In an address to a packed house eager to witness the world premiere of Marathon of Hope: The Musical on Oct. 7, an emotional Darryl Sittler called Terry Fox the greatest Canadian that has ever lived.
It’s next to impossible to argue with him.
Yet such assertions, and global adulation for Fox that has not waned in the 35 years since his death, must have weighed heavily on those who took on the monumental task of bringing Fox’s story to the stage.
“We recognize there is a tremendous responsibility to ‘get it right,’” director and Drayton Entertainment CEO Alex Mustakas writes in the show program.
Talk about an understatement.
Perhaps nothing is closer to the collective Canadian heart than our beloved Terry Fox. Anything bearing his name should – no, must – properly pay tribute to the amazingly courageous and inspirational young man he was.
Any doubts audiences might have are quickly erased by the astounding efforts of playwright Peter Colley, composer and lyricist John Connolly, choreographer David Connolly and musical director Michael Mulrooney – not to mention Mustakas.
Marathon of Hope: The Musical is beautifully conceived, written, directed, presented and performed from start to finish.
Subtitled The Terry Fox Story, it is a magical production that unites, inspires and uplifts everyone lucky enough to witness it.
The play opens with a young Terry (played brilliantly by Nathan Carroll) already displaying promising athletic skills and dogged tenacity that would later be put to the test.
A car accident at the age of 18 leads to the discovery of osteosarcoma in Terry’s right leg, which has to be amputated above the knee.
It’s shocking News for the Fox family, but much like Terry in real life, the production does not dwell long on the bone cancer diagnosis.
Overcome by the suffering of other cancer patients in the hospital, many of them children, Terry decides to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research and awareness.
After training for over a year and then convincing his mother Betty (Charlotte Moore), father Rolly (Ralph Small) and his doctor that he is prepared, Terry flies to Newfoundland to begin the monumental trek.
He dips his artificial leg in the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s and then, guided by his best friend Doug Alward (Alex Furber), and later by brother Darrell (Gregory Pember), proceeds to run an average of 42km per day through six provinces over the next 143 days.
On Sept. 1, 1980 Terry stops running outside of Thunder Bay because the cancer spread to his lungs. Less than 10 months later, Terry dies at the age of 22.
Everyone knows the story, of course.
Yet Colley and John Connolly provide a moving and insightful glimpse into what it must have been like on that unforgettable tour in 1980.
Marathon of Hope tranSports audiences back in time and pays tribute to the indelible icon that Terry Fox was – and remains. But it does much more than simply pander to audience adoration and nostalgia.
It does not shy away from Terry’s conflicts with others or his moments of self-doubt. And it makes it very clear Terry battled much more than excruciating physical pain and fatigue each day, including stress, numerous detractors and self-appointed media experts who took it upon themselves to opine on what was best for him.
Those scenes are a vital reminder that Terry was, after all, a human being; imperfect just like the rest of us.
The emotional anchors of the Marathon of Hope – apart from an ending that will leave few eyes in the building dry – are scenes featuring Greg Scott (played by a talented-beyond-his-years Ryan O’Donnell), the 10-year-old boy befriended by Terry who also lost a leg to bone cancer. Particularly moving are the aptly-titled musical number I See Myself and a heartbreaking revelation by Terry that he may like to someday raise a family. Other musical standouts include Darkness of My Dreams, Gravenhurst, This Dream, The Long Road Leads You Home (seriously, get out the tissues) and Waiting/Ready for a Miracle.
The acting of each of the aforementioned players is astounding, as are the performances from Jayme Armstrong (reporter Leslie Scrivener) and Eddie Glen (Bill Vigars), as well as Curtis Sullivan, Stephanie Cadman and the rest of the cast.
Obviously the star of the show is Carroll, whose physical appearance (aided by a great prosthetic) and strong acting and singing help him deliver a phenomenal portrayal of Terry Fox. It’s a role every Canadian actor would love to land, but one very few could pull off with such humility and poise.
Darrell Fox, who spoke during opening night, said if those watching Marathon of Hope feel like they’re witnessing a miracle unfold in front of them, then they “know what it’s like to be me.”
Darrell added he thinks the musical will help the next generations – those that were not around to bear witness to his brother’s remarkable life – to always remember Terry. It’s easy to see why.
Marathon of Hope is an instant classic and a Canadian treasure that’s sure to go on to much national and international success.
It’s an absolute triumph and a powerful affirmation of one of Terry Fox’s most memorable adages: that “dreams are made possible if you try.”
Marathon of Hope: The Musical plays at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse until Oct. 30. For tickets call the Drayton Entertainment box office at 1-855-372-9866 or visit www.draytonentertainment.com.
