THE WHO'S TOMMY
Book by: Pete Townshend & Des McAnuff
Music & Lyrics by: Pete Townshend
Additional Lyrics & Music By:
John Entwistle & Keith Moon
© Music Theatre International (MTI)
Director: Neil Truglio
Set Design: Anthony Lauro
Light Design: Kurt Morgan
Projection Design: Neil Truglio
Costume Design: Chantelle Frazier
Photo Credits: Sean Dolan
"In approaching The Who's Tommy, the focus was on the duality of Tommy's life - the deaf, dumb and blind child vs. the rock n' roll star young man. Using the mirror we created two universes, the real life 1950s and the psychedelic future. In the 1950s, young Tommy can look into the mirror and see his future self in that psychedelic world where Tommy is a star and worshipped by his followers. After the mirror is smashed the worlds flip bringing Tommy's future world to the forefront and putting young Tommy and the 1950s on the other side of the mirror. Eventually both worlds collide when future Tommy is destroyed by his followers and the young sick child wakes up from his prison."
The set design featured a raked stage that was used in both worlds and an enormous projected surface to enhance and show the audience what Tommy sees in his own mind.
The costumes utilized the two realities: time period appropriate 1950s, and a future world that combined rock n' roll styles from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.