The Tragically Hip's songs inspire jukebox musical, set for 2026 Hamilton debut
Named after a Hip song, the show dubbed "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" promises to draw on the band's deep catalogue of Canadian classics, including lyrics by late frontman Gord Downie.
Rubinoff will be assisted by fellow producers David and Hannah Mirvish.
The book is written by Brian Hill, who worked on the Broadway musical "The Story of My Life," and Ahmed Moneka, a nominee at this year's Juno Awards for global music album.
Producers say the musical will premiere at Hamilton's Theatre Aquarius next year with plans to further develop the project at Toronto Metropolitan University's theatre school.
They did not provide details about the storyline.
Rubinoff said in a statement that the Hip musical underwent a two-week workshop last fall, culminating in a half-hour performance of selections for a private audience that included members of the Kingston, Ont. band.
An open casting call is set for March 9 at the Creative School Chrysalis at Toronto Metropolitan University, which Rubinoff emphasized will seek exceptional singers of rock, folk and country music who have "a unique sound and strong acting chops."
The song "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" appeared on the Hip's 2002 album "In Violet Light."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.
David Friend, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
an hour ago
- Buzz Feed
Katy Perry And Justin Trudeau Relationship Update
Wake up, babe — there's new reports on the strangest celeb relationship of the year. At the end of last month, Bingo cards across North America were decimated by photos of Katy Perry — who, in case you forgot, is newly split from longtime partner Orlando Bloom — out to dinner with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Since then, there have been reports that Justin is "figuring out his life" (pretty relatable!) after being the literal Prime Minister of Canada (OK, maybe not)... While Orlando, cheeky devil that he is, showed his seeming approval towards a joke making light of the emergent and deeply weird situation. Now, Entertainment Tonight has new reports on the situation at hand — and it certainly seems like these crazy kids are giving it a go, albeit very casually. A source tells the publication about Katy and Justin, 'They're just having fun and getting to know each other. Justin is charismatic and has great energy, which is exactly what Katy wants and needs at the moment. For now, things are just casual.' Perhaps unsurprisingly, it does sound like things are less good when it comes to Katy and Orlando. The source also claims that the exes 'still aren't great' and that 'their relationship is a bit awkward and strained.' Makes sense, if true! We've reached out to Katy and Orlando's people for further comment — and if we hear anything back, you'll be the first to know.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Toronto Film Fest cuts Oct. 7 doc because Hamas didn't give footage permission: ‘Absurd and bizarre'
A new documentary about the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas has been booted from the Toronto International Film Festival — because organizers insist the filmmakers need the rights from the terrorist group to use their horrific footage of the massacre. The festival claims the movie, called 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,' did not meet certain requirements to screen at the prestigious September event, widely attended by Hollywood stars and bigwigs, including not securing so-called 'legal clearance' to use Hamas' live-streamed video of the rape, murder and kidnapping of Jews. The stunned filmmakers, including Canadian director Barry Avrich, slammed the decision, telling Deadline that TIFF has 'defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film.' Advertisement 3 TIFF uninvited a documentary about Oct. 7 from its 2025 film festival. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP Indeed, TIFF's mission states on its website, 'we will defend artistic excellence and artistic freedom.' Avrich declined to comment further. Advertisement 'The Road Between Us' tells the story of retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon, who set out to save his family and others during Hamas' deadly attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. It includes widely seen videos taken by the terrorists of their murders of Israelis at the Nova music festival and in nearby communities. While TIFF alleges they required permission from Hamas to use the footage, the documentary's line producer, Talia Harris Ram, told the Times of Israel that their rationale was ridiculous. 'The topic of creators' rights is something I work with regularly,' she said. 'There's no legal problem with showing these clips, which were already streamed live on October 7. From an intellectual property standpoint, they are clearly in the public domain.' Advertisement 3 TIFF claimed the filmmakers did not get legal clearance to use Hamas' footage of the Oct. 7 attack. AP The Post has also learned the film had insurance that protected both its creators and the festival from potential lawsuits. Some sources told Deadline the festival pulled the doc out of concern that potential anti-Israel protests would form in crowded downtown Toronto. The bottom of TIFF's statement suggests that's the case, citing the 'potential threat of significant disruption' due to a documentary concerning 'highly sensitive subject matter.' Advertisement TIFF did not respond to The Post's request for further comment. The 'Road Between Us' filmmakers said they tried to meet TIFF's demands. For instance, the trade reported the festival asked the filmmakers to change the movie's title from 'Out of Nowhere' to 'The Road Between Us.' They complied with the request. 3 The documentary is aobut retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon. Getty Images But their invitation was nonetheless snatched back on Monday. Sources told The Post that, after backlash resulting from the film's removal, the TIFF board of directors planned a meeting to discuss the fallout. The 'Road Between Us' team insisted they were only depicting a man's story — a man who was also profiled on '60 Minutes.' 'We are not political filmmakers, nor are we activists; we are storytellers,' they said in their statement. 'We remain defiant, we will release the film, and we invite audiences, broadcasters, and streamers to make up their own mind, once they have seen it.' Advertisement Deadline reported that the documentary's producers were asked by TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey to voluntarily withdraw, but they refused. Tibon, the doc's subject, decried the cancellation. 'The festival management's claim that the film cannot be screened because 'permissions to use' the footage of the Nukhba terrorists were not obtained is absurd and bizarre, and constitutes further harm to the victims,' he told the Times of Israel. 'My message to the festival management: The truth cannot be erased. The atrocities committed by Hamas cannot be erased or denied.'
Cosmopolitan
3 hours ago
- Cosmopolitan
Austin Butler Reveals He Was High on Stage at Bad Bunny Concert
Austin Butler was high on life—and maybe a little something extra—when he made an unexpected cameo at Bad Bunny's concert on August 9. The Grammy winner (whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) was performing at his No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in Puerto Rico, where he was joined on stage by his Caught Stealing co-star Austin, the movie's director Darren Aronofsky, and Canadian singer Régine Chassagne. A few days later, Austin opened up about the experience during an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, revealing that he had been high off a cannabis edible the entire time. 'Somebody gave me an edible right before the show, and I thought that was a good idea at the time,' the Oscar nominee explained during the August 12 episode. 'Then it turns out we're in like, a casita, a house that is basically the second stage. He comes and he's on that stage at one point.' He continued, 'So, suddenly I'm on stage with Bad Bunny and the edible is working. So it's like my brain is in two movies. One is like, 'Benito and I had lunch earlier in the day, I'm just like, so proud of him.'' 'I'm watching him going like, 'Oh my god, look how much you mean to everyone here.' I'm like, falling in love with Puerto Rican culture and the dancing and everybody is so sexy and amazing,' Austin added. He also admitted that he didn't know what to do with himself on stage, saying, 'Then, the other part of me is like, 'Don't dance, because you'll take attention away from him. This is his moment.' So I'm like, 'hide,' my body is saying 'hide,' but then the music is so good and it's like in my bones at that point.' Allow us to present you with the hiding/dancing in question: TL;DR: Yep, Austin could even make an awkward moment look hot.
