"A long time ago in a distant land, shrouded in history, a land on the brink of collapse, a land called Enge-land, there was a great Crusade. And all the gallant youth of that land followed their righteous king, Richard the Lionheart, to another land. A holy land. And there they performed many righteous acts of murder, rape and pillage. And all were glad of heart. Yet in King Richard's absence, the first land - the land of Enge-land - suffered under the rule of Richard's brother, Prince John. His tyrannical rule and heavy taxes were more than the people could bear. They were destitute. They were famished, diseased, and had many unidentified rashes. Like so many before or since, they were poor. What they needed was a hero... no, wait... what they needed... was a legend..."
- Prologue from Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy
Hart House Theatre is proud to present the hilarious and thrilling Canadian musical, Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy. The epic tale of Robin Hood and his Merry Men opens at Hart House Theatre on Friday, January 11th, 2013 for a three week run.
This Canadian-made musical is a witty and amusing twist on one of the most famous legends in the English language: that of the dashing, daring and handsome man in tights, Robin of Locksley, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Helping him defeat the ridiculously evil Prince John and The Sheriff of Nottingham is the rag-tag band of Merry Men, Little John, the beautiful Maid Marian, the unexpectedly feminine Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck, and a slew of new friends Len, Ben, Ken, Glen and Glen. And Sven. With fast-paced, witty lyrics and a polished, sophisticated score, this show is sure to have you singing "The Evil Song", "Undercover Lover" and "After Intermission" long after the curtain has come down. Irreverent to the core, Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy is tongue-in-cheek entertainment that jabs an accusing finger at the social, political and religious constructs which inform our notions of status and the distribution of wealth.
Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy features music and lyrics by Kieren MacMillan and Jeremy Hutton, and book by William Foley, Jeremy Hutton, Jesse MacLean, Kevin MacPherson and Kate Smith. The show is based on the collective creation originally presented by Shakespeare By The Sea (SBTS) in Halifax in 2005, one of the most popular productions in the company's 20 year history. It has since been remounted in various incarnations by SBTS and Toronto Youth Theatre. The 2011 SBTS production was voted "Best Theatre Production" in The Coast's Best of Halifax 2011 Reader's Poll and appeared in several year-end "Best of 2011" lists by local critics. Hart House Theatre's production of Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy is the first full-scale production of the piece, while featuring an eight piece orchestra.
Director Jesse MacLean is thrilled to be part of the team bringing Robin Hood: The Legendary Musical Comedy to Toronto. A veteran of nine seasons at SBTS, he has directed 21 productions for the company and was named Co-Artistic Director prior to the start of the 2012 summer season. Selected directing credits for SBTS include Richard III, MacBeth, Julius Caesar, Dracula, and the collective creations' Robin Hood, Cinderelly and Alice In Wonderland. Jesse was born and raised in Nova Scotia, studied theatre at Bishop's University in Quebec, and has worked steadily in theatre and film since graduating in 2002. He has toured extensively across North America and Asia with the internationally acclaimed puppetry company Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.
Kieren MacMillan (Co-Creator, Music Director) is a music director and classically trained composer. His works have been performed by choirs, new music ensembles, chamber groups , and vocal and instrumental soloists across North America. His multidisciplinary work, Just Out of Reach (Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, 2008), was named one of Pittsburgh's top ten concerts and was remounted at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Jeremy Hutton (Co-Creator/Music Director) is the Artistic Director of Hart House Theatre and a classically trained musician. He was the founding Artistic Director of Toronto Youth Theatre, where his other collaborations with Kieren MacMillan received their premieres. As an actor he has worked with Classical Theatre Project, Shakespeare By The Sea, Canopy Theatre, among others. He has directed numerous productions for Hart House Theatre, Canopy Theatre and Toronto Youth Theatre and is also in demand as a fight director. Together, MacMillan and Hutton are writing some of the funniest and most compelling musicals to out of Toronto since The Drowsy Chaperone. They have written three original musicals (A Musical Called Robin Hood, Fairy Tale Ending and ToboR the RoboT) with a wide appeal for audiences of all ages.
