A new musical is coming to the Almonte Old Town Hall next month. And if you’re a music fan but aren’t so sure about musicals, it’s the perfect time to change your tune.
The Perfect Time features an eclectic mix of music styles and influences, courtesy of the show’s composer and music director, James Torck. James’ compositions stem from his classical training, pop sensibilities, and a love of harmonic tension. He’s inspired by Bach and the Beatles in equal measure; throw in some Sondheim and a dash of The Who and you start to get the idea.
The musical showcases 20 original songs, and it was important for James that the songs be at the heart of the show. Says James: “Each one needed to be integral to the story and also strong enough to stand on its own. And we wanted the variety of styles and moods to suit the characters and the narrative perfectly, while still being ‘of a piece’”.
When asked how long it took to write, James reflects that it depends how you look at it. “On one hand, I could say it took about a year because we started working on the musical in early 2025. But the real answer is that it took decades of practicing, performing, studying, and writing to get to here.”
The show’s co-creator, Kelly — who also happens to be married to James — notes that: “For James, the music part has always come relatively easily, but the lyrics can be more of a slog. For me, the words are the fun part; I love playing with structure and rhythms and imagery and subtext. And we tend to riff off each other, so things can come together surprisingly quickly. Collaborating on the lyrics was a blast!”
One concern the creative team had initially was whether they would find enough strong performers, as many of the vocals are quite challenging. But they needn’t have worried.
The show’s director, Kris Riendeau, notes: “We were amazed and delighted by the number of talented people who came out to audition. Local audiences will certainly recognize faces — and voices — from past shows, but we’re thrilled to add new cast members who come from Ottawa, Almonte, Ashton, Pakenham, Lanark and Renfrew. Several cast members have had professional theatre and voice training. Some sing in bands (like Lori Doré from Bahoo and the Brat), and others have done musicals for decades (such as Tony Bove, who has appeared in twenty, including Orpheus productions).” In fact, it’s such a talented group of performers that, after the show was cast, James and Kelly were inspired to write an extra solo for one of the teen characters.
Among the leads is Will Richardson, who some may know from his recent turns with the Mississippi Mudds as Daddy Warbucks in Annie and as Phil in Groundhog Day, or as Tim the tin man in Humm Team’s The Wizard is… Odd?! Says Will, “When a musical has as much love, care, and heart put into every line and every lyric, it simply makes you fall in love with it. This is a project born from honest adoration, driven by passion, built with spirit, and I am so lucky to have been asked to be a part of it.”
Almonte’s Jacob Berkowitz, who plays Randy, adds: “Ear worm warning: The music is fantastic! The show is full of laughter, love, loss and reflection — a perfect night out.”
The Perfect Time will run May 22–24 and May 29–31 at the Almonte Old Town Hall. Tickets are available right now at Tickets Please (TicketsPlease.ca, 485–6434).