Wait, why does Tim Hortons have a musical?

It's a muggy Thursday morning in downtown Toronto, and writer Nick Green greets an eager group. About 40 social media influencers are crammed around him in a rehearsal space at the Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres. Many are holding the same thing: A red cardboard box of Timbits. 

The snack choice was no coincidence: All these people — and a similar-sized batch there just before them — were gathered to preview snippets of The Last Timbit: not just a new musical, but bafflingly, one created by Tim Hortons.

If that advertorial bent sounds like a confusing mix of church and state, you're not alone. Green, the book writer in charge of crafting the play's full story, seems to have some trouble keeping it straight himself.

"Thank you so much for being here," he told the phone-toting crowd, smiling. "We really appreciate you using your following to extend the reach of this really special product — er, uh, show — for us."

But that gaffe — though telling — was likely nothing more than a slip of the tongue. Green, an accomplished playwright in his own right, is joined by a genuine who's-who of Canadian talent on the show, which premieres today and runs throughout the week. And in a difficult time for the industry, some say these kinds of projects could be a lifeline for Canadian creatives.

Each cast and crew member interviewed for this article said they were impressed by the creative freedom they were given. The company allowed them to create a surprisingly beautiful play virtually unimpeded, they said — aside from some minor instruction on how to make a Tim Hortons BLT. 

That doesn't mean the members were easy to convince from the start. When asked to join the project, they all asked a similar question: A Tim Hortons musical? Really?

After just a few rehearsals, though, they came around. And now, they hope their audience will, too.

"Oh, it's for real, baby," said Jake Epstein, a Broadway alumnus who plays the character Shane in The Last Timbit.

"I joined this show for a workshop before this production, and immediately I was like, 'This is the real deal.'"

That "real deal" is a story veritably stuffed with images of Canadiana and brand-adjacent slogans. The plot is loosely inspired by the story of a group stuck inside a Sarnia, Ont., Timmies during a 2010 storm.

Its costumes suggest a raid of a Roots outlet store, and its songs pointedly reference snow and hockey games — with lyrics like, "We put our faith in a doughnut hole," and of course, "Always fresh, always Tim Hortons."  

As to why a coffee hawker would try to enter show business, the answer somewhat makes sense.

For one, 2024 is its 60th anniversary. That makes it a prime opportunity to celebrate the coffee giant's success.