'The Who's Tommy' revival headed for Broadway this spring

The amazing journey of “Tommy” will lead back to Broadway in 2024.

“The Who’s Tommy,” a newly reworked version of the Chicago stage production directed by Des McAnuff, is coming to the Nederlander Theatre with an opening night of March 28, according to Deadline.

“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, The Who’s guitarist and primary songwriter, said in a statement. “... I can’t wait to see how this newly empowered show connects with younger Broadway audiences today.”

“Tommy,” originally released by The Who as a double album, told the story of a boy who witnesses a murder and loses the ability to see, hear and speak. After years of sexual abuse, dubious therapy and an unlikely stint as a pinball champion, Tommy reinvents himself as a messianic leader for a lost generation. The bizarre tale, told through The Who’s blistering songs, set the template for the “rock opera” and became a memorable 1975 film directed by Ken Russell with Who singer Roger Daltrey in the title role.

McAnuff's successful stage version initially ran from 1993 through 1995.

“While the music remains as glorious as ever, our world years later is unimaginably and irrevocably changed,” McAnuff said in a statement. “As a result, there’s so much more we all can recognize — and celebrate — in our protagonist’s evolution, as a collective deeper understanding of mental health has sharpened our lens.”

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com@raferguzman