Toronto, get ready to channel your inner Daniel LaRusso—this fall, the city will play host to the Canadian premiere of The Karate Kid – The Musical at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
Based on the 1984 classic movie that introduced us to the young and karate-inclined LaRusso along with Mr. Miyagi, and the eternal wisdom of “wax on, wax off,” this stage adaptation is a musical extravaganza. With a book by Robert Mark Kamen, the original screenwriter, and music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini, the show promises to be a lot of fun.
Leading the charge as Mr. Miyagi is Singaporean actor Adrian Pang, whose résumé spans everything from Shakespeare to contemporary theatre in both the UK and Asia. Taking on the role of Toronto’s soon-to-be favourite teen, Daniel LaRusso, is Gino Ochello, who will be making his professional stage debut. Abigail Amin steps into Ali Mills’ shoes, while Joe Simmons takes on Daniel’s rival, Johnny Lawrence.
The musical had its world premiere in St. Louis in 2022 to sold-out crowds.
There has been a resurgence in all this Karate Kid over the last few years thanks to a successful franchise reboot on Netflix.
As so many now know, the Karate Kid tells the story of Daniel, the new kid in town. He is bullied by Cobra Kai’s star student Johnny, until he finds a mentor in the wise, steady and Bonsai tree-loving Mr. Miyagi.
The original movie series was a huge hit in the ’80s, so audiences could be in for a retro explosion on the Princess of Wales stage.
Seeing a classic movie such as The Karate Kid translated to stage magic—complete with crane kicks, teen angst, and heartfelt mentorship—is a recipe for success that could follow in the footsteps of other fun campy musicals based on movies such as Mean Girls.
The show will be in town from September to November 2026 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Tickets are on sale now through Mirvish.com.
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