Show History

History

Inspiration

With music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill, creators of Broadway’s The Story of My Life, The Theory of Relativity offers a fascinating look into the unexpected connections among unrelated people.

The song cycle began after Neil Bartram and Brian Hill were invited to develop a show with the musical theatre students at Sheridan College in Toronto. While there was an opportunity to develop existing works further, the creators opted instead to write a show to which college-aged performers could relate on a more personal, direct level.  Through interviews and conversations with the students, Neil and Brian were inspired by the shared human experiences that connect us all.

Productions

The Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College in Toronto originally commissioned The Theory of Relativity in 2012.

In 2014, the show was part of the Festival of New Musicals at Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut. It received a full production in the spring of 2015 at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre.

The show had its London premiere at the Drayton Arms Theatre in the spring of 2015.

The show was produced in April 2016 at Cleveland, Ohio’s, PlayhouseSquare, in collaboration with Baldwin Wallace University.

Cultural Influence

• The musical was performed at Feinstein’s/54 Below in October 2015, featuring many members of the cast from Goodspeed Musicals.