Why wasn't Tommy a huge hit??? — Page 2

Pete Townsend claims he rewrote a substantial amount of the score for this production. I personally don't buy it. He may have rearranged and reorganized some things, but when I saw it, I don't recall much of anything that struck me as "new" as far as the music was concerned.

I thought it was terrific on Broadway (although, to this day, one of the LOUDEST musicals I've ever attended, and that includes Rent).

I've never understood why the Tony committee decided it was eligible for the original score award. It ended up tying with Kander & Ebb's Kiss of the Spider Woman.

And that, as they say, is show business.

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I'm not a McAnuff fan, but TOMMY (one of the first Broadway shows I saw) was spectacular. The opener with WWII paratroopers hovering over the stage, the exploding pinball machine, and many of its other images are unforgettable.

Also, agreed with best12bars that it was one of the loudest shows ever. If I remember correctly, the lights didn't fade down at the start of act 1 as usual. They were suddenly turned off in time with the piercing guitar chord that begins the show. It was LOUD and the audience jumped out of their skin.

Except, Madbri, it had been on the stage 30 years before, just not as a "musical."

sorry, more like 20 years before, or 20 plus, both, in concert productions, The Who's and orchestrally, and then by Seattle Opera, among others.

Updated On: 8/29/11 at 02:40 PM

right, didn't mean to suggest I had a problem with it not being considered a revival for tony purposes. It had never been produced on Broadway so it was a new Broadway show, just took a long time to get there.

I don't think the Tony Awards were modified to allow Tommy to compete in score, and I dont think the rules were changed because of it. The key was the interpretation of the source material. In order to be considered eligible for Tony Score:

A score must be written specifically for the theatre and must be original; compilations of non-theatrical music or compilations of earlier theatrical music are not eligible for consideration.

The score for Tommy was neither a compilation of non-theatrical music (e.g., the recent Rock of Ages) or a compilation of earlier theatrical music (e.g., the Best Musical winner Crazy for You).

It was music written specifically for that "vehicle" (albeit several years earlier and produced as a concept album by The Who and then as a movie).

This would not be any different than, say, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Ragtime, Aida, Aida, Jekyll and Hyde (all concept albums before stage productions). Likewise, material in whole from another medium that ended up produced FOR THE STAGE VERSION OF THAT SAME STORY such as Lion King by Elton John/Tim Rice which was nominated (but did not win) for the Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid (which were all Disney movies before a life as stage musicals).

All of that music was known before they were on the Broadway stage and still qualified for the Score award and still would. Bottom line question to be answered is, were the music and lyrics writted FOR THAT STORY initially? If it was, then the prior lives in other does not disqualify the material from consideration.

As to the quality of Tommy The Musical, it was a hot ticket for a while (2 years is a good run), but the general consensus of the appeal to the majority of the long-run supporters was not that great (blue haired ladies were buying tickets for they children or grandchildren and not for themselves). It started to tap (or tried to tap) an audience that did not see legitimate theater as a source of rock/contemporary entertainment.

And one last point, the "dark" aspects of Tommy were no darker than Kiss of the Spiderwoman which took place in a South American prison with torture as a main plot point or Blood Brothers with the boys separated at birth and death ensues years later. A good year for musical theater pieces with strong subject matter but not the warm and sunny stuff of the matinee crowd.

Updated On: 8/29/11 at 03:45 PM

Best12Bars, there were changes to the score if you compare the Broadway score to the one that is heard on the 1969 album. I will admit that they are VERY minor changes. But, Townshend did re write some lyrics. In fact the biggest re write of note is We're Not Gonna Take It. The original lyrics had the work end with Tommy insisting the decipiles join him. However, they eventually lift their hands in the air and say that they have had enough and walk out. In the Broadway version, Tommy tells them to ditch his religion and to be free on their own and that they aren't in need of him. They don't like what they are being told and eventually get up and walk out on Tommy.

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1. I thought Cheryl Freeman was FABULOUS as the Acid Queen! Whoever said she was part of this production's issues must've caught her on a very off-night. Whatever happened to her anyway? Didn't she do Play On and maybe something else?

2. I agree with everyone who praised this production - especially the amazing opening sequence. Des filled the audience in on SOOOO MUCH without using a single word (well, save for the preacher). And it was just beautiful from start to finish.

3. I remember being so bummed when I saw that Marcia Mitzman (sp?) was going to be out. And then a lovely young lady raised her welder's mask and LA RIPLEY was born (at least for me). She blew me away that Weds afternoon - especially Smash The Mirror. When she later began to originate parts of her own, I was not surprised in the least and so glad I got to say "I remember her before she was popular"!

4. I cannot say enough about the orchestrations for this show. They were perfect - not too rock, not too B'way, not too pop. Just right.

I miss Tommy dearly, but like others, I just don't know how it would fare with a radically different production.

And does anyone still have that beautiful big hardback book that came out? That was one of my favorites, but I have since lost it.

What did the critics make of 'Tommy'?

If there is a revival....I will be there!!! The original production should have lasted longer.....it was a wonderful show.....and in my opinion.....it should have played for much longer that it did...

There was a 15 year reunion benefit concert at the August Wilson with the full cast.