Kicks: Boys in the Photograph, Elton & Lloyd Webber Musical, Begins Toronto Run

By Kenneth Jones
22 Sep 2009

The Boys in the Photograph stars Tony LePage and Erica Peck
The Boys in the Photograph stars Tony LePage and Erica Peck
Photo by Bruce Monk

The Boys in the Photograph, the reinvention of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton's earlier London musical The Beautiful Game, makes its Toronto premiere Sept. 22 at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

The musical play is "set in Belfast during the beginnings of the Irish Troubles in the late '60s and early '70s," and centers on soccer players and their families and loves.

The show began life as The Beautiful Game, playing for a year in London's West End, from September 2000 until September 2001. Its score was preserved on a cast album.

The creators had wanted to rework the musical for some time, and the chance came with this David Mirvish-Manitoba Theatre Centre co-production. It played its North American premiere earlier this year in Manitoba.

Toronto performances play to Nov. 1. Opening is Sept. 25.

According to the producers, it "tells the story of ordinary people in extraordinary times. This coming-of-age tale is about a group of young men and women who are involved with a local soccer team at the start of a 30-year civil war. Some are drawn into the conflict, while others stand aside wanting only to be allowed to live and love in peace."

Director Elton wrote the book and lyrics; Lloyd Webber wrote the music. Elton is known for his play Popcorn, among other projects, and Lloyd Webber wrote the international smash musicals Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar.

In the lead roles, Tony LePage plays John Kelly, We Will Rock You's Erica Peck plays Mary McGuire and The Lion King's Richard McMillan plays Father O'Donnell. The all-Canadian cast also includes Christy Adamson, Kathryn Ballantine, Matthew Bradley, Caleb Cosman, Trevor Covelli, Tracy Dawson, Tom Delbello, Kelly Fletcher, Jacquelyn French, Jeff Giles, Richard Harte, Allie Hughes, David Hurwitz, Joanna Keats, Cody Scott Lancaster, Brandon McGibbon, Adrienne Merrell, Shawn Meunier, Matt Murray, Carson Nattrass, Laura Olafson, Ange Pagano and Justin Stadnyk.

The creative team includes music director Bob Foster, choreographer and assistant director Tracey Flye, set and costume designer Brian Perchaluk, lighting designer Michael J. Whitfield and sound designer John Bent Jr.

The Royal Alexandra Theatre is at 260 King St. West. For tickets, call (416) 872-1212 or (800) 461-3333 or visit www.mirvish.com.