The elite athletes of the Invictus Games are all revved up and have some place to go now thanks to the organizers behind the London, England theater production of Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical.In a just-announced partnership, the Meat Loaf-inspired theater production is donating £100,000 ($176,000 CAD) to the Invictus Games Foundation to further its mission.
Started in 2014 by Prince Harry, the Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event featuring serving and veteran servicepeople who've been wounded, injured or sick. The athletes showcase their abilities in sports like archery, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball and rugby, Paralympic swimming and track & field, as well as para-cycling.
The Invictus Games is the international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen and women, both serving and veteran. The Games use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect of all those who serve their country.
The 2017 edition of the games were held in Toronto, Canada, while the 2016 edition was in Orlando, Florida, while the initial competition took place in London, England in 2014. The 2018 Invictus Games will take place Oct. 20-27 in Sydney, Australia. Competitors from 17 different countries participated in the 2017 games.
"We are thrilled that the show’s producers have chosen the Invictus Games Foundation as their global charitable partner," said Dominic Reid, CEO of the Invictus Games Foundation, in a statement. "This partnership will contribute enormously to the important work of the Foundation as it continues to serve those who have served."
Based on the 1977 Meat Loaf album of the same name, Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical was written by Grammy Award winner Jim Steinman and features the story of a pair of young lovers who have to navigate a post-apocalyptic Manhattan, all set to the familiar music of the iconic theater rock album. More than 500,000 have taken in the musical in its runs at the Manchester Opera House in Manchester, England, at the London Coliseum in London, England, and Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre. The show's latest run takes place at London’s Dominion Theatre between April 2 and October 27.
In addition to the financial contribution to the games, the theater production will host an exclusive charity gala performance of Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical, making hundreds of tickets available to Invictus athletes and their families, will be providing private tours, and have also agreed run an employment assistance program for ex-service personnel interested in a career in the theatre.
"This special partnership will deliver employment opportunities for veterans and give families living outside of London the chance to experience the best in live entertainment," said Julian Stoneman, Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical general manager.
Directed by Jay Scheib and starring Andrew Polec and Christina Bennington, Bat Out of Hell - The Musical marks the first production from a new worldwide partnership between Michael Cohl’s Iconic Entertainment Studios (Spamalot, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Rock of Ages: The Musical), and Canada's Bell Media. It is co-produced by Coh, Bell Media president Randy Lennox, David Sonenberg (Dance of the Vampires) and Tony Smith (Rock of Ages: The Musical).
Watch highlights from the 2017 Invictus Games:
Air Jordan