The Who's Tommy @ The Goodman

[Zingingtobway]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 5:23pm

Has anyone seen The Who's Tommy at The Goodman in Chicago yet? I am looking forward to seeing it in a few weeks. I hope it returns to Broadway.

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 5:40pm

Can't wait.  Great cast.

First extension to through July.

Updated On: 6/14/23 at 05:40 PM

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 5:55pm

I'm going on June 24.

[MidWestTheater]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 6:03pm

I'm going tomorrow night. I have a friend who went last night and was not the biggest fan, but he had never seen the show, so it was hard to tell if he had issues with the production or show itself. They actually have set up a pinball arcade in the lobby that you can play, with apparently a custom pinball machine for this production. Also, the goodman is selling merch, which I've never seen them do.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 6:12pm

Great to hear! Will be going in the next week! Seems to be selling very good!

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 6/14/23 at 8:02pm

Looking forward to a great show - seeing it Juneteenth Eve.

Updated On: 6/14/23 at 08:02 PM

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 11:40am

MidWestTheater said: "They actually have set up a pinball arcade in the lobby that you can play, with apparently a custom pinball machine for this production."

https://twitter.com/Cassie_Temple/status/1668997036098584584?t=k88vCd6NPFfJIxdaUPIcyA&s=19

Such a cute idea, love that!

Also can anyone snag a pic of the merch if they get a chance? Even if it's the standard key art (which looks really cool imo), I would love to know

 

Updated On: 6/15/23 at 11:40 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 11:50am

Will be there next Friday and will snag some pics if no one else does! 

[betyourass]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 1:05pm

This could be so cool to have on Broadway again. I love the cast recording, but have never seen it live.

[EvanstonDad]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 2:28pm

Didn't see it on Broadway but saw the original tour and it was one of the best things I've ever seen on stage. Absolutely phenomenal staging and design. I hope the new production doesn't mess too much with a good thing.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 2:36pm

betyourass said: "This could be so cool to have on Broadway again. I love the cast recording, but have never seen it live."

I'm told this revival is very much aiming for Broadway next season (in a sea of other revivals).

[CoffeeBreak]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 3:30pm

found this.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CtdJZShOnT7/

Updated On: 6/15/23 at 03:30 PM

[JasonC3]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 3:50pm

Long Chicago Tribune article about the show (original production and current).  Might be paywalled but you should be able to get around that.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ent-townshend-tommy-goodman-theatre-20230615-xkifkqe26ffc5nwyert4a4ttfy-story.html

[Voter]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 3:57pm

JasonC3 said: "Long Chicago Tribune article about the show (original production and current). Might be paywalled but you should be able to get around that.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/ct-ent-townshend-tommy-goodman-theatre-20230615-xkifkqe26ffc5nwyert4a4ttfy-story.html"

"Its Chicago reboot will be followed (or so the current plan goes) by a national tour and a return to Broadway, still under the direction of McAnuff, who brought the show to Broadway in the first place."

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 6/15/23 at 5:28pm

While I certainly haven't seen the show (I live on Long Island), I stumbled upon this post/review.

It gives a lot of insight into the new production.

https://www.facebook.com/gthomasward/posts/pfbid02Hqj1zSUptWSpXmU7spjgkhyRpyjPACPmoUwkBAC3Q2pRYjd4mSCE8Sic7tTGXRhYl

[Matt Legg]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 1:07am

I have gone the past three nights and have highly enjoyed it.  Definitely a crowd pleaser... the whole audience was on its feet before the last song even ended tonight.

Fantastic performances and definitely very fast paced.  It has gotten even tighter since Tuesday where there really is no pause for applause. Alison Luff's "Mirror" gets a good reaction when she hits the high notes at the end.

Des has come out to introduce to show each night.

They've done away with the "In the future..." which made no sense in act 2. Also missing is the giant white head which came down from the ceiling after the final curtain call. I'd like the very beginning to start a little stronger... everyone is just standing around for far too long until the music kicks in. But once it begins, it's nonstop from there.

Definitely well received by the audience. People in their 40s-60s waving their fists and jamming along especially in the second act.  

Since we really have no other theater options downtown for the next month and a half, this should definitely do great business.

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 1:26am

Forgive me for "going there", as I know this type of stuff angers people on this board, but...

How loud/startling are the gunshot moments? Are they blanks actually being fired or sound effects from the soundboard?

Also, the Goodman website says that there are multiple gunshots. Putting aside that obvious, pivotal gunshot that happens when Tommy is a child, when do the other ones happen? Safe to say that most...if not all of the other ones are at the beginning, during the war scenes?

