Stage Door News

Toronto: Starvox Entertainment announces the creative team for "Bend It Like Beckham"

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Leading live-entertainment company Starvox Entertainment, Bend It Films and Kintop Pictures in association with TO Live, are thrilled to announce the lead creative team of their upcoming North American premiere production of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: The Musical. Arriving in time for the holiday season with a limited engagement December 7, 2019 – January 5, 2020 at the Bluma Appel Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts, rehearsals are underway in Toronto now with a diverse cast of performers from Canada, the UK, and US.

 Joining previously announced Gurinder Chadha, who serves as Artistic Producer, and director Madeline Paul, are costume designer Sean Mulcahy (Actually/Obsidian, Freud’s Last Session/Harold Green), set designer Sue LePage (Brigadoon/Shaw Festival, Innocence Lost/Soulpepper),sound designer John Lott (Brigadoon, Holiday Inn/Shaw Festival), musical director Mark Camilleri (The Lorax, Prom Queen/Mirvish), and internationally renowned choreographer Daniel Ezralow (known for his film and stage work with Julie Taymor, his contributions to Cirque du Soleil’s Beatle’s inspired show LOVE, directing a David Bowie tour, and choreographing for the Sochi Olympics, the Grammy Awards, and the Academy Awards) who will collaborate with Bollywood superstar choreographer Longinus Fernandes, best known internationally for his work on the Oscar Award-winning Slumdog Millionairechoreographing the famous Jai Ho sequence that ended the film. 

“Daniel’s work at the Sochi Olympics demonstrated how he can capture the visceral power of sport in dance, and with Slumdog Millionairethe world saw that Longinus is the world’s best Bollywood-style Bhangra choreographer.  Putting them together is going to deliver the most breathtaking show in town,” says Starvox Entertainment Founder and CEO Corey Ross.I can’t think of a better dream team to bring the dance to life than Daniel Ezralow and Longinus Fernandes – they are both world leading artists who have created absolutely electrifying dances for stage and screen and I know they’re going to create some simply thrilling choreography for this production.”

A heartwarming musical comedy about bending the rules and living life on your own terms, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: The Musical is a vibrant and colourful story about a teen girl from a South Asian Sikh family who desperately wants to play soccer, against the wishes of her traditional immigrant parents. Set in West London, the story follows two teenage girls from different backgrounds who share an aptitude for soccer and pressure from their families to conform. Like the film that won over millions of hearts worldwide, the musical marries contemporary British and South Asian music and dance, the joy of discovering your passion and fighting for it, an irreverent sense of humour, and a healthy dose of girl power.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: The Musical is based on the juggernaut film of the same name, which first debuted in the UK in April 2002. The film dominated the British weekend box-office for several weeks going on to make over $11 million (British pounds). BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM opened in North America in March of 2003 and was a surprise critical and popular hit, ultimately grossing $76.6 million worldwide, becoming the highest grossing Indian-themed film since Gandhi and kickstarting the careers of Parminder Nagra and Kiera Knightley. Notably, it was also the first feature film directed by a British South Asian woman.

The musical made its West End London World Premiere at the Phoenix Theatre in May of 2015 where it ran for a year and received critical raves. Variety said the story worked even better on stage and called it a sympathetic portrait of adolescence, a hearty celebration of multiculturalism and a big fat feminist hell-yeah... It’s what you wish theWest End were like all the year round.” The Guardian cheered, “..with catchy music, fantastic design and great performances, the ebullient musical looks sure to be a hit” and of the music said [the] east-west bhangra fusion serves the story ebulliently.”  “This is the most irresistibly joyous musical-theatre make-over of a much-loved movie since Billy Elliot,” proclaimed The Independent.

The book for BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: The Musical is written by Gurinder Chadha and writing partner Paul Mayeda Berges, with lyrics by Charles Hart (Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love), music by Classical Brit Composer of the Year winner Howard Goodall, and produced by Deepak Nayar (Bend It Like Beckham, Mysterious Benedict Society, Buena Vista Social Club.) Chadha directed the West End production.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM will be on stage in Toronto at The Bluma Appel Theatre at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts from December 2, 2019 to January 5, 2020. (Opening night: December 17). Tickets will be available from $49.95 to $299.95 beginning May 7, 2019. 

For more information and tickets visit www.benditmusical.com

 

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM: The Musical

December 7, 2019 – January 5, 2020

Opening Night: Tuesday, December 17

Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E.

Single tickets range from $49.95 - $299.95

(Prices include per ticket fees.  Order/delivery fees may apply)

Tickets are available online at ticketmaster.ca, by calling 1-855-872-7669,

or in person at the following Civic Theatres Toronto box offices:

St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts Box Office 27 Front St. E., Monday-Friday,

12pm – 6pm

Toronto Centre for the Arts Box Office, 5040 Yonge St., Tuesday-Saturday

1pm-6pm

Ticketmaster phone lines operate 9:30am – 8pm Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 8pm Sundays and holidays. On-line sales operate 24 hours per day. 

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