In 1995, inspired by a children's theatre production about the Acadian expulsion, music teacher Paul Taranto began working on a musical adaptation of the story. Three years later, he approached actor/playwright/lyricist Wax with a collection of songs he had written and asked if he would be interested in collaborating on the project. Unable to commit himself at the time, he recommended Taranto work with mutual friend Danny Tiberghein, who taught at the same school and had a theatrical background. When Tiberghein later was killed, Wax agreed to complete the musical with Taranto as a memorial to him.