One Paragraph Review: “Tommy” at Paramount Theatre, Aurora

“Tommy” is an experience. The bright lights, the rock and roll music, and the wild ride of a story are all part of it. The story is told so well that you absolutely feel it, as much as you see it and hear it. And, I’m not going to sugar coat it, the story is freaking depressing. I am the mother of a 4-year-old son, so when the young Tommy, so sweetly played by Peyton Owen, is traumatized by one heart-stopping scene, I felt it. As Tommy grows up, luck is not on his side, and his parents (David Schlumpf and Hillary Marren) face the stigma and guilt involved with having a “deaf, dumb and blind kid.” As always, the Paramount cast does a knockout job, and director Jim Corti succeeds in telling the story of the “pinball wizard” in a rich, human way – even with some fun and laughs. The 1940s costumes are wonderful in the first act (the pin curls are amazing), and the second act provides a real visual treat with Tommy’s fans in black-and-white outfits while Tommy is dressed in white, like a prophet. The Pinball Wizard performance is worth the price of admission with Eric A. Lewis really standing out. Corti gives us lots to see and feel throughout “Tommy.” By the end, it’s not just Tommy who is healed; anyone in the theater’s seats will also be touched by the humanness and depth of The Who’s “Tommy.”

The Who’s “Tommy” is now playing, with the full, original Broadway orchestrations, at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Aurora through February 15. Call (630) 896-6666 for tickets.