The groundbreaking pop-culture musical sensation is reimagined in a new production.

Myth and spectacle combine in a fresh reinvention of The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock concept album, Tommy—including the unforgettable anthems “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and “Pinball Wizard.” After witnessing his father shoot his rival, the young Tommy Walker is lost in the universe, endlessly and obsessively staring into the mirror. An innate knack for pinball catapults him from reticent adolescent to celebrity savior. Tony Award-winning composer Pete Townshend and Tony Award-winning original director Des McAnuff find powerful resonance reexamining this classic story for today.

 

• Pete Townshend

  Pete Townshend is known principally as the lead guitarist and composer for The Who, as well as for his own solo career. His career with The Who spans over fifty years, during which time Townshend wrote well over a hundred songs for The Who’s eleven studio albums, including the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia and the well-regarded rock radio staple Who’s Next. From early classic singles, such as ‘My Generation’ and ‘Substitute’ to ‘Tommy’, ‘Lifehouse’ and ‘Quadrophenia’, Townshend has always been at the forefront of his profession. Though known mainly as a guitarist, he is an accomplished singer and keyboard player, and has played many other instruments (banjo, accordion, synthesizer, piano, bass guitar and drums) on his solo albums and on certain Who albums. As an author, he has written Horse’s Neck, a collection of short stories (Faber & Faber, 1985); Who I Am, a memoir (Harper Collins, 2012) and his latest artistic project, The Age of Anxiety, is simultaneously a novel and a rock opera about passion and ambition, good drugs and bad drugs, and loves lost and found (the novel was published by Hodder & Stoughton, 2019). His numerous awards for The Who’s Tommy include a Grammy Award (1993), Tony Award for Best score (1993), Dora Mavor Moore Award (1994) and Olivier Award (1997). Other awards include Classic Rock Award (2011); Ivor Novello Award (1981); British Phonographic Industry Lifetime Achievement Award (1983); BRIT Award for contribution to British Music (1988); Living Legend Award, International Rock Awards (1991); Q Lifetime Achievement Award (1997); Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award (2001); Kennedy Center Honor, John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts (jointly with Roger Daltrey, 2008); Rock Honor, VH1 (2008); Honorary Doctorate West London University (2010); Les Paul Award, TEC Foundation (2012). The most recent Who album, WHO, was released on December 6, 2019. The Who’s 2020 UK tour had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and has been rescheduled for 2022, starting in Florida. They will tour in April and May and then again in October (in Chicago on October 12 at the United Center) and November.

  

• Des McAnuff

  Des McAnuff is a two-time Tony Award-winning director and former artistic director of Canada’s Stratford Festival. He is also director emeritus of La Jolla Playhouse, where he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals as artistic director. He’s co-founder of Broadway’s Dodgers. Broadway credits include Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations; Summer: The Donna Summer Musical; Doctor Zhivago; Jesus Christ Superstar; Guys and Dolls, Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention, Jersey Boys (Tony and Olivier awards: Best Musical), Billy Crystal’ 700 Sundays (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event) Dracula the Musical, How to Succeed..., The Who’ s Tommy (Tony and Olivier awards: Best Director) A Walk in the Woods and Big River (Tony awards: Best Director, Best Musical). Selected New York credits include Fetch Clay; Make Man (NYTW); multiple productions at The Public and BAM. Stratford highlights include: A Word or Two; Caesar and Cleopatra and The Tempest (all with Christopher Plummer). Opera credits include Faust (The Met, ENO). TV and film credits include 700 Sundays (HBO); Cousin Bette (with Jessica Lange, director); The Iron Giant (producer, BAFTA Award) and Quills (executive producer). In 2011, he was honored with a doctorate from Ryerson University where he attended theater school. In 2012, he was awarded Canada’s Governor General’ s National Arts Center Award and the Order of Canada.