Lord of the Rings Musical to Open in Canada

Written by Maya Cantu

The much-discussed musical version of Lord of the Rings will not open in the West End next year, as was previously announced. Instead, it will premiere at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada on March 23, 2006.

The blockbuster musical, weighing in at 11.5 pounds (which exceeds 20 million American dollars), was to have been the most expensive British musical in history. However, the West End is so packed with long-running hits and new shows that producers Kevin Wallace, Saul Zaentz, Canucks David, Ed Mirvish and Michael Cohl were unable to find a big enough theatre in which to stage the show.

The producers are planning for the show to come to London 6 months after it opens in Toronto, and a Broadway transfer would be likely if the musical sells as well as it is expected to.

Wallace described to Reuters the production aspects of the Tolkien-based musical saga of hobbits and wizards: "We are ultimately dependent on 50 actors and musicians to tell the story rather than technology…We are going to have to break new ground. It is a hybrid of text, music, spectacle and physical theater." Responding to the fears of LOTR purists, he is also quoted as saying that the musical will be "in a very traditional mold" and that "there will be no singing and dancing hobbits."

The musical is directed by Matthew Warchus. The Lord of the Rings also features music by A.R. Rahman (along with the Finnish group Varrtina), and the book and lyrics are by Shaun McKenna. Rob Howell's elaborate sets will feature "three interconnected turntables containing 16 elevators;" he will also design the costumes. The creative team spent 4 years developing the show.

Warchus' Broadway credits include 2003's Life (x) 3, the 2001 Roundabout revival of Follies, the 2000 revival of True West, and Art, which won the Tony for Best Play in 1998.

A.R. Rahman composed the music for last season's Bombay Dreams (which transferred from the West End). He is perhaps the preeminent composer of Bollywood soundtracks in his native India; he has scored more than 50.

The CGI-laden Lord of the Rings trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, has grossed more than 3 billion dollars. The 2003 finale, The Return of the King, nabbed 11 Academy Awards—including Best Picture.