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PETE TOWNSEND WAS COMPOSING "TOMMY ."

THE ROCK OPERA THAT TELLS THE STORY OF A TRAUMATIZED BOY WHO GROWS UP TO BE A PINBALL WIZARD THOUGH DEAF, DUMB, AND BLIND.

IT WON FIVE TONY AWARDS .

INCLUDING THAT DIRECTOR WHO IS REIMAGINING THE STAGE PRODUCTION.

THE PRODUCER HAS THE STORY.

>> Reporter: AT AN ARCADE , AN ACTOR PLAYS PINBALL.

HE PORTRAYS TOMMY WALKER, A ROLE MADE FAMOUS BY ROGER DALTREY OF "THE WHO."

>> THE IDEA THAT THIS IS AN ICONIC PIECE IN THE WORLD OF ROCK 'N ROLL.

I CAME INTO THAT WITH ALL OF THAT.

TRYING TO SEE HOW COULD I BRING MYSELF INTO THIS.

♪ NO MATTER WHAT ROLE YOU DO, I PUT A PIECE OF MYSELF AND.

I WENT INTO THE ARCHIVES OF EVERY "WHO" PERFORMANCE I COULD FIND.

>> Reporter: AFTER THE ALBUM WAS RELEASED, THEY PLAYED THE SONGS AT WOODSTOCK.

IT WAS MADE INTO A FILM IN THE 1970s BY DIRECTOR , KEN RUSSELL.

A TONY AWARD-WINNING ROCK MUSICAL IN 1993 .

A PROJECT THAT HAS NEVER GONE AWAY IN THE 55 YEARS SINCE PETE TOWNSEND WROTE IT.

>> YOU USE THOSE PROJECTS AS A LENS TO UNDERSTAND YOUR OWN LIFE AND TIMES.

PETE VISITED BEFORE COVID AND TALKED ABOUT THIS.

HE AND I AGREED THAT THE WORLD HAS CAUGHT UP WITH TOMMY WALKER.

EVERYBODY IS STARING INTO A MIRROR.

THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO ESCAPE INSIDE THEMSELVES.

>> THEY CAME TO THE GOODMAN THEATRE AFTER COVID .

THE NEW PRODUCTION IS A SENSORY EXPLOSION THAT PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON MOVEMENT AND MODERN DANCE.

>> I COULD LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND THE CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT OVER CHOREOGRAPHING.

THERE IS A PERSON AT THE CENTER OF IT.

THEY ARE STANDING STILL.

♪ >> WE GET TO SEE THE CHARACTER THAT HAS SHUNNED THE WORLD AND EXISTENCE , HAS GONE INTERNAL.

THE COOL THING FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT , MY BODY , UNDERSTANDING TOUCH.

>> IT IS EXHILARATING.

YOU ARE DANCING ALL NIGHT LONG.

IT IS A PROFOUND STORY.

♪ >> "TOMMY" REJECTS EXISTENCE AS WE KNOW IT.

HE IS THE ANTIHERO.

>> WE TALKED ABOUT THE PARALLELS TO HIS GENERATION AND GENERATION Z, AND THEIR ATTEMPT TO REDEFINE VALUES.

AND ENCOURAGE HUMAN UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS , PERHAPS SENSITIVITY AND GENEROSITY, MAYBE WE HAVE TO BE MORE GENEROUS WITH EACH OTHER.