'The Last Timbit': Tim Hortons musical coming to Toronto
In the last year, Tim Hortons has treated cottaging Canadians to a boat drivethru, revived its beloved Dutchie doughnut and launched flatbread pizzas.
But perhaps its biggest surprise will come this summer, on the heels of its 60th anniversary on May 17, when it enters a realm so unexpected for a fast-food giant that even its executives expect some people’s first reactions to be, “What?!”
The head-scratcher will come in the form of "The Last Timbit," a musical for which Tim Hortons has assembled a who’s who of Canadian artists to stage at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto this June.
The production is loosely based on a 2010 snowstorm that was so bad, drivers on a highway east of Sarnia, Ont., were forced to hunker down in cars and others had to wait out the inclement weather at a local Tim Hortons.
Turning the story into a theatrical production was the brainchild of Gut, a marketing firm Tims hired to help it conjure up a way to celebrate its milestone year.
Tims was determined to give Gut as much room to be creative as possible, so it didn't even specify the firm had to come up with an event. All the chain said was to find "something with heart" and that would reflect the relationship the fast-food eatery has with its customers, recalled the chain's chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi.
When she was pitched on a play, even she was surprised.
“What on earth would we know about pulling something like this together ... in a really highly professional way,” she said was her reaction.
“Our agency, that’s not their specialty. It’s certainly not ours.”
Despite it being new territory and Tims having to wrangle talent well outside its comfort zone, she felt “cautiously optimistic” about the idea.
“It’s a little wacky but certainty it felt grand (and) of the kind of ambition we had," she said.
So Bagozzi and her staff set about making it happen.
Among their first calls was Michael Rubinoff, a Toronto lawyer and theatre producer who turned the story of passengers on planes diverted to Gander, Nfld. after the 9/11 attacks in New York into hit musical "Come From Away."
“We didn’t imagine that he would actually come on board. We just thought we would try to pick his brain on, 'Are we crazy? Should we do this? How would we go about it?'” Bagozzi recalled.
Rubinoff wasn’t fazed by the unlikely caller. Though many would assume he was shocked to hear a fast-food brand wanted to jump into theatre, he didn’t find it unusual because “Tims has been part of Broadway for many years.”
“The Tims logo is on one of the backdrops in 'The Book of Mormon' that people don’t realize and of course, in the musical I’m involved in, 'Come From Away,' Tims plays a really important part,” Rubinoff said.
“After the opening number, the first line is ‘I start my day at Tim Hortons’ and we have a scene in the Tim Hortons and we come back to it, so Tim Hortons in musical theatre didn’t seem as outlandish to me as it might have to other people.”
Alongside Rubinoff, other talent started flowing in.
Nick Green, the playwright behind "Casey and Diana," wrote the script and Anika and Britta Johnson of "Life After" created the music and lyrics, which include a song called "What would you do for a Timbit?"
The cast features Stratford and Shaw festival regulars Andrew Broderick and DeAnn deGruijter, as well as Broadway stars Kimberly-Ann Truong, Jake Epstein and Chilina Kennedy.
Most were surprised Tims, which is spending the year focused on expanding its afternoon and evening sales, was behind the play. Once they saw the calibre of theatrical talent on board, they realized "this is going to be something that they're excited to attach themselves to," Rubinoff said.
The production comes as arts organizations have struggled to retain corporate funding. Last summer, Bell stopped funding the Toronto International Film Festival after 28 years of sponsorship. In March, the Bank of Nova Scotia ditched its title sponsorship of the Contact Photography Festival in Toronto.
Hot Docs, Canada's largest documentary film festival, has also warned its future is in jeopardy
Such struggles have not been lost on Rubinoff, who called "The Last Timbit" a "major investment."
"We only get better and we only strengthen those skills when we have the opportunities to actually do the thing, and this is the opportunity to do the thing," he said.
He's approaching the project with the same seriousness as he does any other theatrical production. There's been months of perfecting the script and table reads and soon, rehearsals will begin.
The music has already become an earworm.
"These songs have been on loop. I am telling you I can't sleep without hearing the songs," he said. "I wake up hearing the song, so I know that it's a great sign."
While he doesn't want to give away too many hints about the tunes or the play's plot, he said at the core of the storyline is a mother and daughter impacted by the storm. (The last Timbit they will vie for is a birthday one.)
And though the play is meant to mix humour and heart, he said, "nobody will dress up and dance like a Timbit, but I don't want to say no to anything."
That includes touring with the production, which will premiere in front of Tims franchisees visiting Toronto and then continue with five shows for the public. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Those who snag seats will be able to buy Tims-centric merchandise from Roots Corp., which doubles as the play's wardrobe partner, and will likely find a concession stand of Tims favourites, including Timbits, Bagozzi said.
"Those won't dance away," Rubinoff chimed in. "You can enjoy them."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 25, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:QSR, TSX:ROOT)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”