'ROB ROY THE MUSICAL' Cancels Chicago Premiere

'ROB ROY THE MUSICAL' is no longer going to have its Chicago premiere, and will instead begin at the Elgin Theater in Toronto.

Any previously purchased tickets can be refunded where they were purchased. The Arie Crown theater now has a space in its schedule.

Rob Roy The Musical celebrates the adventures of one of the best known heroes in Scottish history. Set in Scotland and England during the first half of the 18th Century, Rob Roy The Musical tells the tale of the famous Highlander from his days as a peaceful clan leader through his difficulties with the abrasive Duke of Montrose. Rob Roy MacGregor is branded as an outlaw due to a business transaction which bore all the signs of a set-up. This all took place at a pivotal time in Scottish history, when the Scots hoped to finally break free from England and follow what they believed was their true destiny. Rob Roy in his flight from the law was captured many times yet always managed to escape thus becoming a hero to the Scots.

Rob Roy The Musical is directed by Tony Award^TM winner Len Cariou, with book, music and lyrics by David Warrack. George Masswohl stars in the title role, with Stephanie Roth as his wife Mary, and David Dunbar as Rob Roy's nemesis the Duke of Montrose.

The creative elements include choreography by Phillip Hughes, fight direction by Mark Harapiak, set & props design by Yannik Larivée, lighting design by Renée Brode, sound design by Peter McBoyle, and features costumes based on original designs by Susan Benson.

Rob Roy The Musical began its life as a 90-minute production at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival featuring a cast of 12 with 6 musicians. It received rave reviews including The Theatre Record which called it "a richly tuneful musical, very well sung." The Scotsman hailed the show as "full of emotional resonance," and Three Weeks in Edinburgh raved, "(a) mature...genuinely moving tale (with a)...touching musical score." Now a fully staged production featuring a cast of 24 and an orchestra of 12 musicians, Rob Roy The Musical comes to Toronto directly following its world premiere at Chicago's Arie Crown Theater, Feb. 3 to March 15, 2009.

Director Len Cariou is best known for his portrayal of the title role, opposite Angela Lansbury, in Hal Prince's original production of Sweeney Todd, for which he was honored with the Tony Award^TM for Best Actor. Cariou has been involved with sixteen Broadway productions over a forty-year career as performer or director. In Canada, he performed at the Stratford Festival and directed at the Guthrie Theatre and Citadel Theatre. He was Artistic Director of the Manitoba Theatre Centre 1975-76, and Associate Artistic Director to Michael Langham at the Guthrie. His most recent Canadian directorial credit was Glengarry Glen Ross for MTC's 50th Anniversary season. Most recently, he played Richard Nixon in the Vancouver Playhouse/Canadian Stage production of Frost Nixon.

David Warrack has produced nearly 60 musicals and plays over the past 32 years. As composer/writer, Warrack has written or collaborated on 71 professionally produced musicals, including some of the longest-running productions in Canadian theatre history. Warrack is one of Canada's most respected and prolific musicians, with three Dora awards to his credit, and an enviable catalogue of chamber and orchestral works, choral works, songs and piano music. He is the founding musical director of the Canada Pops Orchestra and will lead them in concert at Carnegie Hall in June 2009. He remains one of the most sought after music directors and arrangers in North America.

Rob Roy The Musical is produced by Prydwyn Productions Ltd, a new theatre production company founded by co-producers Bernard Abrams and David Warrack. Bernard Abrams' producing credits include Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, the original Broadway production of Dr Seuss' The Grinch Who Stole Christmas! and the hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Executive producers for Rob Roy The Musical are Bernadine and Hugh Cameron, with Mitchell Schmieding serving as Associate Producer in Chicago. For more information visit www.robroythemusical.com .

Tickets to Rob Roy The Musical are $52 to $72 during previews, and $62 to $82 for regular performances. Special family pricing, the ‘Clan Pack', offers four tickets for $140 for previews, and $180 for regular performances (some restrictions apply). Tickets go on sale Friday, December 20 at 10 a.m. and are available by calling TicketMaster at 416-872-5555, on-line at www.ticketmaster.ca or at the Elgin Theatre box office. Group discounts (10+) are available through THE Group Tix Company 647-438-5559, outside the GTA 1-866-4GRPTIX, www.thegrouptixcompany.com.

The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, a National Historic Site owned and operated by the Ontario Heritage Trust, is located in the heart of downtown Toronto, close to shopping, accommodations and public transit, with ample parking facilities within walking distance.

The Centre is dedicated to providing theatre-goers with the best in Canadian and international entertainment - from musicals, comedies and concerts to dramas, operas and films. It also offers an excellent opportunity to combine special events and corporate entertaining with attendance at one of our great performances - an evening to remember for you and your guests.

As a National Historic Site of architectural and historical significance, we offer guided public and group tours. Numerous exhibits and displays are located throughout the building, providing an insight into the history and restoration of the Theatre Centre.

One of the Centre's greatest treasures, discovered during the restoration, is the world's largest collection of vaudeville scenery - hand-painted flats and drops dating from 1913. Three restored pieces, including the magnificent Butterfly and Scarab Scenery Flats, are on display.

 

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