‘Lord of the Rings’ Immersive Musical Begins US Premiere

Home » ‘Lord of the Rings’ Immersive Musical Begins US Premiere

TheaterItir Yildiz8 months ago

The journey to the magical realms of Middle-earth set off from The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare last Friday, July 19 with the “Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale.” The limited engagement is set to run through September 1.

Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy as a new Paul Hart production, the musical has made its U.S. premiere, following a previous staging in summer 2023 at Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre in the UK.

This new version, which is retold from the perspective of the Hobbits, features a book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, as well as music from A.R. Rahman, Värttinä, and Tony Award-winner Christopher Nightingale. The production offers an immersive staging with a direction by Paul Hart and design by Simon Kenny.

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“Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale” opens with Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday, where he gives Frodo a gold ring. On his way to the Middle Earth to accomplish his task to save everyone from Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo is accompanied by the audience who joins an ensemble cast, led by Spencer Davis Milford as Frodo Baggins, Tom Amandes as Gandalf, Lauren Zakrin as Galadriel, Rick Hall as Bilbo, and Michael Kurowski as Samwise.

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Additionally, Ben Mathew will appear as Pippin, with Eileen Doan as Merry, Justin Albinder as Legolas, Will James Jr. as Strider/Aragorn, Ian Maryfield as Gimli, Matthew C. Yee as Boromir, Jeff Parker as Saruman/Elrond, Alina Jenine Taber as Arwen, and Suzanne Hannau as Rosie. The cast is rounded-out with Joey Faggion, Mia Hilt, Jarais Musgrove, Hannah Novak, Bernadette Santos Schwegel, Laura Savage, Carter Rose Sherman, Adam Qutaishat, and Arik Vega.

The creative team also includes production designer Simon Kenny, choreographer and movement director Anjali Mehra, music supervisor Mark Aspinall, music director and keyboard programmer Michael McBride, and lighting designer Rory Beaton.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s US premiere production will transfer this fall to The Civic Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand, beginning November 5.

Fans can check ticket availability and various purchasing options from the links below: