The Who's Tommy Finds Full Broadway Revival Cast

The upcoming Broadway revival of The Who's Tommy has revealed complete casting. Previews begin March 8 at the Nederlander Theatre, with opening night set for March 28.

As previously reported, Ali Louis Bourzgui will lead the cast as Tommy, with Alison Luff as Mrs. Walker, Adam Jacobs as Captain Walker, John Ambrosino as Uncle Ernie, Bobby Conte as Cousin Kevin, and Christina Sajous as The Acid Queen, all reprising their roles from the Chicago run.

Newly announced cast members are Haley Gustafson, Jeremiah Alsop, Ronnie S. Bowman Jr., Mike Cannon, Tyler James Eisenreich, Sheldon Henry, Afra Hines, Aliah James, David Paul Kidder, Tassy Kirbas, Lily Kren, Quinten Kusheba, Reese Levine, Brett Michael Lockley, Nathan Lucrezio, Alexandra Matteo, Mark Mitrano, Reagan Pender, Cecilia Ann Popp, Daniel Quadrino, Olive Ross-Kline, Jenna Nicole Schoen, Dee Tomasetta, and Andrew Tufano.

About half of the ensemble members were part of the Chicago company, including Gustafson, Alsop, Henry, James, Kirbas, Kren, Lucrezio, Matteo, Mitrano, Pender, Quadrino, Schoen, and Tufano; while Bowman, Cannon, Eisenreich, Hines, Kidder, Kusheba, Levine, Lockley, Popp, Ross-Kline, and Tomasetta are new to the production.

The work originally opened on Broadway in 1993, with a book by Des McAnuff and Pete Townshend of The Who, music and lyrics by Townshend, and direction by McAnuff. The pair have reunited to reimagine the story, with McAnuff returning to direct the new production.

Based on The Who's 1969 rock opera Tommy, the musical follows the young Tommy Walker. After witnessing his father shoot his rival, Tommy is emotionally lost, and spends his time staring endlessly into the mirror. Then, an innate knack for pinball catapults him into celebrity status.

“In many ways, I think the world has caught up to Tommy Walker, which makes it exciting to revisit The Who’s Tommy for a new generation who, possibly more than any other, has a broad appetite for all kinds of music and storytelling,” McAnuff said in an earlier statement.

The creative team also includes choreographer Lorin Latarro (Into the Woods), music supervisor Ron Melrose (Jersey Boys), musical director Rick Fox (Rent), set designer David Korins (Hamilton), projection designer Peter Nigrini (Here Lies Love), costume designer Sarafina Bush (for colored girls...), lighting designer Amanda Zieve (Escape to Margaritaville), sound designer Gareth Owen (Back to the Future), and wig and hair designer Charles LaPointe (Hamilton). The production also features additional music arrangements by Melrose, and additional orchestrations by Fox. Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting's Merri Sugarman with additional Chicago casting by Lauren Port and Rachael Jimenez. Tripp Phillips is the production stage manager, and Bespoke Theatricals is general manager.

The original Broadway production of The Who's Tommy opened April 22, 1993, at the St. James Theatre, after beginning previews March 29. McAnuff had first staged the work in 1992 at California's La Jolla Playhouse, where he was artistic director, before the production moved to Broadway the following year. Prior to the Broadway version, an early stage adaptation of Tommy premiered in 1971 in Seattle featuring Bette Midler as both the Acid Queen and Mrs. Walker. A screen version followed in 1975.

This reimagined production played Chicago's Goodman Theatre in summer 2023, 30 years after its original Broadway bow. The production quickly became a sold-out hit. McAnuff directed at the Goodman, as well. McAnuff has been eyeing a return for The Who's Tommy since at least 2019, when a Broadway revival was announced to hit the stage in 2021. Those plans never materialized due to the pandemic.

The forthcoming Broadway production is produced by Stephen Gabriel and Ira Pittelman.

Visit TommyTheMusical.com.

See photos from the revival's Chicago run below: