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The Who's TommyOpening Date: June 7, 2017
Closing Date: June 17, 2017 (reflects Theatre Royal Stratford East season) Air date: June 17, 2017 Medium: internet Where to watch: not available |
Stage Production Notes
Described by Rolling Stone Magazine as “the most important milestone in pop since Beatlemania,” Tommy began life as a concept album released by British band The Who. Initially titled Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Boy, the rock opera took two years to complete. Tommy was released on a double record in 1969, where it became an instant smash hit, propelling The Who to star status. “Pinball Wizard” was released as a single, an became one of The Who’s best-selling singles.
An symphonic version performed by the London Symphony Orchestra was released in 1972, and a film version directed by Ken Russell was released in 1975.
Tommy was first staged at the Queen’s in Hornchurch in 1979. The production transferred to the West End in the same year, opening at the Queen’s Theatre.
The first fully realized stage production of Tommy premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego under the direction of Des McAnuff on July 1, 1992.
The show transferred to Broadway, opening at the St. James Theatre on April 22, 1993. It became one of the first Broadway shows to offer half-price tickets. The cast included Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, Norm Lewis, Tracy Nicole Chapman, and Sherie Rene Scott.
The production was nominated for a slew of awards, including 11 Tony Awards. It won five Tonys, including Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Lighting Design, Best Original Score, and Best Scenic Design. The cast recording won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
The Broadway production closed on June 17, 1995 after 899 regular performances.
Des McAnuff’s production transferred to the West End, where it opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on February 20, 1996. The cast included Paul Keating and Kim Wilde. The production ran for just under a year before closing on February 8, 1997.
The Who’s Tommy continues to be widely performed through the UK and US.
Described by Rolling Stone Magazine as “the most important milestone in pop since Beatlemania,” Tommy began life as a concept album released by British band The Who. Initially titled Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Boy, the rock opera took two years to complete. Tommy was released on a double record in 1969, where it became an instant smash hit, propelling The Who to star status. “Pinball Wizard” was released as a single, an became one of The Who’s best-selling singles.
An symphonic version performed by the London Symphony Orchestra was released in 1972, and a film version directed by Ken Russell was released in 1975.
Tommy was first staged at the Queen’s in Hornchurch in 1979. The production transferred to the West End in the same year, opening at the Queen’s Theatre.
The first fully realized stage production of Tommy premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego under the direction of Des McAnuff on July 1, 1992.
The show transferred to Broadway, opening at the St. James Theatre on April 22, 1993. It became one of the first Broadway shows to offer half-price tickets. The cast included Michael Cerveris, Alice Ripley, Norm Lewis, Tracy Nicole Chapman, and Sherie Rene Scott.
The production was nominated for a slew of awards, including 11 Tony Awards. It won five Tonys, including Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Lighting Design, Best Original Score, and Best Scenic Design. The cast recording won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.
The Broadway production closed on June 17, 1995 after 899 regular performances.
Des McAnuff’s production transferred to the West End, where it opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre on February 20, 1996. The cast included Paul Keating and Kim Wilde. The production ran for just under a year before closing on February 8, 1997.
The Who’s Tommy continues to be widely performed through the UK and US.
Filmed Production Notes
In 2017, Ramps on the Moon developed a new version of The Who’s Tommy in collaboration with New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. Pete Townshend composed new music for the production, which featured disabled actors, integrated audio description and British Sign Language.
Launched following a successful production of The Threepenny Opera in 2014, Ramps on the Moon is collaborative network of six English theatres that aims to provide employment and artistic opportunities for people with disabilities. Over the next six years, shows produced by Ramps on the Moon will feature disabled and non-disabled casts, creative teams with a 50/50 split between disabled and non-disabled practitioners, and initiatives to ensure the audience includes disabled people.
The re-imagined Tommy opened at the New Wolsey Theatre on March 30, 2017. The production toured the UK, stopping in Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham, London, and finishing in Sheffield.
Amongst the diverse cast was Peter Straker, who played the Narrator in the original West End production.
The new production received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Writing for The Times, Sam Marlowe stated “Bombastic, bizarre or just plain bonkers, this rock musical…often verges on the ridiculous. Yet in this extraordinary production it very nearly makes perfect sense.” In a review for Disability Arts Online, theatre critic Sophie Partridge stated that the inclusive casting was “spot on,” and described the show as “clever and genuine…[and] a real and empowering production which reclaims Tommy the Musical.”
On June 17, 2017, the final performance of the The Who’s Tommy at the Theatre Royal Stratford East was livestreamed into adult social care homes across the UK. The livestream was captioned, and audio description was also made available.
Due to licensing restrictions, the livestream was not livestreamed beyond pre-agreed the adult social care homes.
The Ramps on the Moon production of The Who’s Tommy is not currently available to view.
In 2017, Ramps on the Moon developed a new version of The Who’s Tommy in collaboration with New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich. Pete Townshend composed new music for the production, which featured disabled actors, integrated audio description and British Sign Language.
Launched following a successful production of The Threepenny Opera in 2014, Ramps on the Moon is collaborative network of six English theatres that aims to provide employment and artistic opportunities for people with disabilities. Over the next six years, shows produced by Ramps on the Moon will feature disabled and non-disabled casts, creative teams with a 50/50 split between disabled and non-disabled practitioners, and initiatives to ensure the audience includes disabled people.
The re-imagined Tommy opened at the New Wolsey Theatre on March 30, 2017. The production toured the UK, stopping in Nottingham, Leeds, Birmingham, London, and finishing in Sheffield.
