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The Hockey Sweater: A Musical

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts Montreal

Book and Lyrics by Emil Sher
Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Monro
Based on the short story The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier
Directed and Choregraphed by Donna Feore

The Hockey Sweater: A Musical is a heartfelt addition to the growing canon of Canadian musical theatre. Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater, a timeless Quebec story that has charmed generations of children and adults, has been reinvented for the stage in a spectacular new family musical.

The Hockey Sweater: A Musical premiered in Montreal in 2017 as a celebration of Montreal’s 375^th and Canada’s 150^th anniversaries. It features a cast of 17, including a company of eight actors between the ages of 10 and 13 years old who sing, dance and skate their way through the production. With overwhelmingly positive audience and critical response, the show is being redeveloped to continue its trajectory to become an enduring family musical for the country, and beyond.

Company

The Segal Centre for Performing Arts is dedicated to nurturing, producing, and presenting world-class English-language theatre, and to showcasing the best professional artists from Montreal and beyond. Driven by a belief in the power of the arts to strengthen and connect communities, the Segal’s programming emphasizes original interpretations of popular classic and contemporary works, new Canadian musicals, and engaging productions with universal appeal. The Segal also believes in the importance of celebrating and exploring Jewish identity through the arts.

Creative team

Book and Lyrics by Emil Sher
Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Monro
Based on the short story The Hockey Sweater by Roch Carrier
Directed and Choregraphed by Donna Feore
Producer Penny Ritco
Original short story translated into English Sheila Fischman
Original short story published by House of Anansi Press
Musical Direction Jonathan Monro
Orchestrator Oran Eldor
Dramaturgy (NAC Production) Adam Mathias
Set and Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco
Costume Co-Designer Louise Bourret
Lighting Designer Luc Prairie
Projection Design Normal Studio
Head of Sound Peter Balov
Assistant Director Ann Baggley
Associate Musical Director Nick Burgess
Assistant Choreographer Tina Desrochers
Casting Dayton/Walters Casting, CSA CDC

National Creation Fund investment

The National Creation Fund’s investment of $200,000 enabled the Segal Centre to bring in a musical theatre dramaturg to work with the creators to refine the script and score. The Fund’s investment also provided additional rehearsal and development time with the entire creative team to incorporate changes to the original production, including adjustments to the set to facilitate touring.

Credits

A Segal Centre for Performing Arts production. Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund.

Originally commissioned and premiered by The Segal Centre for Performing Arts (Lisa Rubin, Artistic and Executive Director; Jon Rondeau, General Manager), Montreal 2017, developed with and directed and choreographed by Donna Feore.

The production acknowledges the goodwill of the National Hockey League and its Member Teams for granting permission to use logos and trademarks. Special thanks to Maurice Richard, Jr. and the Richard Estate for supporting this project.