On May 28, 2024, cast from the Broadway hit The Who’s TOMMY will perform on Good Morning America. This performance comes as part of a successful season for the play, which saw critical praise and a Tony nomination.
The March 2024 revival of The Who’s TOMMY at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre opened to great success. The play is based on the 1969 rock opera Tommy by The Who, which follows the titular Tommy Walker. The Who’s TOMMY tells the story of the protagonist’s childhood trauma, which leaves him deaf, blind, and mute. Despite this, Tommy rises to become a pinball star and cult leader, eventually breaking from his dissociation. Rolling Stone has recognized Tommy‘s significance, ranking it 96th on their greatest albums of all time list. It was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for its “historical, artistic and significant value.” This is not Tommy’s first adaptation, being adapted to stage in 1993, where it ran for 899 performances.
This revival of TOMMY has received rapturous praise from critics. Des McAnuff’s stage direction, combined with a dreamy, shape-shifting set work with Pete Townsend’s lyricism to create a perfectly dystopian environment. The New York Post praised the show’s “Knockout singing, superbly inventive stagecraft and a star-making performance from 24-year old Ali Louis Bourzgui.” Publications like Theatermania have even called it “the best rock opera ever.” The play is currently up for the 2024 Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. Additionally, the play received the Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama League Award nominations for Outstanding Revival of a Musical.
The cast will perform on ABC’s Good Morning America twice on May 28th. First, they will perform during the 8:30am Eastern Time half-hour. The cast will follow this with a second performance on GMA3 at 1:30pm Eastern Time.
For more information on tickets to see The Who’s TOMMY, visit the site here.
The producers of the newly reimagined Broadway production of The Who’s TOMMY have announced full principal casting for the upcoming run at the Nederlander Theatre, with previews beginning March 8 and opening night slated for March 28.
Producers Stephen Gabriel and Ira Pittelman have selected a handful of actors who will reprise their roles from the Goodman Theatre production in Chicago. Among them are Alison Luff as Mrs. Walker, Adam Jacobs as Captain Walker, John Ambrosino as Uncle Ernie, Bobby Conte as Cousin Kevin, and Christina Sajous as The Acid Queen. The actors join previously announced Ali Louis Bourzgui starring as Tommy Walker, who is reprising his Jeff Award-winning role from the Goodman. Additional casting for The Who’s TOMMY on Broadway will be announced soon.
Completing the cast areHaley Gustafson, Jeremiah Alsop, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Mike Cannon, Tyler James Eisenreich, Sheldon Henry, Afra Hines, Aliah James, David Paul Kidder, Tassy Kirbas, Lily Kren, Quinten Kusheba, Reese Levine, Brett Michael Lockley, Nathan Lucrezio, Alexandra Matteo, Mark Mitrano, Reagan Pender, Cecilia Ann Popp, Daniel Quadrino, Olive Ross-Kline, Jenna Nicole Shoen, Dee Tomasetta, and Andrew Tufano.
The new production of The Who’s TOMMY premiered this past Summer at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago where Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune named TOMMY as #1 in the Best of Chicago Theater list for 2023, saying, “Tommy explodes with life – it’s a truly ready-for prime-time stunner. Broadway has nothing else like this wizardry going on.”
The Chicago production of The Who’s TOMMY won 9 Joseph Jefferson “Jeff” Awards, the most for any show this season, including Best Director for Des McAnuff and Best Production.
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.
Myth and spectacle combine in The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock opera, 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.
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.
Pete Townshend’s prior awards for The Who’s TOMMY include a Grammy Award (1993) for the Original Broadway Cast Recording, Tony Award for Best Score (1993), Toronto’s Dora Mavor Moore Award (1995) and the UK’s Olivier Award (1997). For directing The Who’s TOMMY, Des McAnuff received previously, the Tony and Drama Desk Awards (1993), Toronto’s Dora Mavor Moore Award (1995) and the UK’s Olivier Award (1997).
Tickets to The Who’s TOMMY at the Nederlander Theatre are now on sale at TommyTheMusical.com.
