Novato Theater Company Presents THE WHO'S TOMMY

The Novato Theater Company's second show of its 101st season is The Who's Tommy with music and lyrics by Pete Townsend, book by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff with additional music and lyrics by John Entwistle and Keith Moon. Opening on Friday, January 21 and the final show is Sunday, February 6, 2022. Shows are on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm and on Sunday at 2:00 pm.

Novato Theater Company presented The Who's Tommy in March 2020 and was shut down on opening night due to state and country Covid protocol. Now director and choreographer Marilyn Izdebski is bringing it back.

The Who's Tommy tells the rock opera's miraculous story of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who achieves stardom as The Pinball Wizard. Townshend eventually named the double-album story of a deaf and blind mute who grows up to be a pinball expert and spiritual leader 'Tommy' as it was a common British name and the nickname of soldiers in WWI. The Tony & Grammy Award winning show pulses with rock music of one of the greatest rock bands of our time.

The Who's Tommy rock opera is based on the original album that was mostly composed by guitarist Pete Townshend and the album has sold 20 million copies and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The Who's Tommy, which was first performed by The Who in 1969, opened on Broadway in April 1993. The Who's Tommy won Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Original Score, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting Design, as well as Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Director of a Musical, Outstanding Choreography, Orchestrations, Lighting Design, Sound Design and Set Design. Michael Cerveris was awarded Theatre World Award in 1993. In 1994, The Who's Tommy won a Grammy for Best Musical Show Album.

Marilyn Izdebski explains, "In March 2020, Tommy closed on what was supposed to be our opening night. We thought it would be a couple of months until we reopened. Little did we know that it would take almost two years to bring this special show back to NTC. I was devastated when Tommy closed in 2020, but I am now overjoyed to bring our show back in 2022 and share it with our audiences!"

Tyler Marques (Tommy) says, "I am honored to be able to play such an iconic character with such a sensational band."

Attendee of the final preview performance on March 12, 2020, Stuart Zimmerman shares his experience, "Tommy is one of my all-time favorite rock operas and seeing the theatrical adaptation at Novato Theater Company was as close to Broadway as it gets"

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