Theatre Review by Christina Manolescu</MARQUEE>
It is the gorgeous stage setting which first takes your breath away as you enter the theatre. It is—literally—a marvel of creation, the intricate master work of set-and-props designer, Yannik Larivée, whose credits range from fabled Andrew Lloyd Webber's theatricals to the Parisian Opera Bastille.
And since we are trafficking in Biblical lore, so too—unsurprisingly—does this all-Yiddish musical: at times humorously, seriously, touchingly and profoundly, both in the context of the 'here-and-now,' and also 'the hereafter.'
Child star, Adam Daniel Koren, plays Davey 'the younger' with remarkable confidence and style. Nourished on Biblical legends, he dreams of becoming the long-awaited Messiah whereas his beloved grandfather, Zaida (played by Pinchas Blitt), fondly dreams of a better world to bequeathe to his kith and kin. Dreams notwithstanding, for immigrants of the 1920's era, basic physical and economic survival—if one can manage it—is simply all there is.
We now enter the mythical Shtetl (a small Jewish town or village in East Europe) which, defying space and time, has recreated itself on Montreal's tumultuous 'Main.'
Enhanced by the original lyrics and music of Elan Kunin, old St-Laurent's 'street theatre' takes on a whole new meaning. Its variegated citizenry breathe colourful life into the sidewalks, rowhouses, rickety backyard sheds, horse-stables and balconies. Day after day they invigilate, cast judgment, help or hinder, love, tolerate or despise one another, as manifested by the spontaneous, stylized street battle of the 'brooms and mops' between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots,' the well established and the newly arrived, the overtly pious and the overtly profane.
Unfolding before our eyes is the tragi-comic microcosm of the larger world, forever ripe for—and on the verge of conflict. Conflict that divides and ruptures communities and families at their core. In sharp focus is Davey's multi-generational tribe, with its double aspect of loving support and domineering stranglehold, exhibiting the very best and worst of family life.
From time to time as the events unfold, we detect faint echoes of a sort of inverse, Judaic-style 'Mystery Play.' with its underlying moral message, counterbalanced nonetheless by an unrelenting stream of earthy humour and wry irreverence. It is a precarious balance, finely nuanced and expertly maintained.
Don't miss this dazzling, highly original production which plays till the end of June.
Review by Christina Manolescu
Relayed by the Invisible Cities Network
http://www.InvisibleCitiesNetwork.org
The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre
proudly presents
A World Premiere Musical
By Ted Allen
Music and Lyrics By Elan Kunin
Directed by Bryna Wasserman
Presented in Yiddish with English and French supertitles
Sunday, June 5 - Thursday, June 30
Rags! Clothes! Bottles
MONTREAL May 2005 - Don't miss the close to the 2004-05 season at The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre with the highly anticipated production by The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre: A new musical adaptation of Ted Allan's Lies My Father Told Me that brings to life a golden period in Montreal's colourful history.
Fresh off this spring's hit New York run of On 2nd Avenue (a co-production with New York's Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre, which garnered two Drama Desk Award nominations), The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre is eager to once-again entertain audiences of all ages and "mother tongues". Building on past successes like The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz and The Great Houdini, The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre now brings you a musical adaptation of Ted Allan's beloved tale with original music and lyrics by Elan Kunin, one of the company's young, talented members.
Lies My Father Told Me is a heart-warming story of intergenerational conflict set in 1920's Montreal. Take this journey with Davey, his beloved grandfather and the horse that leads them through the back alleys of Montreal as they interact with the people and cultures that created the renowned area affectionately known as The Main. Confront the old world and the new, tradition and modernity, all the while experiencing a memorable musical ride.
"I'm very excited to be staging this well-known story that so many of us can relate to," said Bryna Wasserman. "For those of us who grew up on The Main, the sights, sounds and wonderful smells of that time are still very much with us." Wasserman is also delighted that there are quite a few remarkable stories in the staging of the production itself, including: Ben Gonshor, whose own career began when he played young Davey in Dora Wasserman's original adaptation of the play, now reprising the role twenty years later in the form of the older David and the voice of memory; the two young actors sharing the role of young Davey (Adam Daniel Koren and Gabriel Miller) will amaze as both are not yet ten years old and neither one is a native Yiddish speaker; and thirteen young actors round out the youthful cast.
The inspired team bringing the city of Montreal to life is: Yannik Larivée: Set Designer (Hedda Gabler, Monument - National Ballet of Canada, Dreamland - Royal Swedish Ballet, Tancredi - Canadian Opera Company) James Lavoie: Costume Designer (Shakespeare and Moliere: Love and Laughter - National Arts Centre/Stratford Festival) Jacques-Olivier Dupuis: Lighting Designer (Major Barbara, The Golden Land, Fiddler on the Roof), Rob Denton: Sound Designer (Jesus Hopped the A Train, On 2nd Avenue) Lorna Wayne: Choreographer (The Great Houdini, Double Identity), Amanda Corber: Production Stage Manager (Fiddler on the Roof, Double Identity, The Golden Land).
Opening Night: Wednesday, June 8, 8pm
Run: June 5 - 30
Performances: Monday-Thursday, 8pm
Saturday, 9:30
Sunday, 7 pm
Matinées: Wednesdays, 1pm / Sundays, 2 pm
Box Office: (514) 739-7944
5170 cote St. Catherine Rd.
Nearest Metro: Cote Ste-Catherine
www.saidyebronfman.org
Admission 790-1245. www.admission.com