One of rock music’s most ambitious stage adaptations is heading back out on the road. The national tour of “The Who’s Tommy” launches this fall at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, with Boston, Denver, Houston, and Minneapolis among the cities confirmed for the first year of the run.
The production is based on Des McAnuff’s acclaimed 2024 Broadway revival, the second time McAnuff has directed the musical on Broadway. That engagement ran 132 regular performances following 20 previews, and the creative team reassembling for the tour is largely the same one that made it work.
Choreography returns to Lorin Latarro, with music supervision and arrangements by Ron Melrose. The design team includes scenic work by David Korins, projections by Peter Nigrini, costumes by Sarafina Bush, lighting by Amanda Zieve, and sound by Gareth Owen. McAnuff and The Who’s Pete Townshend share book credit, with Townshend also responsible for the show’s music and lyrics, adapted from The Who’s landmark 1969 rock opera.
The story at the center remains one of the most distinctive in musical theatre. Tommy Walker, emotionally withdrawn after witnessing a traumatic act of violence, discovers a supernatural gift for pinball that transforms him into a cultural phenomenon. It’s a narrative that has resonated across generations, and this production has earned the right to carry it forward.
A complete tour itinerary will be released in the coming months.