The Who’s Tommy is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend and a book by Townshend and Des McAnuff, based on The Who’s 1969 concept album and the 1975 film. Premiering at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1992 before opening on Broadway in 1993, it tells the surreal story of Tommy Walker, a boy traumatized into psychosomatic blindness, deafness, and muteness, who becomes a pinball prodigy and later a cult‑like spiritual figure. Featuring iconic songs like “Pinball Wizard,” “See Me, Feel Me,” and “I’m Free,” the production was praised for its innovative staging, projections, and choreography, winning five Tony Awards including Best Direction and Best Original Score. Revived multiple times, including in London’s West End and a 2024 Broadway revival, Tommy endures as a landmark in rock theatre, blending spectacle with themes of trauma, fame, and self‑discovery.
