New Toronto musical is singing a wild family secret loud and proud for all to hear

On the eve of his Toronto Preview, performer Noam Tomaschoff tells me about the journey that has brought Our Little Secret: A True New Musical back home to the CAA Theatre. It began with the discovery of a life-changing secret and has ended in standing ovations across international stages.

The show started its journey at the 2023 Toronto Fringe Festival. With a sold-out run and winning both the Patron's Pick and Best of Fringe awards, the team knew they had something special on their hands. In the years to come, it had an international premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, where Tomaschoff won the annual Chrisparkle Award for Best Performance in a Musical. 

It later played at Montreal's Segal Centre in 2025, becoming one of the theatre's best-selling shows in history and winning five BroadwayWorld Awards.

What began as a life-changing discovery shared in a group chat between longtime friends evolved into a deeply personal story about family, discovery, self-identification, secrets and the power of storytelling.

The entire journey, from a DNA test, an unexpected discovery and a series of messages to some of his closest friends, became a deeply personal mission to bring three high school friends back together after 15 years since their first creative collaboration. 

Now showing the production to Toronto audiences, Tomaschoff is joined by longtime friend and producer Russel Citron, alongside composer Ryan Peters, in a project that bleeds all the humour that comes with learning to discover who we are when everything we thought we knew suddenly becomes a distant memory. 

Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, but raised in Toronto, Tomaschoff developed an interest in theatre early on, something his parents deeply supported, not knowing that in a few years they may just have an entire musical written about their lives. 

After attending high school, where he met Citron and Peters, Tomaschoff did what any song and dance lover would and moved to New York to attend New York University. However, finding his place in the entertainment industry wasn't immediate. 

For years, he struggled to find a creative outlet, describing the experience as feeling like "a square peg in a round hole." 

If only someone had told young Tomaschoff that in a few years, he would find out a life-changing secret that would ultimately uproot his life, flip it on its head, toss it out the window, and any other life-altering sayings you can think of that describe the conundrum of the secret he was privy to learning at age 31. 

What may that secret be? Well, you have to go watch the show to find out all the dirty details (I can't spoil it!).

But I'm no tease, so here's a taster.

31 is a year of discovery, entering a new decade of your life, many decisions to make, and when you see a 23andMe DNA test online and on sale, you buy it; little did Tomaschoff know, when he did exactly that, that it would lead to the revelation that his father is not actually his father. 

As anyone would do, he texted his group chat, and that's where Citron and Peters come in. 

Noam Tomaschoff.

Going further back than the production itself is this creative partnership. A partnership that holds a lot of respect for one another. 

Tomaschoff, Peters, and Citron first met in Grade 9. They spent their high school years making music, performing and experimenting with creative projects, including an original show called Just a Regular Day, which, if you're just going off the title, couldn't be more opposite from the musical they've brought to the stage all these years later. 

Although their lives eventually took different directions, their friendships remained. And when they learned of their friend's secret, they, naturally, suggested it be turned into a musical. 

While Tomaschoff is the performer and storyteller, he is quick to emphasize the importance of having the right people around him to exercise practical, emotional, and supportive teamwork through the process of creating a musical.

Ryan Peters.

Peters went on to become a teacher at their former high school and found his role in "Our Little Secret" as its composer. Creating the score for this musical, Peters cultivates a musical score that progresses with the story; an accurate description of cultural and emotional changes follows the characters as the story progresses. 

Russel Citron.

"Russel brings a business acumen, which is profoundly absent in the vast majority of arts projects," Tomaschoff says. "Somebody who understands that what you're doing is creating a product and trying to sell it."

After high school, Citron attended business school and, while working on a tech startup, he recognized the similarities between entrepreneurship and producing a theatrical production, allowing him to combine his love for the arts and the technical workings of a production together.

For Citron, taking on the role of producer was initially much larger of a commitment than imagined. Now he stands in the spotlight among friends. 

The three of them together make the perfect team: logistics, elements, and performance. Even when disagreements arise, the team approaches them as an opportunity to improve the production. 

"We are able to get a well-rounded view of the entire system," explains Citron. "We've made changes day of, from each run of the production, and will probably continue to do so as we continue to grow. One thing that stays the same is our respect for each other, so getting unanimous is helpful." 

When it comes to Tomaschoff's performance, it's one of endurance. 85 minutes of non-stop singing, movement and shapeshifting of characters, something Tomaschoff does with ease. 

He plays himself, his mother, father, biological father (spoiler alert!), and a slew of other characters. Shifting through each one with ease and grace, it's like watching a full cast, each embedded in their respective roles, yet it's one man doing it all. 

The luxury of the show, for Tomaschoff, is having his friends by his side. Having no worries about what's happening behind the scenes means he can focus on his performance, health, and how he can continue to elevate the show.

Performing a show about one's own life can come with its own set of grievances, like having to relive painful memories, but it also stands true to a period in which tremendous growth was at Tomaschoff's fingertips. 

While the story involves significant turbulence in his understanding of family, Tomaschoff sees it as fundamentally positive. 

"This is a story of life upheaval, but it's a positive story. Tomaschoff declares with a smirk.

Being back home in Toronto has been emotional and heartwarming, Tomaschoff tells me; the positive impact the city has had on his life has been something he says he will always remember.

The most significant impact the show has had on Tomaschoff has been the ability to tell his story, and do so with his parents by his side.

His parents' initial reaction to the news that their life was to be put on blast in front of audiences was understandably complicated, and Tomaschoff isn't oblivious as to why.

"They were initially horrified that I would do a show because this was their whole kind of house of cards collapsing."

As the story was shared, though, his parents' response, sitting in the front row, was one of pride, basking in the world their son had created, and if you are lucky enough to attend a show in which they are present, Tomaschoff undoubtedly shouts them out in his final song. 

The Toronto performances represent a particularly meaningful milestone for all three friends. The theatre in which they feel honoured to perform is one that holds many memories of childhood.

"It's very special," Tomaschoff tells blogTO. "It certainly feels different than any other city we've been in. There's family and friends rallying around us, so excited to see the show. It feels really special. 

With a multitude of performances and awards behind them already, the team at Our Little Secret dreams of bringing the story to new heights and larger stages. 

"It's a story about how keeping secrets and bottling up shame is actually a barrier to love, and how vulnerability and openness are a true way of getting there," Tomaschoff tells blogTO.

"And that's the message we hope to continue to share in the future," adds Citron. 

Nearly 15 years after their first high school musical, three friends have been drawn back together to bring to existence the creative partnership they once dreamed of, only this time, the story isn't made up. 

If you are into sock puppets, DNA testing, Irish jigs, audience involvement, a pilot with charm, heartbreak, and two brothers meeting over beer (yes, all this in one show), then Our Little Secret: A New Musical is one story you don't want to miss. 

Our Little Secret: A New Musical is on until November 22, with tickets ranging from $49 to $89 at the CAA Theatre.

The CAA Theatre is located at 651 Yonge St.