Amongst the diverse cast was Peter Straker, who played the Narrator in the original West End production.
The new production received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Writing for The Times, Sam Marlowe stated “Bombastic, bizarre or just plain bonkers, this rock musical…often verges on the ridiculous. Yet in this extraordinary production it very nearly makes perfect sense.” In a review for Disability Arts Online, theatre critic Sophie Partridge stated that the inclusive casting was “spot on,” and described the show as “clever and genuine…[and] a real and empowering production which reclaims Tommy the Musical.”
On June 17, 2017, the final performance of the The Who’s Tommy at the Theatre Royal Stratford East was livestreamed into adult social care homes across the UK. The livestream was captioned, and audio description was also made available.
Due to licensing restrictions, the livestream was not livestreamed beyond pre-agreed the adult social care homes.
The Ramps on the Moon production of The Who’s Tommy is not currently available to view.
The Who's Tommy PRODUCTION CREDITS
Theatre: Theatre Royal Stratford East
Producer: New Wolsey Theatre, Ramps on the Moon
Book: Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff
Music and Lyrics: Pete Townshend
Additional Music and Lyrics: John Entwistle and Keith Moon
Director: Kerry Michael
Musical Director: Robert Hyman
Choreography: Mark Smith
Set and Costume Design: Neil Irish
Lighting Design: Arnim Friess
Sound Design: Andrew Johnson for Creative Technology
Cast:
Adam Langstaff (Tommy), William Grint (Tommy), Alim Jayda (Lover), Amelia Cavallo, Amy Trigg (Sally Simpson), Anthony Snowden, Becky Barry, Donna Mullings (Mrs Walker), Garry Robson (Uncle Ernie), Hearns Sebuado, Julian Capolei, Lukus Alexander (Cousin Kevin), Matthew Jacobs-Morgan, Max Runham (Captain Walker), Natasha Julien, Natasha Lewis, Peter Straker (Acid Queen), Shekinah McFarlane, Stacey Ghent, Steve Simmonds, Tony Qunta
Theatre: Theatre Royal Stratford East
Producer: New Wolsey Theatre, Ramps on the Moon
Book: Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff
Music and Lyrics: Pete Townshend
Additional Music and Lyrics: John Entwistle and Keith Moon
Director: Kerry Michael
Musical Director: Robert Hyman
Choreography: Mark Smith
Set and Costume Design: Neil Irish
Lighting Design: Arnim Friess
Sound Design: Andrew Johnson for Creative Technology
Cast:
Adam Langstaff (Tommy), William Grint (Tommy), Alim Jayda (Lover), Amelia Cavallo, Amy Trigg (Sally Simpson), Anthony Snowden, Becky Barry, Donna Mullings (Mrs Walker), Garry Robson (Uncle Ernie), Hearns Sebuado, Julian Capolei, Lukus Alexander (Cousin Kevin), Matthew Jacobs-Morgan, Max Runham (Captain Walker), Natasha Julien, Natasha Lewis, Peter Straker (Acid Queen), Shekinah McFarlane, Stacey Ghent, Steve Simmonds, Tony Qunta
Sources
Books
Articles
Websites
- Robert Gordon, Olaf Jubin, The Oxford Handbook of the British Musical, Oxford University Press (2016)
Articles
- Paul T. Davies, “REVIEW: Tommy, New Wolsey Theatre,” BritishTheatre.com (April 5, 2017)
- Disability Arts Online, “Ramps on the Moon returns with a controversial new production of The Who’s ‘Tommy’, Disability Arts Online (March 27, 2017)
- Robin Johnson, “TOMMY STREAMED LIVE INTO SOCIAL CARE HOMES,” Official London Theatre (June 15, 2017)
- Lyn Gardner, “The Who's Tommy review – bold retake on rock opera tackles disability rights,” The Guardian (April 6, 2017)
- Sam Marlowe, “Theatre: Tommy at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich,” The Times (April 5, 2017)
- Giverny Masso, “The Who’s Tommy to be live-streamed to care homes,” The Stage (June 16, 2017)
- Fergus Morgan, “Tommy review at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich – ‘a revelatory staging’,” The Stage (April 5, 2017)
- Sophie Partridge, “Ramps on the Moon: The Who’s Tommy – reclaiming the musical for disabled people,” Disability Arts Online (April 12, 2017)
- Rolling Stone, “The Who's Opera: A Loud Deafmute,” Rolling Stone (June 14, 1969)
- Rolling Stone, “The Who Finish Rock Opera,” Rolling Stone (Feb 15, 1969)
- Rick Sanders and David Dalton, “Townshend On 'Tommy': Behind the Who's Rock Opera,” Rolling Stone (July 12, 1969)
- Mark Shenton, “The Who’s Tommy,” The Stage (Aug 2, 2015)
- Wolsey Theatre, “Pete Townshend Writes Exclusive New Songs For Production Of The Who’s Tommy,” Wolsey Theatre (March 15, 2017)
Websites
- Music Theatre International, “The Who’s Tommy,” Accessed via: http://www.mtishows.com/the-whos-tommy
- Ramps on the Moon, “About the Project,” Accessed via: https://www.rampsonthemoon.co.uk/about/
- Theatre Royal Stratford East, “Tommy,” Accessed via: http://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/tommy#details
- UK Theatre Web, “Tommy,” Accessed via: http://www.uktw.co.uk/archive/musical/tommy/L0186837941/
Written by Luisa Lyons (June, 2017)