The Who’s Pete Townshend says he’s excited that the stage musical based on his band’s classic 1969 rock opera Tommy has returned to Broadway, but he admits that revisiting the project can sometimes be traumatic for him.
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Townshend discussed the musical and the album that inspired it during a new CBS Sunday Morning segment that aired this past weekend. Townshend has previously explained that he believes the story of Tommy, which is about a boy who becomes “deaf, dumb, and blind after witnessing a murder committed by a family member, likely was influenced by own experience being abused by a child.
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On CBS Sunday Morning, he talked about a harrowing emotional experience he had while performing the album live with The Who in 2017.
“I had a I had an anxiety attack,” Townshend revealed. “I sing ‘Acid Queen’ when The Who perform [Tommy], and I was in the middle of singing and I remembered a memory that I’d never remembered before. When I was a kid and I was staying with my crazy grandmother—I was between 4-and-a-half and 6-and-a-half—I was abused, and I remembered it … on the stage, and I nearly stopped and walked off the stage.”
He added, “So that kind of stuff does happen. The subject matter of Tommy is really heavy s— in lots of ways.”
The Difference Between the Tommy Musical and Mamma Mia!
Having said that, Townshend noted that he feels the heaviness of some of the messages and themes featured in the Tommy story are part of what makes it a worthwhile theatrical experience.
“When somebody says, ‘Oh, you went to see Tommy, What was it like?’ It’s about conveying the way that you’ve been affected,” the 78-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer maintained. “Is it important or … dare I say it, is it just ABBA, you know?
Of course, Townshend is referring to the popular jukebox musical Mamma Mia!, which incorporates ABBA’s hit songs into an original romantic comedy scenario.
“The thing about ABBA and their success is just … originally, the brilliance of the music,” Townshend noted. “And you tend to go no further. And story has been imposed from the outside on the music.”
Regarding The Who’s Tommy musical, he said, “what you actually have is a story that underpins some really great music—rock music and pop music, and a few show tunes—which is worth thinking about.”
Hopes and Expectations for Revival of the Tommy Musical
As for the expectations he and the musical’s co-creator, Des McAnuff, have for the revival, Townshend said, “We just hope that it will dig in for a while. Des and I were committed to the idea of bringing the show to Broadway, with our fingers crossed, ’cause there’s lots of other great things going up.”
Townshend also explained why he was happy to bring the show back to Broadway, after its original 1993-1995 run.
“[F]or me, it was just for the romance,” he said. “You know, it’s just so great to be on Broadway.”
More About The Who’s Tommy Musical
The Who’s Tommy is scheduled to run through November 24, 2024, at the Nederlander Theatre.
Tickets for The Who’s Tommy are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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