Pretty Things ‘Sorrow’ was the first ever rock opera but The Who’s Tommy was before ‘Jesus Christ Superstar). The story is easy to follow and somewhat tragic at the same time. ‘Tommy’ is not a feel good show. It tells a dark tale of a tragic life but it also has a message of hope.

The Victorian Opera Tommy photo by Jeff Busby

Tommy is on at The Palais Theatre until 1 March 2022.

Tommy dates are:

Tuesday 22 February, 7:30pm
Wednesday 23 February, 7:30pm
Thursday 24 February, 7:30pm
Friday 25 February, 7:30pm
Saturday 26 February, 1:00pm
Saturday 26 February, 7:30pm
Monday 28 February, 7:30pm
Tuesday 1 March, 7:30pm

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