The world premiere of The Lord of the Rings opened in Toronto in February 2006 at the 2,000-seat Princess of Wales Theater.
The $27 million stage version of the Tolkien book was the biggest production in Canadian theatre history. It featured 65 actors, singers and musicians. British actor, James Loye, played the hobbit, Frodo. Brent Carver played Gandalf and Michael Therriault performs as Gollum.
The gala opening performance was on March 23. This coincided with the 70th anniversary of J.R.R. Tolkien's start of the trilogy and followed the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.
The Toronto Tourism website offered packages that included premium tickets to The Lord of the Rings world premiere, accommodations at Toronto hotels and a Toronto savings passport worth hundreds of dollars from local restaurants, attractions and retail partners.
