May 27, 28, June 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 2007
Robin Hood, The Legend Continues was a new work by Tony award winners Thomas Meehan (Book), Martin Charnin (Lyrics) and Peter Sipos (Music). This production was only the third time the musical had been staged. It was a new experience for director Craig Schieber and music director Tom Randall, working in close collaboration with Martin Charnin and Peter Sipos. Both of them came to see the production - Peter all the way from Toronto.
The basic plot of the play surrounds the return of Robin Hood (Eric Emans) from the Crusades after twenty years to discover that he has a daughter Elizabeth (Ashleigh Emmons) by Lady Marion (Abigail Taylor). After not writing home for twenty years (he couldn't write), one can imagine his welcome. Because of the evil machinations of King John (Walter Foster), Elizabeth must pull the sons of Robin's original Merry Men (Cooper Harris-Turner, Isa Farnik, Stuart Baker, Daniel Baker, and Lina Brown) together to fight for justice and the English way. To do this she has to deal with her father's disappointment with not having a son and with the unwillingness of the young Merry Men to accept a woman as leader.
In addition, there is the theme of the passing on from one generation to the next. The Old Merry Men (Jamie Estill, Steve Rose, and Brian Lindvall) have to learn how to 'hand off the baton' to the next generation. In the end, Robin and the Old Merry Men are captured by the despicable King John who are saved by the Young Merry Men led by Robin's daughter Elizabeth, pretending to be a boy.
The result was a rollicking, adventure packed musical with lots of stage fighting choreographed by Ken Michels and Don Parris with the excellent assistance of Kim McCoy. And, of course, there are romances. Robin and Marion learn to reconnect with older 'adult' romantic love, while the young Will Scarlett experiences the romantic draw of Elizabeth (having not a little trouble as to why he's being romantically drawn to one of the other Young Merry Men).
2784 people attended this production.
