The Who's Tommy
The Goodman Theatre’s recent revival production of Tommy, the musical, has been the talk of the town. I was lucky enough to catch it before it closed it’s run in Chicago closed after its second extension.
The musical is based off of The Who’s 1969 rock concept album that shared the same name. The original Broadway production debuted in 1993 and ran for a few years. This production was created in honor of the 30th anniversary. There hasn’t been a Broadway revival since its debut, but I have a feeling that that is going to change very soon. Original collaborators Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff returned to be a part of this production in Chicago; I saw some photos from the performance and the impressive production design was what convinced me to check out the show!
The story follows Tommy Walker, who, after witnessing a traumatic event as a young child, becomes mute and blind as through not being able to cope. Upon discovering a pinball machine (and yes, the famous song “Pinball Wizard” was a part of this show), his natural, savant-like skills come to light. While his senses return and he heals through pinball, his skills simultaneously force him into the limelight, requiring him to grapple with fame.
The show started at a 10/10 and then proceeded to outdo itself with every second and scene. The music was drowning, as loud as a rock concert, and the lights were so bright that they practically pierced right through the crowd. I have truly never seen anything quite like this in all of my years of theater-going. I have seen many shows on Broadway: touring productions, regional shows, and everything in between, but never have I been rendered so speechless. At intermission, my friends and I turned to each other, our mouths agape for a solid five seconds before we erupted into dissecting every buckwild thing we had just seen.
The lighting cues and projections were spot on and timed perfectly, it was such a carefully and perfectly crafted show. The colors, the placements, the visuals, they all made sense and added to the story. Specifically, the color yellow was smartly used as a motif throughout. Carefully organized lights designated hallways and rooms on the stage without needing many props on the stage. This allowed for scenes and places to change quickly.
Nothing felt overly fluffy or indulgent even though the musical was over the top. The ensemble’s costumes changed almost every five minutes, demonstrating a shift in time period or new setting. The lighting almost always matched or complemented the hues of outfits. The whole thing felt perfectly crafted out of marble, one conglomerate that moved and breathed as one.
The choreography was so tight and fun! I felt like I covered my mouth and gasped by how exhilarating and shocking each twist and turn was. There were many shocking acrobatics that left me wide-eyed and wanting more. I never wanted the show to end, and it was over two hours long. I didn’t feel the length once – an impressive feat with a plot that was so dense and abstract. The cast shined as well; what an utterly talented group of actors.
I was upset that I couldn’t see it again, but I genuinely felt lucky to have seen it just the once. If this production didn’t announce a Broadway transfer soon, I would be flabbergasted since this show as it stood could easily sweep the Tony Awards. This show felt like a relic of the future, of where theater was destined to go. The pure spectacle alone was worth the price of admission. I was full to the brim with adrenaline leaving the theater, so much so that I had trouble falling asleep as my mind unwrapped what I had just witnessed.
With a show like this, it could be difficult to balance the subject matter; it was a rather dark show as the audience saw the various things that Tommy was subjected to, but it could also be rather silly with the whole pinball plotline. However, the show’s creative team treated it seriously, so it cemented legitimacy into the story.
As the show was nearing the end, the crowd eagerly applauded, I had never seen anything like it. The second the lights turned off, every single person leaped up. It was a sold-out show, which added to the electricity in the room. Every person involved in this production should be proud of what they helped create. This show has unfortunately closed, but it had a fantastic run here in Chicago. I can’t wait for it to return to the stage!