British rock band The Who released the album "Tommy" just months before playing it at Woodstock in the summer of '69. Eventually "Tommy" was re-written and found its way to the Broadway stage. Soon it will be playing at The Playhouse.
“The Who’s 'Tommy' is a rock opera that chronicles the life of one person named Tommy," said actor Daniel Quintero, an 18 year old that looks young for his years.
"My role is Tommy as a ten year old," he said.
For The Playhouse production, Quintero said there are three people who play Tommy at three stages in life.
“Tommy as a four year old, Tommy as a ten year old and Tommy as an 18 year old,” Quintero said.
The premise is this: A series of traumas leave Tommy reeling and he completely withdraws.
“He’s called a, quote, end quote, 'deaf, dumb and blind kid,' and then he discovers he’s really good at pinball," Quintero said.
It’s a huge production, with the set doubling as a preshow playground, and then a pinball machine.
“The bumpers you would see in a pinball machine are actually a merry go round," Quintero said. "And there’s like swing sets and a slide."Quintero.
I asked him to tell me about the music.
“The music literally does not stop for the entire act one," he said. " The orchestra’s actually on stage. We actually cover our orchestra pit to bring the action closer to the audience.”
I asked if he had a single most interesting moment in the play.
“Yes, I do," he said. "It’s that classic, ‘See me, feel me, touch me,” said Quintero.
He's referencing the famous song "See Me, Feel Me."
“It’s one of those moments that you as an actor live for," he said. "You feel the molecules in the room shift. I get chills. Every time.”
Tommy opens August 1 and runs through August 24 with shows on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.
- For more on Tommy visit: www.theplayhousesa.org
