"Tommy" to be feted by Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will celebrate the 35th anniversary of The Who’s electrifying rock opera “Tommy” on Friday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Hosted by documentarian Murray Lerner, the screening will feature a new Digital Cinema presentation with the original Quintophonic soundtrack, followed by an onstage panel discussion with writer-producer-director Ken Russell, editor Stuart Baird, and other members of the film’s creative team.

“Tommy” is the story of a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who becomes a pinball champion and subsequently a religious cult figure. Pete Townshend, The Who’s guitarist, earned an Oscar® nomination for his adaptation score and actress Ann-Margret received a nomination for her lead performance as Tommy’s mother. The cast also includes Townshend’s bandmate Roger Daltrey as the title character, and features appearances by Elton John, Eric Clapton, Jack Nicholson, Tina Turner and other pop culture icons. Music producer and entrepreneur Robert Stigwood produced the movie with Russell.

Academy member Murray Lerner is an Oscar-winning documentarian (“From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China”) whose work includes “Listening to You: The Who at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970” (1996) and “Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who” (2007).
For updates on special guests, visit www.oscars.org.

Tickets for “Tommy” are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID, and may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. All seating is unreserved. For more information, call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.