Producers Stephen Gabriel and Ira Pittelman announce that the newly reimagined production of The Who’s TOMMY will open on Broadway March 28, 2024, with casting yet to be announced.
Three decades after the epic pop-culture musical theatre sensation first bowed on Broadway, original Tony Award®-winning creators Pete Townshend (music, lyrics, book) and Des McAnuff (book, direction) have reunited to bring the story of Tommy Walker to today’s audiences.
Following a critically acclaimed, award-winning run at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre (where it was the highest grossing production in the history of the Goodman), The Who’s TOMMY will open on March 28, 2024 at the Nederlander Theatre (208 West 41st Street). Preview performances will begin March 8, 2024.
The Who’s TOMMY creative team includes choreographer Lorin Latarro (Into the Woods, Mrs. Doubtfire and Waitress); music supervision and additional arrangements by Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys on Broadway, London and National Tour); musical direction and additional orchestrations by Rick Fox (Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar); set design by David Korins (Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Here Lies Love ); projection design by Peter Nigrini (Here Lies Love, MJ and Dear Evan Hansen); costume design by Sarafina Bush (for colored girls…, Pass Over on Broadway); lighting design by Amanda Zieve (Broadway associate on Escape to Margaritaville and Allegiance); sound design by Gareth Owen (Back to the Future, & Juliet and MJ); and wig and hair design by Charles LaPointe (Hamilton, Beautiful). Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting/Merri Sugarman, CSA. Additional Chicago Casting by Lauren Port, CSA and Rachael Jimenez, CSA. Tripp Phillips is the Production Stage Manager and Bespoke Theatricals is General Manager.
“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.”
Des McAnuff
Pete Townshend (Music, Lyrics, Book) 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 The 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).
Des McAnuff (Book, Director) 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, whereas Artistic Director he staged over 30 productions of classics, new plays and musicals: Ain’t Too Proud; Summer; Doctor Zhivago; Jesus Christ Superstar; Guys and Dolls; Aaron Sorkin’s The Farnsworth Invention; Jersey Boys (Tony and Olivier Awards: Best Musical); Billy Crystal’s 700 Sundays (Tony Award: Best Special Theatrical Event); Dracula the Musical; and many, many more.
“Being asked to join the creative team of TOMMY is a dream come true. It’s the OG rock musical. Des and Pete are visionaries,” said Lorin Latarro. “I’m focused on creating a contemporary movement vocabulary that feels like it could be from any era. I am interested in pushing story inside the dances, and still building to dance breaks that have high velocity. I’m also a mother and I see the domestic aspects of this family as both brutal and profound. The work of motherhood without the joy of a hug from your child is sobering.”
The Goodman production of The Who’s TOMMY recently won 9 Joseph Jefferson “Jeff” Awards, the most for any show this season, including Best Director for Des McAnuff and Best Production.
TOMMY is the first musical in years to feel completely alive in its own moment. No wonder that for two hours it makes the world seem young.
Frank Rich, New York Times 1993
Presale for those who sign up will be available here, beginning on Wednesday, November 8 at 10:00am ET through Friday, November 10 at 9:59am.
General Onsale begins Friday, November 10 at 10am ET. For more information, visit TOMMY’s website.
Comments are closed.