STAGE / NANCY CHURNIN : Revised ‘Tommy’ Is Likely to Tour

“Tommy,” the new stage adaptation of the Who’s 1969 rock opera that is breaking box office records at the La Jolla Playhouse, will probably tour in 1993, according to Gary Gunas, vice president of the Houston-based Pace Theatrical. Only the details remain to be worked out, and they probably won’t be finalized until after the show ends its Playhouse run.

Pace Theatrical Group and the New York-based Dodger Productions both share a financial interest in the future of “Tommy,” as co-conceived by creator Pete Townshend and Playhouse artistic director McAnuff, and directed by McAnuff. Together, Pace and Dodger Productions (one of the producers of the touring “Into the Woods” and the current and upcoming tours of Broadway’s “The Secret Garden” and “Guys and Dolls”) contributed enhancement money for the current production. The show cost a total of between $900,000-$1 million to produce, according to Playhouse Managing Director Terrence Dwyer.

Locally, the show has already broken box office records set by its earlier blockbusters, also directed by McAnuff: “Big River” and “A Walk in the Woods.” Both shows went to Broadway, with “Big River” winning seven Tonys, one for McAnuff for his direction. “Tommy” is expected to exceed $300,000 in sales, not counting the sales during the extension. Its best box-office day bettered the two previous box-office-record days for Playhouse shows “A Walk in the Woods” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” by 60%.

“Tommy” may well go to Broadway and London (where Pace recently produced “Grand Hotel”), but a Broadway production of a show doesn’t always precede a tour. Broadway can give a touring company an oft-needed endorsement, but Gunas said that will probably not be necessary in this case because of the high recognition of the “Tommy” score.

In fact, Gunas said on the phone from Pace’s New York office, Pace’s main concern going into the project was how it would go over with an older audience--Pace’s bread-and-butter subscription audience in the 22 cities where they book their own series.

So they interviewed an over-60 crowd at a Sunday matinee of “Tommy” in La Jolla.

“They got it as theater,” Gunas said. “They talked about it being a sweet sad story about a little boy. The younger crowd went there for the rock ‘n’ roll score. But older audiences appreciate the story. They talked about it being a sweet, sad story about that little boy. They accepted it as one more form of musical theater--with guitars instead of harps and violins.”

One particularly partial over-60 fan, 101-year-old Mandell Weiss liked it so much, he partied with members of The Who after the opening night performance. Weiss is the Playhouse’s largest benefactor: Both the Mandell Weiss Theatre and the Mandell Weiss Forum are named for him.

The Playhouse has discouraged out-of-town critics from coming to review the show, but William Henry III from Time magazine has already dropped by to see the show.

Meanwhile the calls for tickets keep coming, from Belton, Mo.; Birmingham, Mich.; Dublin, Iowa; Cherry Hill, N.J., and Wayzata, Minn. Three additional phone lines have been added to the playhouse’s usual four to accommodate demand. Three more are expected by the end of the week. Only scattered seats and standing room are available for the rest of the show’s initial run. An additional week has been added through Aug. 16, with slightly higher ticket prices. Further extensions won’t be possible unless the Playhouse moves the Aug. 30 opening of the American premiere of Athol Fugard’s “Playland.” But as Dwyer says, “Anything is possible. But right now, we’re only honestly looking as far as the first extension.”

PROGRAM NOTES: In keeping with a long tradition of interpreted performances for the hearing impaired in local theater, and perhaps apt for the subject if not for the production, the La Jolla Playhouse and the San Diego Theatre League will present a signed performance of “Tommy” at 2 p.m. Aug. 1. For information call the Playhouse box office: 534-3960 or for TDD-voice information call 534-0351 . . . .

Robert Morse, who played Truman Capote in the Broadway production of Jay Presson Allen’s one-man show “Tru” will perform here Jan. 5-10 as part of the San Diego Playgoers next series. The series also includes “The Secret Garden,” Aug. 25-30 and the Kander and Ebb revue, “The World Goes Round” Nov. 24-29 all at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Call 231-8995 . . . .

Lyle Lovett and his Large Band will perform a Monday Night Live benefit for the La Jolla Playhouse against the backdrop of the “Tommy” set July 27 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 for concert and dessert at the Mandell Weiss Theatre and $300 for dinner, concert and dessert. Call 534-3960 . . . .

The North Coast Repertory Theatre is extending its hit production of “Rumors” for a Sunday matinee performance July 26 and 8 p.m. performances July 29-Aug. 1 with a final Sunday matinee at 2 on Aug. 2. The company’s next scheduled production, “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” will open as scheduled Aug. 8. Call 481-1055 . . . .

Brian Salmon will take a break from the North Coast’s “Rumors” to perform in the San Diego premiere of “Red Scare on Sunset,” a staged reading of Charles Busch’s 1991 Off Broadway satire of Hollywood blacklisting in the 1950s. The Actors Alliance of San Diego will produce the show at the Hahn Cosmopolitan July 27 at 7:30 p.m. as the sixth and final offering of its staged reading series. A discussion will follow the performance. Call 455-6385 or 238-7396 . . . .

The North Coast will also present two performances of a children’s show, “Monkey Monkey,” based on the legends of the Monkey King, Aug. 15 and 22 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Call 481-1055 . . . .

The San Diego Actors Theatre will present a children’s story-telling hour featuring stage adaptations of Dr. Seuss stories by artistic director Patricia Elmore on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to noon as part of a fund-raising effort for the theater that will include a theatrical garage sale from 8 a.m. and 12 noon and excerpts from staged readings of Terrence McNally’s “Lips Together, Teeth Apart” and A.R. Gurney’s “Sweet Sue.” Readings are from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. at the company’s studio space at 1320 Fifth Avenue. Call 278-6955 or 268-4494 . . . .

For the record, an incorrect figure for the number of Bargain Arts Day tickets was reported in last week’s column. The highly successful sale day on June 10 left only about $10,000 worth of tickets unsold.

CRITIC’S CHOICE

HUMOR AND WIT

For pure escapist fun, you can’t find anything much goofier than Lamb’s Players Theatre’s “The Nerd” at the Lyceum Space or more slickly funny than the North Coast Rep’s “Rumors.” “The Nerd” is Larry Shue’s comedy about a nebbishy architect whose world turns topsy-turvy when an old and very annoying Army buddy comes to call--and won’t leave. The show continues through July 26 with 8 p.m. performances Tuesday-Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 with an additional Saturday matinee this Saturday only. Call 474-3385.

North Coast Rep’s witty rendition of Neil Simon’s farce about wealthy people at a dinner party that becomes increasingly complicated over the course of the evening, will play at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday with a 7 p.m. performance this Sunday only and Sunday matinees at 2 through Aug. 2. There will be a Wednesday performance at 8 p.m. July 29. Call 481-1055.