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The last timbit

By Maxine Bass

Made-in-Canada musical The Last Timbit comes to television, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons has been a Canadian institution since the iconic purveyor of coffee and donuts first launched back in 1964. In celebration of Tim Hortons’ 60th birthday this year, Come From Away producer Michael Rubinoff unveiled The Last Timbit, a new stage musical that made its debut at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre.

This week, the acclaimed musical will make its television debut in a new 80-minute special streaming on Crave, filmed in front of a live audience during the production’s limited run.

The Last Timbit on Crave. Pictured: The cast of The Last Timbit perform onstage at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre.
Courtesy of Bell Media

The production was inspired by true events, when a 2010 blizzard east of Sarnia, Ontario left numerous people stranded, forced to wait out the inclement weather at a local Tim Hortons restaurant. The heavy storm wound up bringing together a diverse array of people from all walks of life.

In the musical, this unlikely group of strangers come together to explore family and community, discovering the best of each other emerging during hard times — all while battling for the store’s last remaining Birthday Cake Timbit.

The impetus for The Last Timbit initially came from Tim Hortons’ in-house advertising agency. When Rubinoff was approached about the idea of creating a Broadway-style musical with Tim Hortons at its core, he immediately loved the idea. “Tims has been part of Broadway for years,” he said in a statement, pointing out that the Tim Hortons logo was one of the backdrops used in The Book of Mormon, while Tim Hortons also plays an important role in his previous production, the award-winning Come From Away.

“Great musical theatre is telling compelling stories,” added Rubinoff. “Every day across the country, millions of Canadians come together at Tim Hortons where life’s stories unfold. The Last Timbit is a celebration of that community connection that will surprise and delight audiences with its heart and humour.”

The production features some of the biggest talent in Canadian theatre, including Chilina Kennedy (who performed on Broadway in the Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Andrew Broderick (a veteran of the Stratford and Shaw festivals) and Jake Epstein, who played the title role in Broadway’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Produced by Bell Media Studios along with Rubinoff, music and lyrics were composed by Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson, (who wrote the musical Life After), with a book by Nick Green, the playwright behind Casey and Diana.

Bell Media “was thrilled to collaborate on this unique production that is exclusive to Crave audiences,” noted Perry MacDonald, the company’s vice-president, advertising sales and partnerships. “We are also excited to promote this special streaming event to a wide audience.”

During its limited run in Toronto, the production was met with high praise and enthusiastic audiences. “The show was so funny, highly recommended!” wrote one fan on Facebook, while another added, “Who knew that a musical about Tim Hortons could be so charming?”

“It was such a thrill to see The Last Timbit come to life in front of delighted audiences in Toronto and it was always our wish that we could share this special production with Canadians from coast to coast,” added Tim Hortons’ chief marketing officer Hope Bagozzi.

“We were so fortunate to get to work with some of the very best in Canadian theatre to celebrate the unique and powerful connections we’ve had with our guests since 1964,” added Bagozzi. “We’re looking forward to more Canadians having the opportunity to see this heartwarming show that features some of the very best talent in the country. Circle August 12 on your calendar.”

The Last Timbit, streaming on Monday, August 12, on Crave

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