http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/playbill/20050517/en_playbill/92997
Go, Go, Go, Frodo! 'Lord of the Rings' Musical Takes
Million in First Day of Sales
Tickets to the new lavish stage musical, The Lord of
the Rings, went on sale May 15 - nine months before
its premiere - and rang up $1 million within 24 hours,
according to The Star in Toronto.
ADVERTISEMENT
The figure is in Canadian dollars, but is still
impressive, especially when added to the reported $3
million in group sales so far. A spokesperson for the
show confirmed to Playbill.com that these initial
figures are accurate. Interest from U.S. theatregoers
was reported by the Star as intense.
The $27 million (Canadian) production condenses the
three fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien - "The
Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" and "The
Return of the King" - into one 3-1/2-hour event,
premiering at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre Feb.
2, 2006, toward an opening night of March 23, 2006.
The burst of sales (an exclusive internet offer
starting 9 AM May 15 resulted in the $1 million) is an
early suggestion that there will be a healthy
crossover of the many fans who cherish the trilogy of
fantasy novels and its motion picture spinoffs.
Mavens who can recite passages of the best-selling
books have been heartened by the news that the show
will seek to musically create the otherworldly quality
of the quest tale rather than serve up Jerry
Herman-esque numbers.
One might cringe imagining a quirky show tune of sweet
admonition from Frodo called "Oh, Sam!," about hobbit
pal Sam's dogged faithfulness. Don't expect it:
Traditional musical theatre is not what India's most
popular composer, A.R. Rahman, and the Finnish group
Vrttin, collaborating with Christopher Nightingale,
write.
What would the elves sing? What is the sound a hobbit
dances to? Can an orc carry a tune?
Expect varied Asian- and European-influenced sounds to
suggest the many tribes of the story. The book and
lyrics are by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus.
The international creative team is led by acclaimed
director Matthew Warchus (Broadway's recent True West,
Life x 3, Follies and Art) and includes award-winning
designer Rob Howell (set and costumes) and
choreographer Peter Darling.
Casting has been ongoing. International performers are
being sought, as long as they can work legally in
Canada. Auditions continue throughout the summer, with
rehearsals scheduled to begin in October 2005.
The show will boast an ensemble of 65 actors, singers
and musicians, and condenses the three "Rings" novels
into one 3-1/2-hour event.
"Teams of engineers, carpenters, painters, welders,
prop-makers, armorers, cutters and seamstresses are
focusing their efforts on realizing the design for the
stage," according to production notes. "After an
eight-month build, Rob Howell's inventive and
spectacular stage floor, weighing 30 tons and costing
$1.2 million (Canadian), is nearing completion in the
U.K., ready for shipping to Toronto."
The Lord of the Rings is a Kevin Wallace Limited
Production, presented by Kevin Wallace and Saul
Zaentz, in association with David and Ed Mirvish and
Michael Cohl.
In production notes, director Warchus said, "To read
the novel is to experience the events of Middle-earth
in the mind's eye; to watch the films is to view
Middle-earth as though through a giant window. Only in
the theatre are we actually plunged into the events as
they happen. The environment surrounds us. We
participate. We are in Middle-earth."
Of the casting, which began in recent weeks, producer
Kevin Wallace said in a statement, "The ensemble of
actors we engage for The Lord of the Rings will come
from different backgrounds. The text requires
classical actors; the songs demand a unique vocal
style from the company. Many of the acting company
will be multi-skilled with acting, vocal and/or
physical theatre skills. As all the species of
Tolkien's Middle -earth - hobbits, elves, orcs, men,
etc, will appear on stage, the actors have to be
sufficiently physically adept to take on the diverse
characteristics of each
"In addition there are some spectacular sequences that
require members of the ensemble to have specialist
circus and/or stage-combat skills. Therefore, we are
also looking for a core group of these specialist
performers to join the company."
As the Hobbits of the tale are child-sized creatures,
men who are 5-foot-7-inches or shorter are being
sought. To play the warrior folk, men must be
5-foot-11-inches or taller.
"Only Canadian citizens or those eligible to work in
Canada need apply," according to a casting notice.
The creative team includes Simon Baker (sound), The
Gray Circle (moving image design), Paul Kieve
(illusions direction), Laurie Battle (Tolkien creative
consultation). Christopher Nightingale (musical
supervision). Orchestrations are by Nightingale, A.R.
Rahman and Vrttin.
Ticket prices range $56-$125 (Canadian). For ticket
information, visit www.lotr.com or call TicketKing at
(416) 872-1212 or (800) 461-3333. For group inquiries,
call (416) 593-4142 or (800) 724-6420.
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