Thunder Bay – Harry Chapin’s timeless stories and songs are being brought back to life in Lives and Legends: The Musical Stories of Harry Chapin, opening July 17 on the Magnus Theatre outdoor stage.
“It’s kind of jazzy for us to be able to bring this to life in this new and reinvented way,” says artistic director Thom Currie, who directs the production.
This dynamic five-person show re-imagines Chapin’s work through a uniquely Thunder Bay lens. Featuring 20 of the singer-songwriter’s most emotionally resonant songs, including the iconic Cat’s in the Cradle. Lives and Legends offers audiences a journey through Chapin’s musical legacy.
“Harry Chapin’s writing is incredibly human,” says Currie. “He wrote about the world he lived in, and we wanted to open up that world for our audience, to really let them feel these deeply emotional stories through music.”
Lives and Legends was first created in 1984 by Chapin’s family and former bandmates shortly after his death. The original version featured a cast of five actors and a five-piece band.
Magnus Theatre’s version is uniquely crafted as an actor-musician production, where all five performers, Danny Johnson, Jean-Paul De Rouver, Katherine Nemec, Sharon De Leon, and drummer Adam Houle, play instruments live on stage while embodying the characters in Chapin’s songs.
“We didn’t bring anyone in from out of town,” Currie says. “This is a true Thunder Bay production. These are multi-talented artists—each one a musician and actor—who swap instruments throughout the show. It’s very intimate. You’ll see them handing off a cello or guitar mid-scene and launching into the next song.”
The performance features a wide range of instruments, including harmonica, accordion, multiple guitars, keyboards, drums, violin, and cello.
In the spirit of Chapin’s lifelong commitment to social causes, especially hunger relief, Magnus Theatre has partnered with the Regional Food Distribution Association to raise funds and awareness around food insecurity in Northwestern Ontario.
“There will be opportunities for the audience to engage with the issue of hunger in our region during the run of the show,” adds Currie. “Harry was passionate about this cause, and it felt only right to carry that legacy forward.”
