The Lord of the Rings’ latest instalment has been revealed - and Kiwis can expect to see it at the end of the year.
In November, The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale is coming to Auckland’s Civic Theatre for a five-week blockbuster season, with its musical format adding a fresh twist to the beloved fantasy series.
The production is set to use song, dance and storytelling to bring Middle Earth to the stage, and will share J. R. R. Tolkien’s tales through a Hobbit lens.
Fredrica Drotos, director of Middle-earth Enterprises’ brand and licensing, expressed her excitement for the next chapter of the iconic fantasy series, as well as its return to Kiwi shores.
“The greatest show on Middle-earth comes home to Middle-earth!”, she shared. “We are very much looking forward to sharing the Hobbits’ epic re-telling with all our friends there; when The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale, premieres in Auckland, New Zealand this November.’
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will play Auckland’s Civic Theatre. Photo / Pamela Raith
The production first premiered at The Watermill Theatre in the UK and received a flurry of rave reviews. What’s On Stage gushed about the performance, saying it was “an extraordinary telling” and “Tolkien would have been so proud”, while The Guardian dubbed it the “greatest show on Middle Earth”.
The musical has booked a few dates at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre in July before its Kiwi leg at the end of the year.
The show’s book and lyrics are by La Cava’s Shaun McKenna and Groundhog Day’s Matthew Warchus. The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale will also contain original music by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman, known for his work on Bombay Dreams and Slumdog Millionaire, Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale.
The musical’s New Zealand premiere comes in a landmark year for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
2024 marks The Fellowship of the Ring’s 70th anniversary, with the novel first hitting shelves in 1954. It is now one of the best-selling books of all time, according to Business Insider, and has sold over 150 million copies.
“We are delighted to share Director Paul Hart’s imagining of The Lord of the Rings on stage with New Zealand audiences before it embarks on its journey to entertain audiences around the world”, shares Kevin Wallace on behalf of the producers.
“This production that originated in the English Shires, before its US Premiere in Chicago, comes to Auckland where we invite New Zealand to join us for Bilbo Baggins’ Long-expected Party.”
