Auditions for Tommy

Iowa City - Iowa Summer Rep announces auditions for Tommy, directed by John Cameron. All roles will by auditioned; thirty actors are needed.

A Review of Tommy

Catalyst - Tommy is a rock opera. It's a story of personal discovery, of innocence lost and regained, of the price of fame, of passion and loss. It has the potential to overwhelm your senses, to lift you up with its soaring score, to emotionally attack your heart. Catalyst Acting Company chose a challenging piece for its first major production at the Englert Theatre. And thanks to some powerful performances, they mostly pulled it off.

Tommy is just a boy when he witnesses his father kill his mother's lover. Because of the trauma, he becomes "deaf, dumb and blind" as the song goes. First grader Colby Kaplahn is adorable as the youngest Tommy. He does a wonderful job showing us a happy boy allowing us to feel the tragedy of his trauma. Sixth grader Grant Blades is also excellent at the 10-year-old Tommy. His is a heartbreaking performance when he sadly sings "See me, feel me, touch me, heal me." Sean Nollen plays the grown up Tommy. While Nollen has a good voice, unfortunately either his voice or his mike gave out during crucial moments of a number of songs. Nollen could also have benefited from some stronger direction as he never seemed to know what to do when he wasn't singing and never took advantage of the entire stage.

In contrast, Jeffrey Mead and Rachel Brown were fantastic as Captain and Mrs. Walker. Both not only had excellent voices, but knew how to connect what they were singing to the overall action of the story. Also outstanding were Zakary Morton as Cousin Kevin and the always fun to watch Chris Carpenter as Uncle Ernie. Morton had a command of the entire stage drawing my eye every time he appeared. His vocals were strong and the scene where he torments Tommy with the help of his gang was one of the best, if most disturbing, moments of the show. Carpenter gave us a scarily effective performance of "Fiddle About" and provided lots of laughs with his cabaret dance in "Tommy's Holiday Camp".

It wouldn't be possible to say enough good things about the band. Lead by the always on target Lyle Juracek, the band had us rocking in our seats. They received well deserved whoops and strong applause at the end of the show.

While there were powerful moments in the show, it didn't quite live up to its potential because only the leads were miked. Many of the ensemble had solos and were difficult to hear. This was particularly frustrating during "Pinball Wizard" as one of the two soloists couldn't be heard at all. You got the sense the band was doing what they could to tone it down a little bit, but it wasn't enough. Every soloist needed a mike.

Despite that, this is a show worth seeing. Catalyst shows real promise as a young theatre company. Support these talented performers. Go see the show tonight or tomorrow at the Englert.

--Matthew Falduto

Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.

(Top picture: Rachel Brown, Colby Kaplahn and Jeffrey Mead. Middle picture: Rachel Brown, Sean Nollen and Jeffrey Mead. Bottom picture: The entire cast.)

Backstage with Tommy

Catalyst - Iowa City's newest theatre company is taking a big leap this weekend. They'll be performing The Who's rock opera Tommy at the Englert. We recently had a chance to talk to Jeff Shields, founder of Catalyst and director of Tommy. Jeff has directed shows with ICCT, City Circle and Dreamwell.

First of all, why Tommy? What is it about the musical that made you say "I have to direct this"?

Jeff: Tommy's score is totally different than the typical musical. The music really grabs you and won't let go. This isn't a typical musical - it isn't all about people breaking out into dance when they fall in love, et cetera. This is a PG-13 show with some really gritty content at times. It is a story about the pain that Tommy goes through on his "Amazing Journey" through life - but it's really moving in many parts.

Tommy has a pretty big cast. I know it's been tough for all theaters lately to get enough volunteers. Did you have any trouble with casting?

Jeff: We have had our ups and downs with casting, yes. Thankfully those who are the most talented stayed through the show. And we've had some new people join the production that are an absolute treat to work with. I think the biggest problem we faced with this show is that people tend to forget that being a show is a huge commitment. Even if you're only in one scene - if you're not present it hurts everyone in that particular scene. It's also a lot of hard work. The pay-off in the end when you have an audience that enjoyed your performance is huge - but it's often hard to realize that as you go through the 8-10 week rehearsal process for a big scale musical like Tommy.

