Six years ago, a new musical called Grow began its life here in Oakville. Six days ago, the same show is mounting its world premiere production at London, Ontario's prestigious Grand Theatre.
Grow (then called Rumspringa Break!) was workshopped with the Canadian Music Theatre Project (CMTP) at Oakville's Trafalgar Campus first in 2016 - and then again in fall 2019, becoming the first show to receive a second CMTP workshop and showcase in the project's history.
(If the Canadian Music Theatre Project sounds familiar, yes, that's the same music theatre laboratory where the hit show Come From Away also began.)
Grow's premiere is particularly gratifying because the show was originally scheduled to premiere at the Grand Theatre in April 2020, but was suspended in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Determined to bring the compelling musical to its London audience," according to the Grand, they "postponed the show to close our 2021/2022 season."
Grow is a musical comedy with an unusual subject matter: it follows two Amish sisters who leave their secluded community for the first time in their lives and end up entangled in the marijuana business. The premise is wacky, for sure - but the story and songs are smart, sweet and hysterically funny.
"Three years and countless workshops and revisions of the script and score later, we have finally arrived," says show director and Grand artistic director Dennis Garnhum. "Every song, sentence, costume, projection, prop, staging or dance number is completely original - never heard or seen anywhere...until now."
The show was co-written by Matt Murray (book writer) with songs by Colleen Dauncey (music) and Akiva Romer-Segal (lyrics), all who've worked together since the show began. Beyond its development at Sheridan, Grow was also workshopped at the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals in East Haddam, Connecticut.
"Brand new musicals take a long time to grow," says a joint program note from the three writers. "From the seeds of an idea in 2014 to the fully blossomed production...Grow has been a labour of love every step of the way."
"We've been surrounded by an incredible creative team, a stellar cast and several expert consultants to help ensure our characters were imbued with authenticity and integrity," they continue. "We're so grateful for everyone who made their mark on this show along the way."
One of the key players on the show is producer Michael Rubinoff, also a producer on Come From Away and the former Producing Artistic Director and founder of the Canadian Music Theatre Project.
"Over the last decade, we've seen a renaissance in Canadian music theatre," he says. But he's "grateful to everyone that has contributed to Grow." The show "explores the importance of community. I think there's no better place to come back together than the theatre. It is here where we can laugh, learn and grow as a community."
The show's official billing describes the story following "Amish twins, Hannah and Ruth, (played by Arinea Hermans and Jenny Weisz respectively) as they leave the comfort of their sheltered community to explore the modern world for the first time. After arriving in Toronto, their plans quickly go up in smoke and they wind up crashing with a down-on-his-luck, illegal cannabis dealer."
"Their sisterhood is tested when the creation of the “world’s greatest weed” launches one of the twins to astronomical heights. Packed with soaring songs, big laughs, and unforgettable characters, this brand-new musical comedy examines the bonds of family, the value of community, and the choices we make in order to grow."
The show is a lot of fun to watch, and it's rare a new Canadian musical gets a full-fledged production like this. It's been several years in the making, but this production has come a long way from its Oakville roots. It's grown into a mature, dynamic show that's now entertaining nearly 1,000 audience members every night.
Grow is now playing on the Spriet Stage of the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario until April 30, 2022. Tickets and more information about the show is available online here.