By Felix Carroll
Photo above by Jesse Wendelken
Back on March 28, Ali Louis Bourzgui, a shy, heart-throbby, 24-year-old crowned with a whirlwind of dark, curly locks, stepped out from the subway and onto one of the world’s most iconic crossroads—42nd and Broadway, in Manhattan. Within a few hours, he would yield to the inevitable: his dreams coming true. That evening, he debuted in the title role in “The Who’s Tommy,” at the Nederlander Theatre in the heart of the Times Square theater district.
“You’re going to be on Broadway someday,” teachers, mentors, family, and friends had told him throughout his childhood, from his early days of hamming it up at home, through his years as a breakout performer in regional productions and at Pittsfield High School.
“They put it out into the universe—‘You’re going to be on Broadway someday’—and from a young age, that was my goal, the thing I have always been working toward, and I kind of never had too much of a doubt,” said Bourzgui. He hastened to add, “I just didn’t think it would come this soon.”
The New York Post has written of the “star-making performance from 24-year-old Ali Louis Bourzgui as the Pinball Wizard that’s the most exciting New York stage debut in years.” The New York Times referred to “Ali Louis Bourzgui’s cool portrayal.” Des McAnuff, co-author of the book for “The Who’s Tommy” alongside Pete Townshend and director of the original 1993 Broadway production as well as the current one, said Bourzgui “is without question a star. You can’t teach that. You can’t even direct that.”
All that, yet here Bourzgui is in an interview from his apartment in Harlem making a shout out to Mrs. Burgess—the Allendale Elementary School teacher who first introduced him to music education. And Larry Bayles and Gaylan Palmer, his middle school theater and chorus teacher, respectively. “And Kate Maguire [artistic director and CEO of Berkshire Theatre Group], and, and—so many people.”
Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Clearly, he’s filled with gratitude, for people and place. “I cannot help but to think constantly about home in the Berkshires,” he said. “I was fostered and held in the most perfect breeding ground for nature and art. I am woven out of the fabric of the Berkshires.”
That fabric was intricately laced. The child of an Irish-Italian American mother, Rita Giovanetti, a Pittsfield native, and her husband, Abdelali Bourzgui, a Moroccan immigrant, Bourzgui was raised Muslim in a home with a broad worldview. As a young child, he learned to speak Arabic phrases such as “good morning,” “good night” and “thank you.” His father is a huge fan of John Wayne westerns. His Aunt Rose was a tap dancer. The family routinely went to performances at Jacob’s Pillow, Tanglewood, and other local cultural institutions.
Bourzgui’s own “performances” began with magic shows in the living room whereby he could make his stuffed animals “disappear.” He and his younger brother, Driss, would perform scenes from Disney movies. The audience—his parents, his extended family—would go “Woo!”
One day, while in sixth grade, Bourzgui heard an announcement over the loudspeaker: Berkshire Theatre Group was holding auditions for “The Wizard of Oz.” “So, I went with my mom to the Colonial Theatre, and I took two steps into the building and realized, ‘What am I doing? I want to leave. I don’t want to do this.’ I started freaking out,” he recalled. “My mom was like, ‘No, we came here. You’re going to see this through.’” He was cast as a munchkin.
“From that point forward, he had a singular focus and drive,” his mother said. “My husband and I nurtured Ali’s drive and encouraged him in all his efforts, but Ali was always driving the bus.”
His childhood theatrical credits include roles in Berkshire Theatre Group’s “Oliver!” and “Seussical,” among others. At Pittsfield High School, he played the lead roles in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Footloose,” and others, before heading off to Ithaca College to earn a bachelor’s in fine arts in musical theater.
The stage instantly had become his refuge, he said, offering comfort when he yearned for connection and acceptance. “I was always a bit of a drifter,” Bourzgui said. “I definitely had friends, but I was never really part of ‘a group.’ So when I started doing these shows, I found it was really much easier for me to connect with others. I was just so shy throughout middle and high school. So, when I performed, then I got to be a different character. And I felt really free and confident in the shoes of other people. As I kept doing it, and as it became more of a job through college, I discovered that, also, at the root of it, I just love telling stories.”
Ali performing in Berkshire Theatre Group’s production of “Seussical” in 2014; photos by Stephanie Zollshan
He added that amidst the typical teenage struggles to fit in, his unique ethnic background added an extra layer of complexity. Raised in a post-9/11 world and fearing the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice towards Arabs and Muslims, he kept that part of his identity—“a beautiful culture,” he said—hidden from public view until recently. “One of my mission statements really is hopefully to tell stories about Arab characters or Muslim characters, especially in theater,” he said. “That demographic is the most underrepresented of any culture. All cultures need to tell their stories to make sure that people don’t get dehumanized in any kind of way.”
His journey of self-discovery uniquely positioned him for “The Who’s Tommy,” whose lead character himself experiences profound isolation and alienation. And of course, Bourzgui had the voice and dancing skills to land the gig.
When Bourzgui received the unforgettable call confirming his role as Tommy Walker, he realized the magnitude of the task ahead. Originating from The Who’s groundbreaking rock opera of 1969, the show held immense cultural significance. Bourzgui immersed himself in its various adaptations across concerts, film, and theater, delving into everything related to The Who. He met for an extended period of time with Townshend, even taking in a Who concert in England. The two discussed the relevance of “Tommy” today, drawing parallels between the traumatized, postwar England of Townshend’s youth and the existential questioning and pervasive sense of unease experienced by today’s youth.
“Tommy shuts out the entire world because of his pain, and he just goes into the internal and stares into this endless void of the mirror,” said Bourzgui. “And history repeats itself. Pete has noticed that our generation is doing the same thing, but through our phone, numbing ourselves, distracting ourselves. Des [McAnuff] calls [smartphones] the ‘black mirror.’”
In homage to history and The Who’s devoted fanbase, Bourzgui underwent vocal training to impart a hint of “grit and gravel” to his naturally beautiful voice. The result echoes Roger Daltrey’s iconic vocals as the original Tommy without veering into mimicry. The 130-minute performance is a full-tilt burst of high energy and emotion, leaving audiences, cast, and crew simultaneously drained and exhilarated eight days a week.
His parents are frequent attendees. “My father now has The Who logo as the lock screen on his computer,” Bourzgui said, with a laugh. “My mother really loves it, too. But she gets worried sometimes because it’s kind of a dangerous show. There are some tricks and stuff that she can’t watch. She looks away.”
Ali, as Ren McCormack, in Pittsfield High School’s production of “Footloose” in 2017; photo by Stephanie Zollshan
Favorite Stops in the Berkshires
MASS MoCA
“It’s one of the first places I go when I come home. I’ve traveled all over the United States, and I think MASS MoCA is the best modern art museum in the country.”
Monument Mountain
“This is one of my happy spots, my favorite hike in the Berkshires. I love sitting at the top and watching the sunset.”
Tanglewood
“It’s just magical. I go any chance I can get.”
No. Six Depot Roastery & Café
“I love walking around this area in West Stockbridge. And there’s the little sculpture park, TurnPark, there too.”
