The North American premiere of The Harder They Come, the new reggae music musical based on the film of the same name, about an obscure Jamaican performer hoping for stardom, opens July 23 after previews from July 21 in Toronto.

Canadian producer David Mirvish presents the production by UK Arts and Theatre Royal Stratford East (known for its presentational playing style influenced by the work of Bertolt Brecht) through Aug. 23 at the Canon Theatre in Toronto. This is the launch of the international tour of the London-born musical. Rolan Bell stars as the wannabe star.