Hazlet Resident to Play Lead Role In The Who's Tommy

Hazlet resident Victoria Keiser will be playing a lead role in Phoenix Productions’ upcoming July revival of Tommy, by the Who. This show will take place at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank for a two-weekend run beginning July 15th.

Victoria is a well-known actress and member of the Hazlet community. She graduated from Brookdale College this past May, and will be attending Fairleigh Dickinson University this fall for her Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management. A familiar friend to the Phoenix family and Count Basie stage,Victoria was last seen playing the sea-witch Ursula in April’s production of The Little Mermaid. “I’ve been working with Phoenix since 2008, and the experiences keep getting better and better!”

In Tommy, Victoria plays the Acid Queen, a brazen prostitute who offers unusual ways to cure the deaf, dumb, and blind Tommy. According to Victoria, “The Acid Queen is a symbol of everything bad in the world. The sex, the drugs, and the temptation are prevalent.” Victoria is no stranger to playing villains, however, and tackles this role with the drive and character work necessary to bring The Who’s character to life. “The most challenging part of rehearsal process is getting into the mentality of the Acid Queen’s character, because she is the complete opposite of myself.” says Victoria. “Especially considering the drug aspect, as she is representing the physical and actuality of drugs in her physicality and tone of voice, but I am absolutely loving doing it.”

Based on the iconic 1969 rock concept album by The Who, Tommy tells an exhilarating tale of hope, healing, and the human spirit. The story of the pinball-playing, deaf, dumb, and blind boy who triumphs over his adversities. Featuring the music of one of the most influential rock bands of the 20th century, Tommy has inspired, amazed, and puzzled audiences for nearly 50 years. Winning five Tony Awards and six Drama Desk awards, this show is a high – energy, one-of-a-kind theatrical event. Victoria sings the praises of this show both literally and figuratively, saying,“The beautiful thing is that there's no spoken dialogue in Tommy, which makes it effectively an operetta. The Who wrote an incredible story, and the fact that it can be taken from just an album to a full musical on stage is incredible. I think the audience is really going to respond to that.”

Performances will be on Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 3pm, with its run concluding on July 24th. Tickets are available at the Count Basie Theatre Box Office and can be purchased in person at 99 Monmouth Street, Red Bank, N.J, by phone at 732-842-9000, or online at www.countbasietheatre.org .

Phoenix Productions is a non-profit community theatre organization that has produced more than a hundred full-scale revivals of Broadway musicals since 1988. For more information on Phoenix Productions or upcoming shoes, please visit www.phoenixredbank.com