The stage adaptation of “The Who’s Tommy” will be getting a Broadway revival next year! This musical adaptation of The Who’s 1969 concept album-turned-film will be returning from a three-decade hiatus. Des McAnuff, the original stage director, will be returning and the revival is described as a reimagined version of the show. While, of course, still featuring music and lyrics by Pete Townshend, who co-wrote the production.
“Tommy” revolves around the titular character who is labeled as “deaf, dumb, and blind.” But his uncanny knack for pinball catapults him to god-tier status. The core plot is based on The Who song “Pinball Wizard,” with other classics like “I’m Free” also gracing the score.
“In many ways, I think the world has caught up to Tommy Walker, which makes it exciting to revisit The Who’s Tommy for a new generation who, possibly more than any other, has a broad appetite for all kinds of music and story-telling,” McAnuff said in a statement. “While the music remains as glorious as ever, our world years later is unimaginably and irrevocably changed. As a result, there’s so much more we all can recognize — and celebrate — in our protagonist’s evolution, as a collective deeper understanding of mental health has sharpened our lens. Tommy Walker’s triumph over devastating childhood trauma, to enlightened leadership, to ultimately recognizing the folly in which he’s surrounded himself is an ‘Amazing Journey’ to discover anew.”
“In 1969, when I originally wrote Tommy with The Who, nobody had ever written popular music songs about trauma, nobody talked about bullying, domestic sexual abuse was a subject that was virtually censored,” Townshend added. “Then, in 1993, working with Des on the staged theatre piece, we broke the established rules for a musical show. Now, the current generation is breaking all of those rules again — and what Des has achieved with this incredible new production honors them and their courage and audacity. I can’t wait to see how this newly empowered show connects with younger Broadway audiences today. I hope the younger ones come, for they will identify in an entirely new and important way with Tommy’s tumultuous life. Meanwhile, longtime fans of Tommy, The Who and all their music will be blown away by this new show.”
No cast has been announced yet.
Preview performances of “The Who’s Tommy” will kick off on March 8th, 2024 at the Nederlander Theatre, and open on March 28th. Tickets for “The Who’s Tommy” are currently on sale at the website or Broadway Direct. You can check out the trailer below:
