“The Last Timbit,” which follows a group of strangers stranded in a Tim Hortons restaurant during a blizzard, will premiere at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre between June 26 and 30. The show is loosely inspired by the true story of a 2010 snowstorm during which about 80 people sought shelter at a Tim Hortons in Sarnia, Ont., for nearly 24 hours.
The musical comes on the heels of Tim Hortons’ 60th anniversary and as the company pushes to expand its offerings, recently announcing the introduction of flatbread pizzas to its lineup. The idea for the musical came from Gut, a marketing firm Tim Hortons enlisted to help promote its milestone anniversary.
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Hope Bagozzi, chief marketing officer at Tim Hortons, said when Gut came to her last year with the idea of a stage musical, she laughed at it. “What did we know about pulling off a musical?” she said in a phone interview, recalling her thinking at the time. “But I was intrigued and told them to do more research and talk to some people who know a thing or two about musicals.”
Gut then approached Michael Rubinoff, the lawyer and theatre producer who was nominated for a Tony Award as the originating producer of “Come From Away.”
He was initially contacted merely for advice, Rubinoff said, but later fell in love with the idea: “It was something I was excited about: this iconic brand, some of our best Canadian writers and this story that I knew they could bring to life and create something very special.”
“Every Canadian has a relationship with Tim Hortons. It’s a marker of so many huge events in all of our lives — and what an incredible thing to write songs about,” said Britta in a statement Thursday announcing the production. “That is a rich playground for writing and we’re really excited about what we’ve made.”
The story of “The Last Timbit” balances humour and heart, noted Rubinoff. It’s specifically centred on a mother and teenage daughter stranded by the storm. “These are a group of strangers who, by the end of the night, come together,” he said. “The musical explores those family bonds, that sense of community.”
The actual snowstorm that inspired the musical produced whiteout conditions and the accumulation of more than 40 cm of snow east of Sarnia. At least 300 motorists were stranded on Highway 402, prompting a state of emergency and emergency airlifts. One person died due to hypothermia. During the storm, residents in the area opened their homes to the stranded motorists.
Director Brian Hill, whose credits include productions at the Stratford and Shaw festivals, will helm the new musical, which includes choreography by Genny Sermonia and orchestrations by Broadway vet Lynne Shankel.
Chilina Kennedy and Jake Epstein, who both headlined “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” on Broadway, are to lead the ensemble of Canadian actors. Sara Farb, Kimberly-Ann Truong and Andrew Broderick will also appear in the production.
“The Last Timbit” will receive its world premiere in Toronto in front of Tims franchisees. Five of the seven performances will be open to the public, with tickets going on sale Friday morning. If ticket sales are strong, the short run could be extended, said Rubinoff, adding he hopes it can be shared with more Canadians across the country.
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