North American Premiere Of Just for One Day - A New Musical Based on the Story of Live Aid
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: John Karastamatis, Sue Toth, Erin Nantais
Direct from a Sold-out Run at London’s The Old Vic
North American Premiere Of A New Musical Based on the Story of Live Aid
By John O’Farrell
Directed By Luke Sheppard
By permission of The Band Aid Charitable Trust
Performances Begin January 28, 2025 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre
Toronto, ON - David Mirvish is excited to announce the North American premiere of Just For One Day, a new musical about the making of Live Aid that premiered at The Old Vic, London, in a sell-out season earlier this year. Written by best-selling author John O’Farrell (Mrs Doubtfire, Something Rotten) and directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, In Dreams), Just For One Day will make the trip across the Atlantic in Live Aid’s fortieth anniversary year. It will play a limited run January 28 to March 16, 2025 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.
Just For One Day will join the 2024/25 Mirvish Main Subscription lineup. It will replace Mamma Mia! in the seven-show season. (The new touring production of Mamma Mia! will still play a five-week run October 8 to November 10, 2024 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre; however, it will not be on subscription.)
"We’ve been following the development of Just For One Day from its early workshops,” said David Mirvish. “Live Aid was a monumental event and movement that harnessed the power of popular music and brought more than a billion people together in aid of famine relief. How Live Aid came to be, the passion of the many people involved, the challenges faced and the ultimate triumph -- this is the stuff of great storytelling and what would make a great musical. At the musical’s opening at The Old Vic in February, I was delighted to experience the final product of all those years of development. It is a magnificent achievement, and now it is time for Just For One Day to be seen far and wide.
“We are delighted that Toronto has been chosen as the next stage in Just For One Day’s journey. Lead producer Jamie Wilson, who has been shepherding this project from the very beginning, will reassemble the original creative team for the run at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.
“I’m also pleased that 10% of all ticket sales from the show’s Toronto engagement will be donated to the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which was founded in 1984 and has raised over £140 million ($265 million CAD) to support organisations dedicated to the prevention or relief of poverty and famine through charitable grants.”
Jamie Wilson said: “We are delighted today to announce that Just For One Day will make its North American premiere in Toronto. It was thrilling to experience the reception to the musical in London, not only as the fastest-selling musical ever at The Old Vic, but from the nightly standing ovations of our audiences. John, Luke and the creative team have created a truly theatrical celebration of a unique moment, and I am excited to now share their production with audiences across the world.”
Subscriptions to the 2024/25 Mirvish Main Subscription are now available for sale on mirvish.com. Non-subscription tickets will go on sale early fall 2024. More details will be announced.
About Just For One Day
‘We can be heroes, just for one day…’
On July 13, 1985, music brought the world together. Just For One Day is the story of Live Aid and the people united by it. Featuring the songs of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Diana Ross and more of the iconic artists who made history at simultaneous concerts in London and Philadelphia.
Political unrest, social revolution, boom and bust. In a decade of neon and noise, an unprecedented global concert event made the world stand still and brought 1.5 billion people together – and they all have a story to tell about ‘the day rock ‘n’ roll changed the world’.
Don’t miss this electrifying and galvanizing new musical written by John O’Farrell (Mrs. Doubtfire, Something Rotten!) and directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, The Little Big Things).
10% from the sale of all tickets will be donated directly to The Band Aid Charitable Trust.
Just For One Day is written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard. The production features Musical Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestration by Matthew Brind, Choreography by Ebony Molina, Set by Soutra Gilmour, Costume by Fay Fullerton, Lighting by Howard Hudson, Sound by Gareth Owen, Video & Animation by Andrzej Goulding and Casting by Stuart Burt CDG.
The cast will be announced at a later date.
Produced by Jamie Wilson Productions, Kevin McCollum, Sonia Friedman Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Kenny Wax Ltd, The Ambassador Theatre Group, Mirvish Productions, Nederlander Theatres, No Guarantees, Burnt Umber Productions, Stephen C Byrd, and The Old Vic by permission of The Band Aid Charitable Trust.
About the Band Aid Charitable Trust
The Band Aid Charitable Trust was set up in 1984. Over the last 38 years it has been operated by the same group of unpaid trustees and with no employees. The Trust’s mandate is the relief of hunger and poverty in Ethiopia and the neighbourhood thereof. It has raised and spent in excess of £140 million. During its 38-year history it has funded food, medicine, housing, hospitals, surgery, immunisation, bridges, irrigation, water supplies, livestock, schools and much, much more – including bee keeping! In tandem with these charitable projects the Trust has created, nurtured and protected intellectual property to develop regular annual income streams to enable the Trust to continue its activities. Just For One Day is a natural part of that evolution. All of the Trust’s income from the ticket sales of Just For One Day will go directly to these charitable activities.