Here's music to the ears of J.R.R. Tolkien fans: The long-awaited stage musical adaptation of "Lord of the Rings" opens Thursday in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

And it's really a big deal. The extravaganza, starring 55 performers, is the most expensive theater production ever, costing $23 million.

Actually, it's not really a musical. The show includes only a few songs, written by "Bombay Dreams" composer A.R. Rahman and the Finnish folk-pop group Varttina. But then it's not really a play either. British director Matthew Warchus describes it as "a hybrid of text, physical theater, music and spectacle never previously seen on this scale."

Lots of spectacle. The special effects are rumored to be dazzling and the show takes lots of creative chances, using a chorus of wailing elves to provide commentary during battle scenes. Just like in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, the show is stolen by dastardly Gollum, who's portrayed by Michael Therriault, a theater-trained Canadian actor. Most other cast members are Canadian, too, although British actors portray Frodo (James Loye) and his hobbit pal Pippin (Owen Sharpe).

Producer Kevin Wallace and director Warchus are from London's West End, where "Lord of the Rings" originally was set to open in 2005, but couldn't be booked into the Dominion Theatre because it was hogged by the long-running hit Queen musical "We Will Rock You."

After its trial run in Toronto, "Lord of the Rings" will finally open at the Dominion in early 2007. No plans are yet set for Broadway, where the show will cost a whopping $30 million to produce due to union obligations. But if it makes it to the Great White Way after proving itself in Canada and the U.K., "Lord of the Rings" will probably reign over the Tony Awards much like it did the Academy Awards.

Describing this "Lord of the Rings," producer Wallace told the L.A. Times, "There are simple but moving relationships of romantic love, between Arwen and Aragon; of friendship and loyalty, Sam and Frodo; of parent-child bonds as Gandalf has with many of the hobbits. If we can get the audience to connect with that, then they will actually have an experience of substance." To read the full preview article, click here.

The Toronto production marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the complete "Lord of the Rings" book trilogy.

Photo: The new stage version of "Lord of the Rings" purports to follow Tolkein's storyline more closely than Peter Jackson's three films, which won a total of 16 Academy Awards. The last installment, "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" went undefeated at the Oscars, claiming a record-tying 11 awards, including best picture of 2001.
(Kevin Wallace Ltd./ EPO)