Thanks for the intel. I'm a HUGE Who fan, who's been following this production since it was announced in 2019. I'm praying that it comes to NYC, but am anxious about the gunshot/loud startling noise factors.

[Matt Legg]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 1:37am

To answer your questions, really really loud. I've been in the 7th row, 2nd row and 1st row, and the shots are really jarring.  I was with my 76 year old war veteran father tonight and prepared him multiple times just so he would not be alarmed.  I'd assume they are from the soundboard (since the gun was about 2 feet from me tonight) and all the sound came from the speaker rather than the gun itself. 

All the firing is within the first 15 minutes of the show.  The scene Tommy witnesses (obviously) but prior to that there  are war sequences that are mostly digital projections, but soldiers do fire off rounds of gunfire. 

I have noticed multiple people comment about the gun noises at intermission... hopefully they can be turned down moving forward.

The Goodman is a very small theater which typically produces quiet plays.  In this case, there are giant Metallica size speakers, which makes the music amazing and immersive, but definitely amplifies the sound of gunfire.

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 2:38am

Matt Legg said: "To answer your questions, really really loud. I've been in the 7th row, 2nd row and 1st row, and the shots are really jarring. I was with my 76 year old war veteran father tonight and prepared him multiple times just so he would not be alarmed. I'd assume they are from the soundboard (since the gun was about 2 feet from me tonight) and all the sound came from the speaker rather than the gun itself.

All the firing is within the first 15 minutes of the show. The scene Tommy witnesses (obviously) but prior to that there are war sequences that are mostly digital projections, but soldiers do fire off rounds of gunfire.

I have noticed multiple people comment about the gun noises at intermission... hopefully they can be turned down moving forward.

The Goodman is a very small theater which typically produces quiet plays. In this case, there are giant Metallica size speakers, which makes the music amazing and immersive, but definitely amplifies the sound of gunfire."


WOW! Thank you VERY much, Matt, for your lengthy & detailed response. Clearly you took my question/situation seriously, and I sincerely thank you for that.

I must admit, you found a way to make me incredibly panicked & super excited to see this, at the same time! The thought of gunshots at that kind of volume is in line with my worst nightmare. On the flip side, the thought of Who music through Metallica sized speakers sounds heavenly to me. (I saw the actual Who 2x last year!) - Hopefully they do tone down those sound effects a little, notably by the time the show makes it to Broadway. - Yet, either way, your detailed information will help me to prepare myself, if I do end up seeing the show. And, the fact that I (and people like me) can rest easy by the 15 min mark is AWESOME!

Thanks again!

P.S. - Whatever happened to the Theater Gunshots thread? I know that a bunch of us on here valued that greatly!

Updated On: 6/16/23 at 02:38 AM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 3:30am

For those curious ones, here’s the Press Reel for the original 1993 Broadway production featuring Michael Cerveris as Tommy Walker. Having seen this insanely fantastic and visually mind-blowing production at the St. James Theatre (which was painted entirely in bright yellow with the TOMMY graffiti all over it) about 10 times, it was great watching this. The musical features, what I’m sure many would also agree with, Wayne Cilento’s best choreographic work. You can spot Sherie Rene Scott in the ensemble numbers (she played Sally Simpson in the musical as well). 

 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 9:49am

Do earplugs help those with startle reflex when it comes to things like gunshot noises in the theatre? 

[MidWestTheater]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 10:05am

I was there last night and was blown away, defintley by the first Act. I always felt the second act kinda loses momentum after the come to my house number. But, that’s a quibble with the show itself, but this production is a stunner. 
I loved the look of this show creating kind of a kubreckian mod 60’s black and white feel with pops of color from different items in Tommy’s life was a brilliant choice, it’s almost like we are watching Tommy’s memory. And this show especially the first 30 minutes does not stop to breathe, there is so much movement on that stage, whether from the set or the cast. It’s all done beautifully. And I’m not sure there’s a better director who knows how to punctuate with lighting then Des McAnuff.

With a few more tweaks this could be on broadway tomorrow.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 12:29pm

Can anyone speak to any changes to the material? Have they made any changes to the structure or songs/lyrics? Are the storytelling instrumental sections still used? I feel like those tracks slow momentum on the OBCR but not as much in the actual show.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 2:50pm

Super excited to see this on Sunday!

[Hey, Zelda!]

Posted: 6/16/23 at 3:10pm

CATSNYrevival said: "Can anyone speak to any changes to the material? Have they made any changes to the structure or songs/lyrics?"

According to that Tribune piece, there's a little less Uncle Ernie this time.