The Who's Tommy from Rock-Opera to Broadway and Beyond
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The theatrical value of Tommy was evident beyond just the spirited performances of the piece by the Who. Tommy was turned into a West End musical in the historic Queens Theatre in London. Also, the Canadian ballet developed an adaptation shortly after the release of the album. Indeed, even the Who realized the potential after a moving performance of Tommy with the London Symphony Orchestra. They rushed to make a movie based on the concept and many entertainment heavyweights gladly hopped aboard the project. Directed by Ken Russell and guest starring Elton John, Tina Turner, and Jack Nicholson, Tommy cast Roger Daltry (lead singer of the Who) as Tommy. The film version of Tommy proved to be a testament to the grandiosity and spectacle of Pete Townshend's vision; however, Tommy would lie dormant for nearly twenty years before taking on its final and strongest form to date.

In 1989, the Who rejoined for a twenty-fifth anniversary tour to celebrate their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The tour contributed to the interest of Pete Townshend in a Broadway staging of Tommy. Having been burned out on his own work since the early 1970s, Townshend never intended on fully burying the piece. Instead, he "sat on it for the time to be right,", and the time was right in early 1991 (Brown). Broadway was ready, and Pete Townshend promptly chose as a director Des McAnuff, who called the task "intimidating" (Brown).

Initially, the story of Tommy provided problems for the proposed staging. While the songs and story flowed in a rock & roll record sense, there were huge gaps in the story that still needed to be told. Tommy was a 'deaf, dumb, and blind kid' that sees his father being killed, but much of the story was up to interpretation. Why was the father killed? Why was he deaf, dumb, and blind? "Much of the first half was untold," said director Des McAnuff (Brown). In turn, the story was appropriately filled in order to create a more appropriate and complete Broadway story. Townshend actually composed a new song for the Broadway production that helped flesh out the characters of Tommy's parents called "I Believe My Own Eyes". John Entwistle, the bassist for the Who and the credited songwriter for three songs on Tommy, stated that "I Believe My Own Eyes", "sounds Broadway. Nothing the Who would play" (Brown). Townshend, however, feels that his new song helps "bring the show up to date" and helps validate the story (Brown).

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