The Lord of the Rings Extends Toronto Run to September 24

After opening to anavalanche of international attention, The Lord of the Rings has extended its engagement in Toronto by adding 12 more weeks of performances, until September 24, 2006. Tickets to this new booking period will go on sale on Saturday, April 22, 2006.

The show, which opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre on March 23rd, is also adding a new entry-level price of only $26. The seats are located in the balcony of the Princess of Wales Theatre, and "offer excellent sight lines and superb acoustics," according to production notes. Other seats are available from $56 to $125.

The 3-and-a half-hour musical condensation of Tolkien's hobbits-and-elves trilogy 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 feature three interconnected turntables with 16 elevators; he also designed the costumes.

The creative team spent over two years--and $27 million Canadian dollars--developing the show.  Simon Baker (sound), The Gray Circle (moving image design), Paul Kieve (illusions direction), Laurie Battle (Tolkien creative consultation), and Christopher Nightingale (musical supervision) comprise the rest of the creative team. The show is presented by Kevin Wallace and Saul Zaentz, in association with David and Ed Mirvish and Michael Kohl.

In an interview with Reuters, Wallace described the show's concept: "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."

The show's cast--comprised of more than 70 performers--features actors from Canada, the U.S. and other countries. It stars Brent Carver (Parade, Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Gandalf, James Loye as Frodo, Evan Buliung as Aragorn, Peter Howe as Sam, Dylan Roberts as Merry, Owen Sharpe as Pippin, Gabriel Burrafato as Legolas, Ross Williams as Gimli, Richard McMillan as Saruman, Rebecca Jackson Mendoza as Galadriel, Carly Street as Arwen, Dion Johnstone as Boromir, Victor A. Young as Elrond, Kerry Dorey as Théoden and Kristin Galer as Rosie.

Although the show opened to mixed reviews, producer Wallace has stated that The Lord of the Rings is headed for a 2007 London run.

The Lord of the Rings plays Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday at 1 p.m.Ticket prices range from $26 to $125 (Canadian), and are available for purchase through TicketKing by calling 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333. Groups of 20 or more may call 416-593-4142 and 1-800-724-6420. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office of The Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) or online at www.lotr.com.

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