A reimagined production of The Who’s Tommy is headed to Broadway in 2024, Playbill reports. It’s set to open on March 28 at the Nederland Theatre, with previews beginning on March 8. Des McAnuff from the original 1993 production will return to direct; he also directed the Chicago revival which ran at The Goodman Theatre over the summer.
“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,” Pete Townshend says in a statement. “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.”
“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 storytelling,” McAnuff added.
The creative team for the Broadway production includes choreographer Lorin Latarro (Into the Woods), music supervisor Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys), musical director Rick Fox (Rent), set designer David Korins (Hamilton), projection designer Peter Nigrini (Here Lies Love), costume designer Sarafina Bush (for colored girls…), lighting designer Amanda Zieve (Escape to Margaritaville), sound designer Gareth Owen (Back to the Future), and wig and hair designer by Charles LaPointe (Hamilton). Casting is still to be announced.
There were previously plans to bring Tommy back to Broadway in 2021, but that was derailed by Covid.
