The Lord of the Rings, an epic high fantasy novel by the British author J. R. R. Tolkien, set in his world of Middle-earth (a fictional past version of our Earth), has been adapted several times for the musical theatre.
The musicals tell the tale of a humble hobbit who is asked to play the hero and undertake a treacherous mission to destroy an evil, magic gold ring without being seduced by its power.
London-based theatre producer Kevin Wallace and his partner, Saul Zaentz — stage and film rights-holder and producer of the animated film version of 1978 — in association with Toronto theatre-owner David Mirvish and concert promoter Michael Cohl, produced a stage musical adaptation with a book and lyrics written by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus, and music by A. R. Rahman and Värttinä, collaborating with Christopher Nightingale.
The three-and-a-half hour long three-act production, with a cast of 65 actors, was mounted in Toronto, Canada, at the Princess of Wales Theatre, at a cost of approximately C$30 million (US$26.9 million). It was promoted as a spectacle of unusual scale. It starred Brent Carver as Gandalf and Michael Therriault as Gollum, and was directed by Warchus and choreographed by Peter Darling, with set and costume design by Rob Howell. The production began performances on February 4, 2006 and had its press opening on March 23, 2006, the day before its gala premiere. It received mixed to poor notices from the press. The production closed on Sept. 3, 2006, at a loss.
The slightly shortened (still three-hour) and significantly re-written show began previews at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on May 9, 2007, with its official premiere June 19, 2007, one of the longest previewing periods ever.
The same creative team as the Toronto production is involved in the London production. This production features a cast of 50 actors and reportedly cost £25 million (approximately US$49 million), making it one of the most expensive ventures ever produced in the West End, or indeed, anywhere outside Las Vegas.
On May 31, 2007, it was reported that preview performances had been suspended after a cast member (Adam Salter) caught his leg in the moving stage and was taken to hospital during the performance of the evening of May 30. Performances resumed on June 2.
The London production stars London's original Mary Poppins, Laura Michelle Kelly, as Galadriel, Michael Therriault as Gollum, and Jérôme Pradon as Aragorn.
Source: Wikipedia
Official Lord of the Rings
Stageshow site
Unofficial LOTR
Fansite
Trailer for the London production
Gollum
Lothlorien
The Star of Eärendil
Galadriel
Frodo & Sam
The Cat and The Moon
Trailer for the Toronto production
