The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow Strikes the Perfect Chord at Ross Creek

One of the things that is enigmatic about Two Planks and a Passion Theatre is that every summer they offer up two different productions, and most of the time both of these are world premieres, and yet most of the time, regardless of how well crafted the productions are, these new plays and adaptions are not revived, either at Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, or, indeed, by other theatre companies in the province or across the country. In the case of The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow By Fire, a new musical by Allen Cole and Ken Schwartz, which plays until August 16th, 2025, Cole and Schwartz will be depriving the world of this spooky gem with the powerhouse score if they retire it after this season to the proverbial shelf in the Arts Centre.

The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow is adapted from Washington Irving’s short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1820) about a school master named Ichabod Crane who comes to a strange little hamlet called Sleepy Hollow and encounters a local legend about a headless horseman who apparently beheads townsfolk by nightfall there. Is the legend true? If it’s not, why does it persist with such adamance amongst the residents? What is Mr. Crane’s destiny to be in this town and might he have the opportunity to link his fortunes with those of Miss Katrina Von Tassel, the town’s most wealthy heiress?

Allen Cole and Ken Schwartz’s catchy score, a mixture of rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel and choral influences, which is heavily driven by various forms of percussion, including drums played by Omar Alex Khan, and also the clapping and stomping coming from the rest of the ensemble, is really marvellous. It is also unexpected, because apart from the choral music that is sung at the choir practice that Ichabod gets roped into directing, the musical style is at odds both with where Sleepy Hollow is usually set, upstate New York in a Dutch settlement, and the time period: 1790. Yet the music in its incongruence works well to set an eerie tone, and it showcases a tight knit community where folks require strangers like Crane to jump through hoops to prove they’re worthy of belonging to the community. 

The adaptation is also surprisingly funny. Ichabod Crane is played by the hapless Hugh Ritchie, attempting to bend over backwards to win favour with the entire settlement, but then especially Katrina Von Tassel, played by Becca Guilderson. He is thwarted by the fierce Evelyn Bloomfield, a tour de force performance by Hilary Adams, who is Crane’s employer at the one room schoolhouse and who is cartoonishly uptight and grim. She sings a patter song explaining to him about the “gubbins” (additional chores) he will have to perform to earn his keep in addition to teaching the schoolchildren, which is one of the highlights of the piece. Guilderson, Santiago Guzmán, Henricus Giels, Chris O’Neill, and Burgandy Code also play an array of schoolchildren who bring humour, warmth, and heart to the story, but who also showcase the children’s glee at recounting the village’s gruesome ghost story. Code also plays a Von Tassel Granny, who seems to be a bit of a homage to the crone in the Western Woods in Tim Burton’s 1999 gothic retelling of the tale, who warns Crane not to believe those who tell him that the headless horseman is simply a myth for children. 

Each adaptation that I’ve seen of this story is dramatically unique, and Cole and Schwartz’s is no different; the plot and interpretation diverges significantly from the others. Since this play is set in the dark, under the stars, around a campfire, surrounded by the woods at the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts, not knowing exactly what direction the action is heading is very advantageous for creating and maintaining a spooky ambiance for the audience. 

The song that I left humming was the song that the choir sings in their rehearsal, the one that first elicits laughter from the audience because its title refers to the bucket inside of a well. It is a gorgeously sung number that includes most of the ensemble in tight harmonies that may cause the hairs on your arms to stand up. Yet, it is also a song that I feel, should you see the lyrics written down, would give you further insights into the writers’ poetic sense of the meaning and the enduring relevance of this story. Indeed, The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow is a production that I think folks would benefit from seeing more than once, because there is subtext and poignancy woven, especially, into the lyrics, that may not be as apparent during an initial viewing. I walked back up toward the arts centre under the clear immense North Mountain sky dreaming of a cast album, and wondering whether this musical might be the next Ride the Cyclone or Nevermore. 

I can foresee a lot of Canadian musical theatre fans losing their heads in excitement over this one.   

Quixote! and The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow run until August 16th. Quixote! plays Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6PM, Saturdays at 4PM, and Sundays at 2PM. The Haunting of Sleepy Hollow, plays Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 9PM. Tickets range in price from $15.00 for children, $25.00 for students/artists/unwaged, $35.00 for adults.  You can get yours here or by calling 902.582.3073. There’s also seat upgrades available and picnic options. Babes in arms can see the show for free. 

For one night only (August 24th at 6:00pm) Icarus, the Falling of Birds by Gale Force Theatre will be presented as a Pay What You Can event with limited seating. 

Ross Creek Centre for the Arts is wheelchair accessible, and there is a golf cart available for those who may need help moving around the outdoor space. Please let the staff know when booking your tickets if you need wheelchair accessible seating or will require the golf cart. Sunscreen and bug spray and dressing in layers is advised for all theatre patrons. For more information about what to expect when you arrive at Ross Creek please visit this website.