The Musical McCoy

Based on the play “The Real McCoy”
by Andrew Moodie
Lyrics by Vincent de Tourdonnet
Book by de Tourdonnet & Moodie
Music by Rosalind Mills, Lal & de Tourdonnet. 

Inspired by the true life tale of Elijah McCoy, The Musical McCoy is an electronic musical about a black Canadian-born inventor. 

Having lost his mother at birth, young Elijah swears to push back the inevitable hand of Death, by means of science. 

McCoy revolutionizes the steam engine in America, along with his love: powerhouse Detroit suffragist Mary Delaney, who fights to get the vote for women. 

In this beat-based musical, McCoy’s explosive innovations in 19th-century technology are driven by a 21st century electronica score; bridging his spirit with our own age.

Sept. 2023- Developmental Production
The team of The Musical McCoy is proud to announce a developmental showcase at The Papermill Theatre in Toronto. This one-hour show runs for only 4 performances:  Saturday Sept. 23 at 7:30pm, Sunday the 24th at 2pm, and Monday at 10:30am and 1pm. 

Tickets are free* or by donation: go to this Eventbrite link to book: ​https://tinyurl.com/McCoy-Eventbrite-Free-Tickets



*Thanks to funding from the Toronto Arts Council, Todmorden Mills Historic Site, and various theatre companies through the Ontario Arts Council. 



DEMOS

1.  The Train Must Never Stop 
The unexpected death of his father has caused Elijah to deepen his commitment- how can life be made safer- more stable? 
(Studio demo with Thom Allison, Andrew Moodie and Jewelle Blackman) 

2. Shake it Like an Earthquake
​Elijah is on a date at a Detroit skating pond. Mary Eleanor Delaney is joined by friends from "The Women's League". 
(Demo lead, and additional lyrics: Phoenix Pagliacci) 
Vincent de Tourdonnet, Rosalind Mills, Nicholas Murray
 Act I Equity Workshop
 2017 at Array Space in Toronto

CAST*: Alana Hibbert, Daren Herbert, David Keeley, Edward Glen, Lisa Michelle Cornelius, Matthew Brown, Nicole Brooks, Rudy Webb.
 DIRECTION: Andrew Moodie*​ 

Funding by The National Arts Centre, The Shaw Festival, The Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, The Toronto Arts Council and The Grand Theatre in London. 

*The participation of these Artists is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the DanceOperaTheatre Policy. 
Video discussion (now somewhat dated)  with Andrew Moodie and Vincent de Tourdonnet of The Musical McCoy, March 2013. 7 Min. 
​
3. Upon The Moon
Elijah's demanding Scottish engineering professor has been impressed by the talents of the young Elijah.  
(From the 2017 Equity workshop- Professor Rankine: David Keeley, Young Elijah: Matthew Brown. 
4. ACT I Finale

Elijah’s revolutionary lubrication device has been successfully demonstrated to his bosses. But he's been so busy inventing that he barely noticed that his wife’s cough was getting very bad indeed... 
From left: Vincent de Tourdonnet, Rosalind Mills, Nicholas Murray, Andrew Moodie
​
Acknowledgements:
All of our progress to date has been made possible thanks to the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council,  the National Arts Centre's "Collaborations" program, the Shaw Festival, and the Grand Theatre.