Tell me about your leads - what have they done before? What do they do in this show that really surprises you?

Jeff: Sean Nollen, a community theatre newbie, is playing the older Tommy. He comes from that far away land called Solon. It's been really great having some new blood in a production. Jeff Mead (Godspell, My Fair Lady, and many other shows) and Rachel Brown (Godspell) play Tommy's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walker. They both do a fantastic job in the show. Their voices are really moving and to listen to their duets is a true treat. Amanda Murray (My Fair Lady, Seussical) plays the heroin addicted prostitute - the Acid Queen. Amanda is absolutely amazing. She just recently took over the role and it's tough to think of anyone else playing the role better than she is. We also have Chris Capenter (My Fair Lady, Seussical, Music Man) playing the creepy Uncle Ernie. Zakary Morton (She Loves Me) is playing Cousin Kevin. Zakary is bringing a new dimension to the troubled youth and is quite entertaining (in a sadistic sort of way) to watch as he torments Tommy.

There's an opportunity in this show for a big spectacle of lights - anything exciting in that department that we should be looking for?

Jeff: We have been fortunate enough to get Willie Barbour on board to do our lighting and video design for the show. This show will be much like an "arena" rock concert. Being a community theatre we do have limitations, but this show will most likely be unlike any other community theatre production put in the space. We are leaning away from the musical theatre side of this show to a classic rock concert with theatrical elements. It should be really cool for everyone who witnesses this.

How does this show fit in with Catalyst's overall mission?

Jeff: Catalyst wants to strive to give audiences fresh looks at shows they may have seen before. I think we're definitely going to achieve that with this show. We are also committed to giving people learning experiences. Not only is Mark McCusker choreographing the show - he's also teaching the cast how to dance. Most people that come out for musicals and such don't have much dance experience. It's a treat to work with someone who can work well with the cast and bring their knowledge base with dance up to a higher level.

What's it been liking doing a rock musical in an historic theater like the Englert?

Jeff: It's going to be fun to have such a show in such a beautiful venue. It's cool having the beautiful architecture frame the lighting and video displays.

What challenges have you had to overcome?

Jeff: The weather is a big one. Gotta love Iowa! This show is radically different than what I've done before. Needing a wonderful cast that can sing more rock and roll than traditional Broadway and finding a band that can keep up with The Who's style of rock have been a hurdle. Thankfully we are fortunate enough to be in a community where we have such an enormous amount of talented artists and performers.

Isn't that the truth. I am sure we're all looking forward to opening night! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions.

Tommy Auditions

Catalyst - Catalyst Acting Company and Habeas Corpus/ACE announce auditions for their musical collaboration: The Who's Tommy directed by Jeff Shields, music direction by Lyle Juracek and choreography by Mark McCusker and Nora Garda.

Auditions will be held at the Iowa City Robert A. Lee Recreation Center on Thursday, January 10th and Friday, January 11th starting at 7pm. All ages are welcome to audition. In addition to adults, this show requires 10-15 high school students. Those auditioning need to bring a completed audition form (found here), a prepared one minute piece of a musical theatre song, sheet music for both the person auditioning and for the accompanist, comfortable clothing for dance movement, and a list of rehearsal conflicts.

People interested in auditioning that aren’t able to attend the scheduled auditions can contact the director at 319-688-5087 or email the director to schedule an alternative date.

Tommy is Peter Townshend’s tale of a young boy’s journey from pain to triumph is the most electrifying evening of rock and roll ever to play in a theatre. After witnessing the accidental murder of his mother's lover by his father, Tommy is traumatized into catatonia, and as the boy grows, he suffers abuse at the hands of his sadistic relatives and neighbors. As an adolescent, he’s discovered to have an uncanny knack for playing pinball, and when his mother finally breaks through his catatonia, he becomes an international pinball superstar. This show is rated “PG-13” by the Catalyst Board of Directors. It will be performed on March 14-16 at the historic Englert Theatre in Downtown Iowa City.