BWW Previews: ONCE THERE WAS A MELODY at Segal Centre

Springtime, for the Montreal arts scene is a busy stretch. Often marked by several bustling season launch events, spring is also a time when Montrealers start seeing a surge of musical productions onstage. Leading the charge, before the regular offering of Broadway book shows and revues, is the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre's staged reading of "Once There Was a Melody".

Based on Dan Almagor's Israeli smash hit musical "Ish Hasid Haya", Once There Was a Melody (Amol Iz Geven A Nign) is a collection of vignettes, songs, and stories exploring the theme of the spiritual journey. The musical, described as sweet, funny, and touching, involves Jewish folk tales and melodies that have been passed down through the ages. As such, these timeless stories from the Old Country are now being brought to a new generation of Montreal audiences.

Mirroring the musical's theme of passing down traditions from generation to generation, is the DWYT ensemble cast, which ranges in age from twenty-something to eighty-something. That's certainly not typical for most theatre companies, but has become a unique trait of the DWYT.

Jonathan Eidelman, a millennial cast member whose inaugural experience with DWYT was in the SoCalled musical, "Tales From Odessa". Years later, Eidelman has returned to his roots after having performed such Montreal and Toronto community theatre roles as Barrett (Titanic), Collins (Rent), Aaron (Curtains), and Baker (Into the Woods). With a variety of local English language musicals to perform in, why did Eidelman choose to be a part of Once There Was a Melody?

"What brought me back to DWYT was that I honestly missed the sound of Yiddish! I love performing in musicals, but what really draws me to Yiddish Theatre is the sense of community and purpose," explains Eidelman. "The show itself couldn't be more different from my first show. It's much smaller, but the feeling of community and warmth and the amazing talent of the DWYT family is exactly the same!"

The choice of Once There Was a Melody seems especially poignant, as the DWYT has been rising to the challenge of appealing to its evolving audience demographics, especially those that question the relevance of Yiddish. The parallel was not lost on Jonathan Eidleman. "We put on a fantastic show, but we're also developing and preserving this beautiful literature and culture; reinventing it for a new generation. What I love about this show is its emotional range. These stories are so simple but they're extremely powerful, and each cast member gets to connect to the audience in a meaningful way."

Just as you don't need to speak Italian or German to go see an opera, you don't need to understand Yiddish to see Once There was a Melody; English and French supertitles are provided. Featuring a cast of 14 directed by Luciana Burcheri, music direction by Ely Bonder, and choreography by Paula Frank. Performances at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts (5170 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine) are on April 15 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., as well as April 16, 18, and 19 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets: $36 Regular / $30 Senior / $18 Students & children under 12 / $32.50 Segal Subscribers. Call the Segal Centre Box Office 514.739.7944 or purchase online at https://www.segalcentre.org.

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