Spirit of joy and togetherness celebrated in Oil for the Lamps

I?ll be the first to admit, before last Wednesday?s performance of Oil for the Lamps, I knew very little about the Jewish faith and its associated traditions, and even less about the eight-day celebration of Chanukah.

But sitting snug in the ArtSpring theatre amongst a sold-out crowd, I received one heck of a crash course and went home feeling educated, enlightened and highly entertained.

A co-production between ArtSpring and Active P.A.S.S., Oil for the Lamps staged its world premiere last week to two very large and receptive crowds. Composed by Joi Freed-Garrod and co-directed by Rachel Jacobson and Sue Newman, this self-described folk opera revealed its story through eight dramatized song and dance numbers (with some interspersed narration), performed mainly by Salt Spring youngsters.

Quick to draw a laugh, Sid Filkow (reprising his role of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof) led the audience through time as the story?s narrator ? all the way from 1906 to 2011. Providing slightly expository history lessons, Tevye watched from afar as his daughter Hodl (Jekka Mack) and her family and descendants celebrated Chanukah throughout the decades.

Although there were times I was unsure of the ?plot,? it certainly didn?t detract from the beautiful music, lively performances and overall spirit of joy and togetherness that the production brought about.

The music, performed live by talented local musicians Tami dos Santos, Carolyn Hatch, Michael Menard, Wendy Milton, Gail Sjuberg and Martin Thorn, and conducted by Freed-Garrod herself, was an absolute delight and included a m?lange of traditional-sounding melodies that moved from slow and haunting to lively and rousing.

I particularly enjoyed The Magic of 25, which educated the audience on the relevance of December 25th in various cultures, and The Latke Song was a definite crowd pleaser. What with hilarious oversized latke-making props and the audience being encouraged to shout out their favourite way to eat latkes (the great sour cream or applesauce debate), this number was a highlight of the production. In the Fullness of Light was my absolute favourite; more textured than the other numbers, it featured beautiful harmonies, more subtle lyrics and wove a rich tapestry of sound and voices.

The talented young cast was incredibly invested in the production and the hundreds of hours of rehearsal were evident in both their commitment and their ability to stay in character throughout the opera.

The dance numbers, choreographed by Sue Newman, were superbly executed, a perfect blend of beautiful movement, humour and joyful enthusiasm (and even included one hip-hop number featuring bongos, breakdancing and beatboxing!). I was also highly impressed by some of the young, female vocalists whose voices were both sweet and pure, controlled and confident.

A charming addition was the adorable (and astoundingly mellow) baby Ryan Krayenhoff, who was passed on and off stage throughout the show, stealing scenes whenever he appeared. I would also be remiss if I didn?t mention a certain little blonde guitar player (Elizabeth Woodley), who stole a few scenes herself with her beaming smile and infectious enthusiasm.

The costumes and props, which spanned various decades, were superb and I loved all the thoughtful (and oftentimes hilarious) little touches, such as when the smallest children were dressed up as dreydls and spun around on the floor.

I was surprised at how few children were in the audience, but the adult crowd was appreciative nonetheless, providing the cast and crew with a heartfelt standing ovation. There is nothing quite so enjoyable as witnessing and subsequently participating in live theatre and music-making and as per usual I find my favourite moments are usually the unscripted ones . . . in this production when one of the smallest children, dressed as a cow, got his foot caught in his costume and had to slip and slide offstage with only three working ?hooves.? As adorable as it was, I must give props to the little actor for not allowing the unplanned glitch to faze him.

Mazel tov to the entire cast and crew, most especially to Freed-Garrod, Jacobson and Lynda Jensen (costume and set design) for bringing something exciting, educational and entertaining to our little island, and for providing us with insight into a faith and holiday that some of us knew so little about.

Oil for the Lamps DVDs will be available by contacting Joi Freed-Garrod at jfreed@tru.ca or by calling 250-537-1673.

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Source: http://www.gulfislandsdriftwood.com/entertainment/135967613.html

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