Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended
"...There has been talk of touring director Des McAnuff's extraordinary Goodman Theatre reboot of "Tommy" - The Who's existential howl of boomer anger from 1969 at the psychological fallout from their emotionally repressed parents. Why fiddle about? Broadway has nothing else like this wizardry going on, not this season and nothing I know to be on the books for next. Straight guys will join the other Broadway constituencies for this, too, and the theater needs all of them together."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...But the heart and soul of Tommy is Bourzgui's Tommy. He's on stage practically the entire show, delivering a star-making performance defined by powerhouse vocals and a balletic grace that makes Latorro's choreography fly. Tommy's zombie-like affect is the stuff of nightmares, and it makes his eventual breakthrough all the more powerful."
Daily Herald - Highly Recommended
"...If Goodman Theatre's incandescent revival of "The Who's Tommy" does nothing else, it reminds rockers (aging and otherwise) why they love the music they love. Case in point, the rapturous finale that begins with a reprise of the plaintive "See Me, Feel Me" and segues into the bold, relentless "Listening to You," an anthem to the enduring power of rock 'n' roll."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Bourzgui is the heart of the show, as expected. But the supporting turns are also breathtaking, including Christina Sajous's operatic Acid Queen (whose Isle of Dogs domain feels positively Bosch-like), Bobby Conte's oily Cousin Kevin (a Proud Boy in the making), and Alison Luff's wistful Mrs. Walker (a far cry from the Valley of the Dolls take on the character in the film). The nine-piece band under Rick Fox's music direction blasts through all the well-known numbers but never does it by the numbers. Nor does anything else in this tear-off-the-roof production, which finds the near-perfect balance between rock excess and psychological torment."
Windy City Times - Highly Recommended
"...But now The Who's Tommy commences someplace "in the future," via a silent prologue, as ensemble members gear up with virtual reality helmets to take a deep digital dive into the past. It's as if set designer David Korins and projection designer Peter Nigrini opted for a darker, monochromatic palate (think the 2010 film sequel Tron: Legacy versus the 1982 original) and framed all the imagery like it's emanating from behind the black mirror of an enormous smartphone screen."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews - Highly Recommended
"...Tommy Walker's role is brilliantly portrayed by Ali Louis Bourzgui, whose roll and rock appearance was faultless, and his singing was spectacular. Adam Jacobs(Captain Walker) and Alison Luff (Mrs. Walker), Tommy's parents, were excellent. Joining them are John Ambrosino as Uncle Ernie; Bobby Conte as Cousin Kevin; and Christina Sajous as the Acid Queen, who looked more like Tina Turner and sang better than any recent performers from the Tina Turner musical."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...There are many people familiar with the sound of a song from “The Who’s Tommy”, a masterpiece of the story meets opera written by Pete Townshend (music & lyrics) and Des McAnuff ( who also directed this particular production)and Townshend. The song they all know “Pinball Wizard”. While this particular song is amazing and the production scene itself, now on the stage at The Goodman Theatre is a powerful one, there is a great deal more to the music and the story of Tommy ( this role is played to perfection by Ali Louis Bourzgui and also two young performers as age 4 (Presley Rose Jones and Ava Rose Doty) and at age 10 Annabel Finch and Ezekiel Ruiz)."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...The last element of the show that really completed the experience was the audience I was with. This was not a show I was very familiar with, nor is it a genre of music I listen to much on my own. So, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I sat down at the Goodman. However, both the friend I went with, and friends I ran into at the theater were diehard Who fans, and their energy was really infectious. So, I think it's safe to say that if you are a fan of The Who, you will absolutely love this show, if the response of the army of self-professed fans I attended the show with are any indication. If you are not familiar with the band or the show, I can say that this show is truly incredible and will absolutely amaze you."
Buzznews.net - Highly Recommended
"...Now McAnuff and Townshend have reimagined the work, updating it for contemporary relevance in a post-COVID environment. McAnuff and Townshend are deeply invested in this project, which has already had its run extended twice in Chicago (it runs through August 6) largely based on pre-opening buzz and strongly established interest in the album. Chicagoans are advised to catch this rare opportunity to see an excitingly fresh version of "The Who's Tommy" before it takes off for Broadway in New York."
The Fourth Walsh - Highly Recommended
"...TOMMY and Des are back! Thirty years after its Tony Award-winning original production, Des McAnuff (director and co-libretto) returns to reimagine The Who’s TOMMY. In the early 90s, Pete Townshend (music, lyrics, co-libretto) and McAnuff collaborated using existing music for the story and co-creating the book. Now, TOMMY arrives back on stage as a visual and visceral spectacle. Goodman.Rocks.This.Out.Hard!"
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...The production of Tommy now playing at the Goodman, once again helmed by McAnuff and rumored to be eyeing a Broadway theatre, is a multimedia dazzler, even if one would've preferred a guitar got smashed along the way."
Third Coast Review - Recommended
"...The production is a familiar touchstone, full of human foibles and evocative tunes, but still seems to be finding its sea legs, as it skews more toward a composed musical theater show rather than a balls-to-the-walls rock performance. Christina Sajous’s Acid Queen achieves that perfect blend of writhing theatricality and belting rock chops (reminiscent of Tina Turner’s indelible performance in the film – I’m still haunted by her heroin Iron Maiden from when I saw the movie at age 13). Yet the production’s earnest energy is infectious and the pursuit of redemption is timeless."
Chicago On Stage - Highly Recommended
"...When I saw that the Goodman Theatre had scheduled The Who's Tommy for this summer, my first reaction was something like: wow, that's...different. The show, based on the band's 1969 "concept album," is such a powerful rock production that it seemed to clash stylistically with the kind of shows that routinely grace the Goodman's main stage. And it does: a thoroughly welcome clash with tradition whose brilliant choreography, exciting visuals, and powerful performances sent the opening night audience spontaneously to its feet quite a while before it actually ended."
PicksInSix - Recommended
"...Although "The Who's Tommy" is presented in a succession of pell mell, whirlwinding memorable melodic moments paired with snippets of searing plot, it does remind us to shatter the ring-lit mirrors of our own inhibitions brought about by the traumas of our past in order to clear our minds and live in the present; coming home to our true selves. In a time where being true to oneself can bring about literal violence from those who don't agree or understand, it's moving to remember how the power of the universal language of music can deliver a unifying force to bring an entire audience to its feet."
Life and Times - Highly Recommended
"...The Goodman production of "The Who's Tommy" is like enjoying a fine pastry at a three-star restaurant where a kitchen full of the most skilled artists in the world have pooled their creativity to give you the experience of a lifetime."
Chicago Culture Authority - Highly Recommended
"...The new revival of The Who’s Tommy at the Gooman Theatre pulls out all the bells and whistles, crafting a feast for the senses from the tragic and ultimately redemptive story of a boy rendered nearly catatonic by multiple traumas only to emerge years later as the ultimate social influencer with messianic appeal to youth culture and a message about being true to oneself."
Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended
"...I first saw a Des McAnuff production of The Who's Tommy at the Stratford Festival ten
years ago when he was its artistic director. That production blew me away with its sound and
visual spectacle, from the "Overture" to the reprise of "Listening to You" in the finale. I literally
braced myself for those chords on the opening performance of the rock musical at the
Goodman Theatre, and McAnuff's re-imagining of his former triumph was a triumph yet again."
