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. Producer Michael Rubinoff, left, conducts a Q&A with The Last Timbit cast members.

(Jackson Weaver/CBC) A Tim Hortons musical? Really? Each cast and crew member interviewed for this article .