re:Wimpy TOMMY

>>>
From: ScottyTee@aol.com
Subject: Wimpy TOMMY

[snip my whining about the Tommy show...]

I may be able to clarify this.  I was the gtr player on the 1st National   
tour
of TOMMY.  My tour was the official Broadway version, as is the London
production (which I worked on as an advisor).  These versions of TOMMY   
were
sanctioned and overseen by Pete.
[...]
The version that is currently on tour that you saw is a non-equity tour,
which means that the cast and musicians are non-union (draw your own
conclusions about their talent and ability).  This was designed to be an
extremely low-budget show to pay back investors who had lost money on my   
tour
(but that's a whole other story), and so most of the effects have been   
cut,
and the rest of the production, including the sound system, is   
scaled-back.
 Pete had no involvement in this current tour, and it is my understanding
that he wanted to prevent it but couldn't because the rights had been
assigned.
[...]
My tour still had the lyric and story changes, and so you and others may 
still have objected to it, but I can assure you we were loud and proud.
 Entwistle (who saw us in LA) told me he thought it was too loud!
<<<
Thanks for the enlightening info about the current tour, Scott, it did   
help a little knowing that this is the "bargain brand" version (nothin   
new for Pacific NW - we always get the ends of tours and such).

The quality of the cast and band was not what I had trouble swallowing.   
 It was the entire presentation, the very idea.  The songs were watered   
down by the standard Broadway-ish tactics of over-emphasis and "Mouth As   
Wide Open As You Can Get It While Sweeping Your Arm Across The Audience"   
singing style.  EVERY song sounded like Ethel Merman was singing it   
(picture it... "Seeeee Meeeeeeeaaaah!...).  They all sounded the same.   
 No punch or dynamics in the structure and arrangements.

And as far as the plot goes: hey, Pete? when ya gonna figger out just   
what the plot *is* to this thing?  So far, we've got three different   
versions (the original, Russell's film, and this ).  Is it Cpt Walker or   
the Lover who is killed?  Is the Hawker a priest or a pimp?  Is it the   
Acid Queen or a prostitute called the Gypsy (note: the actress who played   
the Gypsy, in her short bio in the program, thanked God for everything;   
 Not that there's anything WRONG with that, just thought it was a little   
ironic...)?  How old was Tommy when he was abused and fiddled with by his   
relatives?  And did anything actually happen  with the Uncle and the   
Cousin?  Frankly, the plot was softened so badly that it lost all of it's   
bite.

And don't even get me started on the dancing...

I'm not trying to put anybody down here, Scott, as I can tell from your   
posts that you really believe in what you were doing, as I'm sure Pete   
and Des and everyone else involved with this thing did.  The whole thing   
just didn't work for me at all.  At least Baba was mentioned in the   
program credits, though I hardly see the connection anymore.  Guess I'm   
not cut out for Broadway...

OK,
KLW