Chicago’s Goodman Astonishes With ‘Tommy’ As Pete Townshend Of The Who Brings This Legendary Tale Back For Another Round

Jun 30, 2023 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Musical Theatre, Reviews 0

By Peter Thomas Ricci

Like many teenage suburbanites in the aughts, I experienced a dedicated “classic rock phase,” with the legendary British quartet The Who playing a central role. I will make an admission, however – that phase did not include what is arguably The Who’s most famous album, the rock opera ‘Tommy.’ While I adored “Pinball Wizard” and was riveted with live renditions of the “Amazing Journey/Sparks” medley, I never quite connected with the album, despite its reputation and repeated appeals from my brother and others.

Enter the Goodman Theatre and its 30th anniversary production of the ‘Tommy’ stage musical, an experience so sensational and overwhelming that it feels me with shame at ever having doubted the power and singular vision of the original album. From its pitch-perfect cast to inventive staging, this is a musical unlike anything I have ever seen, one that reaffirms how well rock music can play on the traditional stage.

For being such a popular work, the narrative of ‘Tommy’ is remarkably dark, and the Goodman’s staging does not shy away from that bleakness. Beginning with the initial romance and marriage of Tommy’s parents, the musical tracks their early, tragic trajectory, with Tommy’s father spending five years in a German POW camp in WWII and his mother, following a short institutionalization, taking on a new lover and raising the young son who does not know of his biological father. After being freed from the camp by American troops and rushing home, Tommy’s father is shocked at what he sees, and after tussling with his wife’s suitor, he pulls out a handgun and shoots the man dead – right in front of young Tommy.

In an effort to hide the murder, Tommy’s parents tell him, repeatedly, that he did not “see” or “hear” anything, commands that force the traumatized boy into an even deeper space of fear and isolation. Hence begins Tommy’s decade of being “deaf, dumb, and blind,” and experiencing not only ridicule and indifference, but sexual assault and bullying. And then, as a further show of disregard, he is placed in front of a pinball machine at a community center, and demonstrates such an aptitude for the game that he becomes a celebrity with an increasingly large following.

Goodman’s staging of all that – courtesy of an excellent adaptation by Who songwriter/guitarist Pete Townshend and theater director Des McAnuff – is nothing short of spectacular. With sets by David Korins, projections by Peter Nigrini, choreography by Lorin Latarro and Sarah Parker, and lighting from Amanda Zieve, this is a production of uncommon focus and exuberance. Sitting amongst the equally enthralled Goodman audience, I felt complete uniformity – hundreds of people captivated with the vision of McAnuff and Townshend.

And tying it altogether is a flawless cast in every respect. When seeing musicals of this size and scale, there is the occasional (and unfortunate) weak link – a cast member with a weaker voice, a slower step, an overall lack of grace. No such issue here: Every voice, every dance, every gesture was the work of a clearly talented ensemble, one led by the sensational talent of Ali Louis Bourzgui, who plays the adult-age Tommy. With the presence of an actor far older than his 23 years and a voice as booming as it is effortless, Bourzgui handled his complex leading role with deftness, nuance, and precision; indeed, in my short walk from the theater to the Clark/Lake train station, I heard no less than five theatergoers rave about Bourzgui’s performance. Rest assured: This is not the last time we’ll see the amazing actor in a lead performance.

The Goodman is already among Chicago’s most august companies, and for good reason – thanks to the three-decade leadership of Robert Falls, it consistently took theater in new, enthralling directions. Even among those high standards, though, there was the show that rose above the rest and reminded us of why the theater is such a pivotal art form. Now in 2023, with the traces of the COVID-19 pandemic still around us, ‘Tommy’ is the latest such reminder.

Highly Recommended

Presented through Aug. 6 at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, Chicago IL 60601

Tickets available at goodmantheatre.org, or by calling 312-443-3800.