Maggie (Reid musical)
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Matt Murray
Bob Foster
Matt Murray
Matt Murray
| Maggie | |
|---|---|
 Production artwork | |
| Music | Johnny Reid Matt Murray Bob Foster |
| Lyrics | Johnny Reid Matt Murray |
| Book | Johnny Reid Matt Murray |
| Setting | Lanarkshire, Scotland |
| Premiere | April 19, 2023: Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, Ontario |
Maggie is a musical with music by Johnny Reid, Matt Murray and Bob Foster, and book and lyrics by Reid and Murray. It is based on the true story of Reid's grandmother, Maggie, a Scottish single mother living in the mining town of Lanarkshire, Scotland between 1954 and 1976.
Set in Lanark, Scotland, the events in the musical takes place over two decades, from 1954 to 1976. Maggie is a single mother struggling to raise her three sons, Shug, Tommy, and Wee Jimmy, following the death of her husband. In a post-war era, people are struggling to survive in a changing world, where many young people consider leaving Scotland to find work in other countries. The community rally around Maggie - as well as her friends Betty, Sadie, and Jean - who stay behind and fight through the hard times by holding on to love, family, friendship and humour.[1]
Development
Reid first began working on the musical in 2016, who worked on it with Matt Murray.[2] The musical, which was initially known as My Bonnie Lass, was developed as part of the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College, under the guidance of Canadian theatre producer Michael Rubinoff. In 2018, a forty-five minute staged reading was performed by Sheridan College students.[3] It was then further expanded into a ninety-minute musical, which was performed by Sheridan College students in February 2019.[4]
Production history
Maggie premiered at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario, where it played between April 19 and May 6, 2023. It was directed by Mary Francis Moore with choreography by Yasmine Lee and music direction by Bob Foster. It starred Dharma Bizer in the title role as Maggie, who also played the role at the developmental workshop.[5] Following this, the musical headlined the 2023 Charlottetown Festival and also played at the Savoy Theatre in Nova Scotia, with all of the cast reprising their roles.[2][6]
The musical was further developed, which included a reworked script and staging. In 2024, Maggie received its American premiere at the Goodspeed Opera House.[7] Performances began on August 23, 2024, and it closed on October 20, 2024. Moore returned as director, with choreography by EJ Boyle. Christine Dwyer starred as Maggie.[8]
Cast and characters
| Role | Hamilton[9] | Goodspeed[8] |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2024 | |
| Maggie | Dharma Bizier | Christine Dwyer |
| Betty | Nicola-Dawn Brook | Terra C. MacLeod |
| Sadie | Jamie McRoberts | Sophia Clarke |
| Jean | Michelle Bardach | Kennedy Caughell |
| Tommy | Will Lincoln | Wes Williams |
| Shug | Lawrence Libor | Jeffrey Kringer |
| Wee Jimmy | Aidan Burke | Sam Primack |
| Uncle Charles | Jeremy Legat | Ryan Duncan |
| Tam | Adam Stevenson | Matt Faucher |
Musical numbers
As of the 2024 Goodspeed Musicals production:[10]
|
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Studio cast recording
A studio cast recording was released digitally in 2023, which included the cast of the Sheridan College developmental workshop.[11]
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Love A Lassie" | Will Lincoln | 1:55 |
| 2. | "Friday Night in Lanark" | Dharma Bizier, Juliette Jones, Mikayla Stradiotto, Megan Dallan | 4:14 |
| 3. | "Right By You" | Bizier | 3:08 |
| 4. | "Walk Away" | Bizier, Liam Crober-Best | 2:25 |
| 5. | "Everyone's Gone" | Jones, Bizier, Stradiotto, Dallan | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Promised Land" | Ensemble | 2:14 |
| 7. | "Gettin' Outta Here" | Lincoln, Crober-Best | 3:41 |
| 8. | "My Confession" | Bizier | 3:24 |
| 9. | "Beautiful Sunday" | Ensemble | 2:59 |
| 10. | "How This Story Ends" | Aidan Burke, Kirsten Kwong | 3:14 |
| 11. | "Used To Be Fire" | Bizier | 3:35 |
| 12. | "Queen For A Day" | Stradiotto, Jones, Dallan, Bizier | 4:00 |
| 13. | "What You're Looking For" | Bizier | 3:35 |
| 14. | "All Because Of You" | Burke | 2:38 |
| Total length: | 45:03 | ||