Behind-the-scenes look at the reimagining of The Who’s ‘Tommy’

A new reimagining of the musical version of The Who’s Tommy, featuring a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging, is set to open at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre next month, and now fans are getting their first look at it.

A new video shows behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals for the project, including interviews with The Who’s Pete Townshend and the show’s director, Des McAnuff.

“In 1969, when I originally wrote ‘Tommy’ with The Who, nobody had ever written popular music songs about trauma, nobody talked about bullying. Then, working with Des on the staged theater piece, we broke the established rules for a musical show,” Townshend shares. “Now, the current generation is breaking all of those rules again—and what Des is suggesting is that we honor that.”

He adds, “I can’t wait to see how this show connects with Chicago today,” noting that the city “has always been a special place for me.” 

McAnuff shares, “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.”

Previews are set to begin June 13 and opening night is set for June 26. The production runs through July 23. Tickets are on sale now.

Based on The Who’s 1969 album and 1975 film, the original production of Tommy opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on July 1, 1992. It opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for McAnuff and Best Original Score for Townshend.