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_Tommy: The Amazing Journey_ video review



Review of _Tommy:  The Amazing Journey_ video

Buena Vista's recent release of _Tommy: The Amazing Journey_ is a
valuable, even fascinating documentary for anyone interested in the
work.  It tells the story of the seminal work's progression from
make-or-break effort by Pete Townshend and The Who to award-winning
Broadway hit, with plenty of tasty moments along the way for fans of all
stripes.  Broadcast for the first time last March on the Disney Channel,
it has now been released for general sale.

The producers of the video have drawn liberally from all three major
incarnations of the work:  the original double album by The Who; the
1975 movie, directed by Ken Russell; and the Broadway version, directed
by Des McAnuff.  However, even lesser-known productions, by the London
Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Royal Ballet, are given their nods,
and their place in the history acknowledged.  An added bonus, which
brings the documentary firmly into the present time, is substantial new
interviews with many important figures in _Tommy_'s evolution, including
surviving Who members Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and John Entwistle; Who
biographer Richard Barnes; Who manager Bill Curbishley; Elton John; film
director Russell; Broadway director McAnuff and cast members Michael
Cerveris and Cheryl Freeman, and more.  As one would hope, those closest
to the work appear most often on camera.

The story is told chronologically.  The introductions of the _dramatis
personae_ involved in _Tommy_'s creation and development flow smoothly
into a discussion of the Broadway staging of the _Overture_, and each
song of _Tommy_ is considered in turn, serving as the focal point for
interview and performance clips.  Thus one might see Townshend
discussing a song, followed by film of The Who performing the same song,
a bit of the song from the movie, and finally some of the Broadway
performance.  Who fans will immediately recognize film from the 1979 Who
documentary _The Kids Are Alright_, but will also enjoy the frequent
appearance of rarer but equally effective concert footage (e.g., John
singing "Uncle Ernie") and cheesy lip-synched promo videos (thankfully,
more of the former).  Historians of the band will appreciate clips of
news coverage of _Tommy_'s debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera, of
the unfortunate 1979 Cincinnati episode (about which, presumably upon
advice of counsel, all comments are now carefully brief and formulaic),
and of Meher Baba.  Theatre devotees will enjoy the behind-the-scenes
film of Broadway rehearsals and interviews with show staff and
performers, as well as the Broadway performance clips which frequently
round off the discussion of a given song.

Given the vast amount of music, performances, and interviews which have
been generated on the subject during _Tommy_'s 25-year career, any
effort such as _Tommy:  The Amazing Journey_ must of necessity be an
overview.  However, the producers have done an excellent job of
selecting their material and scaling it to a 60-minute timeframe so that
it discusses all the major points that newcomers need to know, while it
also digs deep enough to satisfy those who have known the work for
years.  _Tommy:  The Amazing Journey_ deserves a place on any shelf of
Who or Broadway video.

Alan