Pete Townsend and Des McAnuff’s Grammy and Tony Award-winning rock opera,
The Who’s Tommy, tackles the serious and unpleasant themes of childhood trauma, molestation and autism. But life isn’t all bad for Tommy, who becomes an unexpected celebrity as a pinball wizard. Soaring triumphs and international fame follow, and the driving music cements it all together into a highly original, roller-coaster theatrical experience. “With a 12-member cast featuring some of the best vocal performers and actors in Houston and an awesome six-piece rock band, [the audience] will be immersed in a music experience,” says the show’s director, Michael Allen Taylor. The show features Michael Chiavone in the demanding role of Tommy — Chiavone says, “Not only is Tommy deaf, dumb and blind, but he has some of the most well-recognized and vocally demanding songs, such as “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me” and “I’m a Sensation.”
8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays evenings at 8 p.m.; 2 p.m. November 8 and November 16. Through November 22. Standing Room Only Productions at Obsidian Art Space, 3522 White Oak. For information, call 713-300-2358 or visit sro-productions.com. $32.50 to $37.50.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 8, 2 p.m.; Sun., Nov. 16, 2 p.m. Starts: Oct. 30. Continues through Nov. 22, 2014