THE GREAT ONE

a new musical about the trade heard round the world

 

music and lyrics by James Higgins

additional lyrics by Scott Hunt

book by Scott Hunt and J.J. Tiemeyer

 

 

The Great One focuses on the day that forever changed professional hockey. On August 9, 1988 the Edmonton Oilers announced they were trading the legendary Wayne Gretzky—“The Great One”—to the Los Angeles Kings. That trade, bringing the undisputed best hockey player in the world from Canada to the United States, helped make hockey a major professional sport in this country. It also shocked and dismayed Canadians, particularly the fans in Edmonton.
 

The Great One is set in “The Slick,” a fictional past-its-prime hockey bar in Edmonton following the trade. This light-hearted musical is a study in the power of hero worship, as it focuses on the impact the trade had on a group of fans whose lives were profoundly intertwined with the Oilers.

 

 

 

WORLD PREMIERE!

Short North Stage - Columbus, Ohio

January 21-25, 2015